Dartmoor Pony

The Dartmoor Pony is a small native breed from the moorland of Dartmoor in the south-west of England. Height tops out at 12.2 hands, and the pony pairs a compact, solid frame with a quiet, even temperament. Pony club families will recognise the type: gentle, calm and good-natured, and long regarded as one of the most dependable children's riding ponies.

Generations on open, wind-swept moor shaped an animal that is tough, sure-footed and economical to keep. For a small pony the Dartmoor has a smooth, low, free-flowing stride, comfortable for young or anxious riders. The breed is also clever and willing, so it responds well to careful, consistent handling.

The Dartmoor is used today for children's riding, lead-rein and first-ridden classes, driving, and as a base for breeding larger riding ponies. A kind nature and dependability under saddle are what the breed is known for.

Who it suits

The Dartmoor fits families after a steady first pony, riding schools that teach young children, and owners who want a hardy native that does well on modest feed. Beginner mistakes rarely rattle it, and its brains keep it interesting for more capable young riders. Daily handling and time out in the paddock are essential; beyond that, it is far less work than finer-boned horse types.

Ponies have lived on Dartmoor, the granite upland in Devon, England, for many centuries. Working ponies on the moor appear in records from the medieval period, when they carried tin from the local mines and did general farm and pack work. Exposed ground and scant grazing favoured a small, tough, sure-footed animal able to get through cold winters with next to no shelter.

For most of its history the breed developed with little planned management. Ponies grazed semi-wild on the common land of the moor, and local farmers ran stallions and mares together. That long stretch in a demanding environment fixed the hardiness, sound feet and easy-keeping nature that still mark the breed.

Outside blood was brought in at times during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and crossbreeding for pit-pony work also affected the population. To protect the breed's identity a breed standard was drawn up, and in 1899 the Dartmoor was given its own section in the National Pony Society stud book. A dedicated society followed in 1924.

The two World Wars and changes in how the moor was used cut numbers sharply, and by the mid-20th century the breed was scarce. Careful registration and the efforts of breeders rebuilt the population. The Dartmoor is still classed as a rare native breed, and registered ponies bred to standard exist alongside the unregistered hill ponies that continue to graze the moor.

The Dartmoor is a compact, balanced pony that reads as quality and strength without any coarseness. The head is small and neat, with a broad forehead, large kind eyes and small alert ears. A neck of medium length runs into well-laid shoulders, which is where the breed's smooth, low action comes from. The body is deep and the back strong, set on short, flinty legs with dense bone and hard, well-shaped feet.

Coat and colours

The breed standard prefers solid dark colours; bay, brown and black are the most typical. Grey, chestnut and roan turn up as well. Excessive white markings are discouraged, and piebald and skewbald patterns are not accepted for registration. The summer coat is fine and close, but come winter it grows long and weatherproof, a leftover from life on the moor. Together, the full mane and tail and the heavy seasonal coat let the pony shed rain and cope with the cold.

Temperament is where the Dartmoor earns its keep. The pony is gentle, calm and good-natured, with the steady disposition a reliable children's mount needs. New situations rarely unsettle it and it is seldom flighty, which is why it turns up so often in lead-rein and first-ridden classes.

With its own family the breed is affectionate and tolerant, and it puts up with handling by small children well. Strangers are usually met with a settled, friendly manner rather than suspicion. The Dartmoor lives easily alongside other horses and ponies and slots into herd life, a habit inherited from generations of group grazing on the moor.

It is also clever and quick to learn. That makes training rewarding, but a Dartmoor will spot inconsistent handling and take advantage of it, so clear, fair routines get the best out of it.

The Dartmoor is among the easier native breeds to keep, but it still needs consistent daily attention. A weatherproof coat and hard feet mean many ponies go without covers or shoes, though the feet still need trimming and the skin needs checking on a regular basis.

Grooming

• Brush several times a week to shift dirt and loose hair; groom daily if the pony is in work
• Give the thick mane and tail extra attention so they do not knot up
• Pick out the feet every day and check for thrush or stones
• Expect a heavy moult in spring as the winter coat comes out

Exercise

• Turn the pony out daily in a paddock so it can move freely
• Give regular ridden or driven work matched to the pony's age and the rider's level
• Mix up the work to keep a clever pony interested
• Avoid long spells in a stable or yard with no movement

Environment

Built for open, exposed ground, the Dartmoor copes with cold and wet given basic shelter, whether that is a shelterbelt, a run-in shed or a stable. It does not need a heated or heavily managed set-up. Secure, well-fenced grazing matters, because a pony this small can slip through a weak fence line.

The Dartmoor evolved on poor moorland grazing, so it gets plenty out of modest forage and is what horse people call a good doer. Grass and good-quality hay should make up the bulk of the diet rather than concentrates. Most leisure ponies need little or no hard feed, and high-energy or high-sugar feeds bring weight gain and metabolic trouble. Constant access to clean water and a salt or mineral source rounds out the basic diet.

Treats and supplements

A bit of carrot or apple now and then is fine as a treat. A general vitamin and mineral balancer is worth adding when grazing alone falls short, particularly for growing or senior ponies. Match any supplement to the rest of the diet, and make major changes gradually to protect the gut.

The Dartmoor is a robust native with few breed-specific disorders, and plenty of ponies reach 25 to 30 years in good health. Most problems seen in the breed are down to management and its efficient metabolism, so weight control is the single most important health job. Routine vet, dental and farrier care keeps most ponies sound well into old age.

Preventive care

• Annual vet check and core vaccinations
• Dental examination at least once a year, more often for seniors
• Regular farrier visits to trim and balance the feet
• A targeted drenching programme backed by faecal egg counts
• Condition scoring all year round to pick up weight gain early

Brains and a steady nature make the Dartmoor a straightforward pony to train. It learns fast and holds on to its lessons, and its calm temperament means new tasks are taken in its stride rather than met with panic. The flip side of that intelligence is that a Dartmoor will test unclear boundaries, so handlers do best with short, regular sessions and consistent expectations. Gentle handling from the foal stage sets up an easy adult pony.

Basics

1. Get the foal used to people, a halter and leading from an early age
2. Teach it to have its feet handled, to be groomed, and to stand quietly for the farrier and vet
3. Introduce voice cues and basic groundwork before any ridden or driven work
4. Break in or long-rein at a suitable age, and progress slowly
5. Build ridden or driving skills in calm, repeatable steps matched to the rider

Dartmoor mares are good, attentive mothers, and the breed has a name for easy foaling and tough, vigorous foals, the result of natural selection on the moor. Mares are capable of breeding at a few years of age, though responsible breeders hold off until a mare is physically mature before her first foal. Mating is usually timed so foals arrive in spring, when grass and weather suit the young pony.

Gestation runs about 11 months and nearly always produces a single foal. Foals are generally up and drinking soon after birth and grow steadily on the mare's milk and graded forage. Weaning usually happens at around six months. Because the breed is rare, registered breeding is managed to conserve correct type and maintain genetic diversity. To protect that type, foals from registered stock are recorded with the breed society.