The Gayoe, also known as the kuda-Gayo is a 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...

 from the island of Sumatra

Sumatra

Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...

, found near Aceh

Aceh

Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...

. The name is derived from the Gayoe hills in the north of the island.

The Gayoe is one of eight breeds native to Indonesia; the others are the Batak Pony

Batak Pony

The Batak Pony is a pony breed from Indonesia. Originating in Central Sumatra, it is thought to have descended from Mongolian Horse and Arabian blood, and has continually been infused with additional Arabian blood to improve its quality...

, Deli pony

Deli pony

The Deli pony is native to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Closely related to the Batak Pony, both breeds developed in the Batak hills. The name of the breed most likely came from the large numbers of ponies exported from the port of Deli...

, Bali Pony

Bali Pony

- Characteristics :The Bali ponies are quite hardy and self-sufficient, surviving with little outside care. They are tough animals that are not shod and are remarkably sound, with hard feet, and strong legs...

, Java Pony

Java Pony

The Java pony is a breed of pony developed on the island of Java in Indonesia. It is thought to have descended from wild forebears of Mongolian Wild Horse ancestry...

,
Sumba and Sumbawa Pony

Sumba and Sumbawa Pony

The Sumba Pony and Sumbawa Pony are named after the islands on which they are bred -- Sumba and Sumbawa Island respectively. However, the two breeds are very similar. The ponies descended from Mongolian Horses and ancient Chinese stock...

 (and closely related Sandalwood Pony

Sandalwood Pony

The Sandalwood Pony originated in Indonesia, on the Sumba and Sumbawa Islands. It is named after the Sandalwood trees, which are a major export of the country. The Sandalwood pony is one of the finest in the country, partly due to the great amount of Arabian blood. They make suitable children's...

) and Timor Pony

Timor Pony

The Timor Pony was developed on Timor Island, likely from Indian breeds of horses and ponies that were imported to the island. The Timor Pony is thought to be closely related to the Flores Pony, which was developed on nearby Flores Island. Both breeds are used by the local people for cattle work, ...

.

Characteristics and uses

Gayoe ponies are generally solid-colored, usually a dark bay shade commonly called "brown." Adults are approximately 12.2 hands

Hand (unit)

The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...

 (114 cm) tall at the withers

Withers

The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...

, and small-bodied.

They are primarily used for transportation on Sumatra, and the 1997 FAO Breed Survey indicated that the breed has a stable population of about 7500 animals, thus it is not endangered.