Welsh Ponies

About Welsh Mountain Ponies

Annie’s Foal

Origins of the Welsh Pony

Welsh Mountain Ponies have beed bred in the hills of Wales, in the west of Great Britain, for hundreds of years. Their action and temperament have been influenced by the harsh climate and rough terrain of their native hills.

Lucky Trinket

They are extremely “good doers” with strong constitutions and this comes from the necessity of being able to keep well on the sparse, course grasses and mosses that made up their diet.

Ginger enjoying a treat

In 1902 the Welsh Pony and Cob Stud Book was established and the four fixed types were separated out. Prior to that time Welsh ponies were influenced by a variety of breeds. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Welsh ponies were crossed with Arabians, Thoroughbreds and Hackneys.

Fern Rigg´s Lady´s Man (Sean)

The Welsh Cob (Sections C and D) originates in Wales also, but the largest concentration were, and still are, bred in the central section of Wales, an area known as Dyfed.

Fern Rigg´s Lady Josephine and Sean, Fern Rigg´s Lady´s Man

Characteristics of the Welsh Pony

The Welsh Pony and Cob Stud Book is divided into four sections. Our farm (Fern Rigg) has the first two types – Section A and Section B Welsh as well as Welsh X Morgan ponies or “part-bred” Welsh.

Fern Rigg´s Lady Casandra (Sandy) and Renner´s Ginger Boy (Ginger)

Section A – Ponies registered in Section A of the Stud Book are commonly known as Welsh Mountain Ponies. They are the smallest of the four types of Welsh Pony and should not exceed 12 h.h. in height, with delicate heads, elegant legs and a good depth of girth. They are excellent children’s riding ponies and also go well in harness.

Ginger and Kourtnay at the All Pony Show

Section B – Ponies registered in Section B of the Stud Book are known as the Welsh Pony of Riding Type and should not exceed 13.2 h.h. in height. They are reknowned for their sloping shoulders, giving them excellent action.

Jacobse Lady Anne and Fern Rigg´s Lady´s Man