Exmoor pony
Encyclopedia
The Exmoor pony is a horse breed
native to the British Isles, where some still roam as semi-feral
livestock on Exmoor
, a large area of moorland
in Devon
and Somerset
in southwest England. The Exmoor is one of the British Isles mountain and moorland pony breeds, having conformation
similar to that of other cold-weather pony
breeds. They are hardy and used for many activities, as well as contributing to the conservation and management of several natural pasture habitats. Ponies were first mentioned in Exmoor in 1086, though a breed society was not formed until 1921. The breed nearly became extinct following World War II, due to soldiers using them for target practice and thieves killing them for their meat. The breed today is at "critical" status by the Equus Survival Trust
, with a worldwide population of about 800 animals, with between 100 and 300 active adult breeding mares in existence.
The head is somewhat large in proportion to the body, with small ears, and has a characteristic "toad eye" caused by fleshiness of the eyelids, which helps both to deflect water and provide extra insulation. As with most cold-weather pony breeds, the Exmoor grows a winter coat consisting of a highly insulative woolly underlayer and a top-coat of longer, oily hairs which prevent the undercoat from becoming waterlogged by diverting water down the sides of the animal to fall from just a few drip areas. The mane
and tail
are thick and long, and the dock of the tail is of a type common in cold-weather ponies, having coarse white hairs, known variously by terms such as "frost cap," "snow chute," or "ice tail" which deflect rainwater away from the groin and underbelly areas to fall from the long hairs on the back of the hindleg.
Exmoor ponies are usually a variant of dark bay, called "brown"
, with Pangaré
("mealy") markings around the eyes, muzzle, flanks and underbelly. Pangaré markings occur in other equines as well as horses, and are considered to be a primitive trait. Entry in the breed registry
requires that the animal have no white markings
and is not too tall. They usually stand , with the height limit for mare
s being and that for stallions
and gelding
s .
Exmoors that are not kept in semi-feral conditions are used for a variety of activities, including showing, jumping, long-distance riding, and driving. The breed's hardiness makes it suitable for conservation grazing
, and it contributes to the management of many heathland
, chalk grassland
and other natural pasture habitats, as well as to the conservation of Exmoor itself.
Exmoor fanciers claim the breed is descended from wild ancestors and has been bred pure since the Ice Age, perhaps over 100,000 years old. However, modern DNA research has yet to corroborate this traditionally-held view of the origin of the Exmoor Pony, as existing studies indicate they share their maternally-inherited mitochondrial DNA
with various other breeds from across the world, and their paternally-inherited Y-chromosome is identical to that of most other domesticated horse breeds.
Horse remains dating from the paleolithic/mesolithic transitional period have been found in England, including materials dating to 8000 BC that have been unearthed in various locations. There were horse bones found in chamber tombs
dating to 3500 BC. However, no scientific studies to date have correlated these remains to those of any modern breed. What has been studied are Y-chromosomes (Y-DNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) obtained from Exmoor Ponies. The Y-chromosome is passed on through the male line, and worldwide shows no genetic variation in horses, except for a second Y-chromosome haplotype in China, suggesting that a very limited number of stallions contributed to the original genome of the domestic horse. The Exmoor Pony shares this general Y-chromosome haplotype. In contrast, mitochondrial DNA is passed on though the female line, and shows far more variation than Y-DNA, indicating that a large number of wild mares have contributed to modern domestic breeds. The distribution of mtDNA-haplotypes around the world suggest an influx of wild mares from various regions into the gene pool of the domesticated horse. Some mtDNA-haplotypes have been found in DNA samples obtained from wild horses in prehistoric deposits, while other mtDNA-haplotypes have only been found in domesticated horses, from both living individuals and archeological finds. While the Exmoor Pony has a high frequency of pre-domestication mtDNA-haplotype
s, these mtDNA-haplotypes are found in different breeds all around the world. Currently, for the British Isles, there are only three DNA archeological samples available, all from Ireland. Although wild horses were abundant after the last ice age, the lack of sufficient pre-domestication DNA samples makes it impossible to determine the contribution of the wild horses of the British Islands to modern breeds, including the Exmoor pony, until more samples have been analyzed.
The first indication of domesticated horses in England comes from archaeological investigations showing that the ancient Britons were using wheeled horse-drawn transport (chariots) extensively in south-west England as early as 400 BC. Recent research has indicated that there was significant Roman involvement in the mining of metals on Exmoor. Metals including iron, tin and copper were transported to Hengistbury Head in neighbouring Dorset for export, and Roman carvings, showing British and Roman chariots pulled by ponies phenotypically
similar to the Exmoor, have been found in Somerset.
The Domesday Book
mentions ponies in Exmoor in 1086. The next mention occurred in 1818, when Sir Richard Acland
, the Exmoor Royal Forest's last warden, took 400 ponies from the area to Winsford Hill
, where he owned land. This herd became known as the Anchor herd, and a small number of descendants of this original herd still remain at Winsford Hill. At the same time as Acland's removal, the rest of the ponies were sold, but some stayed with breeders in the area, and these families still preserved the descendants of these animals today. From the 1820s to 1860s Exmoors were used to produce crossbreds, which although successful were not as hardy as their ancestors. In 1893, the ponies were described in Sidney's Book of the Horse as around high, usually bay in color, and with conformation similar to what it is today. In the late 1800s, the National Pony Society began to register Exmoors and Exmoor crossbreds. In 1921, the Exmoor Pony Society was formed, and published its first stud book in 1963.
The Second World War led to a sharp decrease in the breed population as the moor became a training ground. The breed nearly became extinct, with only 50 ponies surviving the war. This was partially due to soldiers using some ponies for target practice and others being stolen and eaten by people in the cities. After the war a small group of breeders continued to preserve the population, and publicity in 1981 caused increased interest in the breed. The first Exmoors in North America were imported to Canada in the 1950s and several small herds are still maintained there. In the 1990s, small herds of ponies were established in various areas of England. These herds are used to maintain vegetation on nature reserves, many being managed by organisations such as the National Trust
, Natural England
and County Wildlife Trusts.
Every purebred
registered Exmoor is branded
with a four-point star on the near (left) shoulder, although branding has attracted criticism. In addition to the British Exmoor Pony Society, there is also the Exmoor Pony Association International, an organisation founded in the US which registers Exmoors worldwide. In 2000, the Moorland Mousie Trust, a British organisation, was established to assist in the preservation of the Exmoor pony. There is little market for Exmoor colts
, so the organisation works to raise funds for the gelding
and training of these horses.
Currently, the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
considers the population of the Exmoor to be at "threatened" levels, meaning that the estimated global population of the breed is less than 5,000 and there are less than 1,000 registrations annually in the US. The UK Rare Breeds Survival Trust
considers the breed to be "endangered", meaning that population numbers are estimated to be under 500 in Great Britain. The Equus Survival Trust
considers the breed to be "critical", meaning that there are between 100 and 300 active adult breeding mares in existence today. As of 2010, there are estimated to be around 800 Exmoors worldwide.
Horse breed
Horse breed is a broad term with no clear consensus as to definition, but most commonly refers to selectively bred populations of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a very broad sense to define landrace animals, or...
native to the British Isles, where some still roam as semi-feral
Semi-feral
A semi-feral animal is an animal that lives predominantly in a feral state, but has some contact and experience with humans. This may be due to having been born into a domesticated state and then reverting to life in wild conditions, or it may be an animal that grows up in essentially wild...
livestock on Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
, a large area of moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
in southwest England. The Exmoor is one of the British Isles mountain and moorland pony breeds, having conformation
Equine conformation
Equine conformation evaluates the degree of correctness of a horse's bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other. Undesirable conformation can limit the ability to perform a specific task. Although there are several universal "faults," a horse's conformation is...
similar to that of other cold-weather pony
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
breeds. They are hardy and used for many activities, as well as contributing to the conservation and management of several natural pasture habitats. Ponies were first mentioned in Exmoor in 1086, though a breed society was not formed until 1921. The breed nearly became extinct following World War II, due to soldiers using them for target practice and thieves killing them for their meat. The breed today is at "critical" status by the Equus Survival Trust
Equus Survival Trust
The Equus Survival Trust is a United States nonprofit organisation dedicated to helping conservation efforts for over 25 endangered horse breeds. It is dedicated to protecting the genetic diversity and traditional traits of historical horse, pony and donkey breeds that are currently nearly extinct...
, with a worldwide population of about 800 animals, with between 100 and 300 active adult breeding mares in existence.
Breed characteristics
The Exmoor pony is strong for its height, with heavy, dense bone and powerful musculature, and is noted for its hardiness, disease-resistance, and endurance. it shows a distinctly different jaw structure to other horse breeds, including the beginnings of development of a seventh molar.The head is somewhat large in proportion to the body, with small ears, and has a characteristic "toad eye" caused by fleshiness of the eyelids, which helps both to deflect water and provide extra insulation. As with most cold-weather pony breeds, the Exmoor grows a winter coat consisting of a highly insulative woolly underlayer and a top-coat of longer, oily hairs which prevent the undercoat from becoming waterlogged by diverting water down the sides of the animal to fall from just a few drip areas. The mane
Mane (horse)
The mane is the hair that grows from the top of the neck of a horse or other equine, reaching from the poll to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. It is thicker and coarser than the rest of the horse's coat, and naturally grows to roughly cover the neck...
and tail
Tail (horse)
The tail of the horse and other equines consists of two parts, the dock and the skirt. The dock consists of the muscles and skin covering the coccygeal vertebrae. The term "skirt" refers to the long hairs that fall below the dock...
are thick and long, and the dock of the tail is of a type common in cold-weather ponies, having coarse white hairs, known variously by terms such as "frost cap," "snow chute," or "ice tail" which deflect rainwater away from the groin and underbelly areas to fall from the long hairs on the back of the hindleg.
Exmoor ponies are usually a variant of dark bay, called "brown"
Seal brown (horse)
Seal brown is a hair coat color of horses characterized by a near-black body color; with black points, the mane, tail and legs; but also reddish or tan areas around the eyes, muzzle, behind the elbow and in front of the stifle...
, with Pangaré
Pangaré
Pangaré is a coat trait found in some domestic horses that features pale hair around the eyes and muzzle and underside of the body. These pale areas can extend up to the flanks, throat and chest, behind the elbows, in front of the stifle, and up the buttock. Animals with the pangaré trait are...
("mealy") markings around the eyes, muzzle, flanks and underbelly. Pangaré markings occur in other equines as well as horses, and are considered to be a primitive trait. Entry in the breed registry
Breed registry
A breed registry, also known as a stud book or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders when they are still young...
requires that the animal have no white markings
Horse markings
Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life...
and is not too tall. They usually stand , with the height limit for mare
Mare (horse)
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine.In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse age three and younger. However, in Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four years old; in harness racing a mare is a...
s being and that for stallions
Stallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
and gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
s .
Exmoors that are not kept in semi-feral conditions are used for a variety of activities, including showing, jumping, long-distance riding, and driving. The breed's hardiness makes it suitable for conservation grazing
Conservation grazing
Conservation grazing is the use of semi-feral or domesticated grazing livestock to maintain and increase the biodiversity of natural or semi-natural grasslands, heathlands, wood pasture, wetlands and many other habitats....
, and it contributes to the management of many heathland
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
, chalk grassland
Calcareous grassland
Calcareous grassland is an ecosystem associated with thin basic soil, such as that on chalk and limestone downland. Plants on calcareous grassland are typically short and hardy, and include grasses and herbs such as clover...
and other natural pasture habitats, as well as to the conservation of Exmoor itself.
Breed history
Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria, structures within eukaryotic cells that convert the chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate...
with various other breeds from across the world, and their paternally-inherited Y-chromosome is identical to that of most other domesticated horse breeds.
Horse remains dating from the paleolithic/mesolithic transitional period have been found in England, including materials dating to 8000 BC that have been unearthed in various locations. There were horse bones found in chamber tombs
Severn-Cotswold tomb
Severn-Cotswold is a name given to a type of Megalithic chamber tomb built by Neolithic peoples in Wales and South West England around 3500 BC.-Description:...
dating to 3500 BC. However, no scientific studies to date have correlated these remains to those of any modern breed. What has been studied are Y-chromosomes (Y-DNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) obtained from Exmoor Ponies. The Y-chromosome is passed on through the male line, and worldwide shows no genetic variation in horses, except for a second Y-chromosome haplotype in China, suggesting that a very limited number of stallions contributed to the original genome of the domestic horse. The Exmoor Pony shares this general Y-chromosome haplotype. In contrast, mitochondrial DNA is passed on though the female line, and shows far more variation than Y-DNA, indicating that a large number of wild mares have contributed to modern domestic breeds. The distribution of mtDNA-haplotypes around the world suggest an influx of wild mares from various regions into the gene pool of the domesticated horse. Some mtDNA-haplotypes have been found in DNA samples obtained from wild horses in prehistoric deposits, while other mtDNA-haplotypes have only been found in domesticated horses, from both living individuals and archeological finds. While the Exmoor Pony has a high frequency of pre-domestication mtDNA-haplotype
Haplotype
A haplotype in genetics is a combination of alleles at adjacent locations on the chromosome that are transmitted together...
s, these mtDNA-haplotypes are found in different breeds all around the world. Currently, for the British Isles, there are only three DNA archeological samples available, all from Ireland. Although wild horses were abundant after the last ice age, the lack of sufficient pre-domestication DNA samples makes it impossible to determine the contribution of the wild horses of the British Islands to modern breeds, including the Exmoor pony, until more samples have been analyzed.
The first indication of domesticated horses in England comes from archaeological investigations showing that the ancient Britons were using wheeled horse-drawn transport (chariots) extensively in south-west England as early as 400 BC. Recent research has indicated that there was significant Roman involvement in the mining of metals on Exmoor. Metals including iron, tin and copper were transported to Hengistbury Head in neighbouring Dorset for export, and Roman carvings, showing British and Roman chariots pulled by ponies phenotypically
Phenotype
A phenotype is an organism's observable characteristics or traits: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior...
similar to the Exmoor, have been found in Somerset.
The Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
mentions ponies in Exmoor in 1086. The next mention occurred in 1818, when Sir Richard Acland
Richard Acland
Sir Richard Thomas Dyke Acland, 15th Baronet was one of the founding members of the British Common Wealth Party. He had previously been a Liberal Member of Parliament and joined the Labour Party in 1945...
, the Exmoor Royal Forest's last warden, took 400 ponies from the area to Winsford Hill
Winsford, Somerset
Winsford is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, located about north-west of Dulverton.It is within the borders of the Exmoor National Park and around south-west of the coastal town of Minehead. The village has two hotels, Karslake House Hotel and the Royal Oak, both dating to before...
, where he owned land. This herd became known as the Anchor herd, and a small number of descendants of this original herd still remain at Winsford Hill. At the same time as Acland's removal, the rest of the ponies were sold, but some stayed with breeders in the area, and these families still preserved the descendants of these animals today. From the 1820s to 1860s Exmoors were used to produce crossbreds, which although successful were not as hardy as their ancestors. In 1893, the ponies were described in Sidney's Book of the Horse as around high, usually bay in color, and with conformation similar to what it is today. In the late 1800s, the National Pony Society began to register Exmoors and Exmoor crossbreds. In 1921, the Exmoor Pony Society was formed, and published its first stud book in 1963.
The Second World War led to a sharp decrease in the breed population as the moor became a training ground. The breed nearly became extinct, with only 50 ponies surviving the war. This was partially due to soldiers using some ponies for target practice and others being stolen and eaten by people in the cities. After the war a small group of breeders continued to preserve the population, and publicity in 1981 caused increased interest in the breed. The first Exmoors in North America were imported to Canada in the 1950s and several small herds are still maintained there. In the 1990s, small herds of ponies were established in various areas of England. These herds are used to maintain vegetation on nature reserves, many being managed by organisations such as the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
and County Wildlife Trusts.
Every purebred
Purebred
Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
registered Exmoor is branded
Livestock branding
Livestock branding is a technique for marking livestock so as to identify the owner. Originally, livestock branding only referred to a hot brand for large stock, though the term is now also used to refer to other alternative techniques such as freeze branding...
with a four-point star on the near (left) shoulder, although branding has attracted criticism. In addition to the British Exmoor Pony Society, there is also the Exmoor Pony Association International, an organisation founded in the US which registers Exmoors worldwide. In 2000, the Moorland Mousie Trust, a British organisation, was established to assist in the preservation of the Exmoor pony. There is little market for Exmoor colts
Colt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
, so the organisation works to raise funds for the gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
and training of these horses.
Currently, the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting genetic diversity among rare breeds of livestock...
considers the population of the Exmoor to be at "threatened" levels, meaning that the estimated global population of the breed is less than 5,000 and there are less than 1,000 registrations annually in the US. The UK Rare Breeds Survival Trust
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a conservation charity, whose purpose is to secure the continued existence and viability of the United Kingdom’s native farm animal genetic resources...
considers the breed to be "endangered", meaning that population numbers are estimated to be under 500 in Great Britain. The Equus Survival Trust
Equus Survival Trust
The Equus Survival Trust is a United States nonprofit organisation dedicated to helping conservation efforts for over 25 endangered horse breeds. It is dedicated to protecting the genetic diversity and traditional traits of historical horse, pony and donkey breeds that are currently nearly extinct...
considers the breed to be "critical", meaning that there are between 100 and 300 active adult breeding mares in existence today. As of 2010, there are estimated to be around 800 Exmoors worldwide.