The Zaniskari pony is a breed found around Leh and Laddakh in the area of Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...

 (Northern India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

). This breed is endangered by interbreeding with nondescript ponies

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...

, though the Animal Husbandry Department of Jammu and Kashmir has started a program for conservation at a farm in Leh.

Physical characteristics

Zaniskari ponies stand 120-140 cm in height, and weigh 320-450 kg. Their coloration runs from usually grey to black, though some specimens are a reddish, copper

Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...

y color. The breed is able to carry heavy loads at high altitude and are used for work.