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The Highland Pony is a native British pony, and is the largest of Britain’s 9 native breeds. Its pedigrees date back to the 1880s. It was once a workhorse in the Scottish mainland and islands, but today is used for trekking and general riding. The Highland varies greatly in color, height, and conformation due to the fact that a Highland may be entered into the studbook by pedigree alone, not by a physical examination. The breed is strong and sturdy, with hard, sound feet and a sure-footed ability to handle mountainous countryside easily. The Highland’s legs are generally short, with broad knees. They are easy keepers, hardy, and tolerant of bad weather. Their backs are short and strong, with deep chests, and muscular hindquarters. They usually have a short head, broad between the eyes, with wide nostrils capable of dilation, and a slightly dished face. The ponies are very docile, and intelligent. Highland ponies almost always have primitive markings: dorsal stripe down the back, stripes banding the legs, and shoulder stripes. They usually have dark points. They are the only British native breed to have these markings occur frequently. The breed comes in dun, brown, black, and gray. White markings should be very minimal. The ponies usually stand between 12.1 and 14.2 hands high. |
