Yes, Newfoundland has its own pony. This did not happen in Newfoundland alone. The early settlers brought horses from the British Isles, from such places as Exmore, Dart moor, New Forest, Galloway, Welsh, Connemara, and a few Highland ponies. All of these intermingled and breed for nearly three centuries until one common pony developed and that was the Newfoundland Pony. Each of these ponies that were introduced to Newfoundland so many years ago brought with them a different trait that shows in the Newfoundland ponies of today.

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The Results of Breeding

The pony that resulted from this mixture of breeding was perfectly suited for the Newfoundland environment.  They stand approximately 11 to 14 hands high and sports a thick, dark mane, tail and lower legs. They are usually brown in color although other colors can be found.  Some of these ponies can change in color depending on the season. They can weigh anywhere from 400 to 800 pounds and has a small head with deep jowls. They have short, hairy ears, a small flint, hard hoof and a very low tail set.

Temperament

The best attributes that the Newfoundland Pony has, is perhaps, its good temperament along with its tenacity to survive on almost any kind of grassy foods. Newfoundland can experience some very harsh winters but this pony also inherited a very thick winter coat.

History of the Newfoundland Pony

These wonderful ponies saw many days of hard work in the past. They carried their owners by cart, on their backs and by pulling wagons. They hauled firewood, timber, kelp, rocks and much more in the early years. They were an absolute necessity before the car came to the Island. They were used from the 40’s into the 50’s and in some places beyond this time.

Almost Extinct

The Newfoundland Pony almost hit distinction in the in the eighties. In 1935 there were nine thousand and twenty five ponies recorded on the Island compared to 1997 when there was only 144 known to be still alive. The cause of this was due to many things that were changing. Machinery took over the job of the ponies so they weren’t needed as they once were. Laws were brought in where they were not permitted to roam anymore, which cut down on their food supply and some places in rural Newfoundland had no way of getting hay due to the rocky environment. There was a law for limited breeding of these ponies and owners were encouraged to have stallions gelded. At the time thousands of these great ponies were sent to the slaughter house in Quebec to be sent to Belgium and France for human consumption.

In 1997 Pony Declared as Heritage Animal

The 144 animals that were left were mostly geldings along with a small amount of older mares. The Newfoundland Pony Society was named as the official public group that would be responsible for registering, promoting and protecting this animal. Restrictions were put in place on export or disposal of these ponies. In 1998 there were 214 of these Heritage Ponies registered.

The future for the Newfoundland Pony seems brighter than it has ever been and they will continue to increase in numbers as the years go by but this is a lesson to be learnt at how easy it is for any kind of species to be wiped from this earth, never to be seen again except in history books. Newfoundland is very fortunate that we still have this living history with us today.