Pony and horse breeds

At Galop 2 you recognised three breeds at your club. Now you need to know at least three pony breeds and three horse breeds: where they come from, their size, what they are used for and what makes them recognisable.

In the exam programme

Name and recognise at least three pony breeds and three horse breeds.Common module B

A breed groups together equines that look alike and pass their features on to their offspring; it is kept by a stud book, the register that sets the rules for entry. In France, a pony stands no more than 1.48 m (14.2 hands) at the withers; above that, it is a horse. But height is not everything: some small breeds, such as the Camargue, are horse breeds by their build and their history.

Shetland — 1.07 m at most
Welsh, here a Welsh Mountain — 1.22 m at most
Connemara — 1.28 m to 1.48 m
French Saddle Pony — up to 1.48 m
Camargue — 1.35 m to 1.50 m, and still a horse
Arab — 1.45 m to 1.55 m
French Trotter — 1.55 m to 1.65 m
Thoroughbred — 1.55 m to 1.70 m
Selle Français — 1.60 m to 1.75 m

Fig. 3.15Ponies and horses to the same scale

Pony breeds

Breed	Origin and height	Use	How to recognise it
Shetland	The Shetland Isles, north of Scotland; 1.07 m at most.	Young children’s first rides, driving.	Very small and stocky, short legs, a very thick mane and tail, a heavy winter coat.
Welsh	Wales; four sections, from the Welsh Mountain Pony (1.22 m at most) to the larger Welsh Cob.	Children, competition, driving.	A small head, often with a slightly dished profile, large eyes, lively paces.
Connemara	The west of Ireland; from 1.28 m to 1.48 m.	Show jumping, eventing, pleasure riding.	A sturdy pony and a good jumper, very often grey.
French Riding Pony	France; up to 1.48 m.	Pony competition: jumping, dressage, eventing.	A sport horse in miniature: elegant, with big paces, in every colour.

Horse breeds

Breed	Origin and height	Use	How to recognise it
Selle Français	France, especially Normandy; about 1.60 m to 1.75 m.	Show jumping above all, eventing, dressage.	Tall, powerful and well proportioned; often bay or chestnut.
Thoroughbred	England; about 1.55 m to 1.70 m.	Racing; it has improved many sport horse breeds.	Fine and rangy, thin skin, a deep chest, long strides.
Arab	The Arabian Peninsula; about 1.45 m to 1.55 m.	Endurance, pleasure riding, racing.	A short head with a dished profile, large nostrils, a tail carried high.
French Trotter	France, especially Normandy; about 1.55 m to 1.65 m.	Trotting races, in harness or ridden; often retrained afterwards as a pleasure horse.	A straight profile, a solid dark coat, a very long, ground-covering trot.
Camargue	The Rhône delta; from 1.35 m to 1.50 m.	Working cattle with the Camargue herdsmen, the gardians; trekking.	Always grey, so light that it looks white; its foals are born dark. Very hardy and sure-footed.

Tip

To revise, go round the stables at your club: guess each horse’s breed, then check the name plate on its door or ask your instructor.

A word from the instructor

A Shetland stands no more than 1.07 m at the withers. Nobody has yet found a measuring stick tall enough for its opinion of itself.

Ekidemy

The Galops^®, from the first step to Galop 7