The Newfoundland Pony

The development of a breed of pony suitable for the harsh landscape of Newfoundland took several hundred years, but what has resulted is a stocky pony, well suitable to heavy snowfalls, harsh winds, and poor vegetation. Newfoundland’s heritage animal, the Newfoundland Pony, is proving again that it is strong and can endure anything as it battles for survival.

In 1611, an explorer named John Guy brought Dartmoor and Exmoor ponies to the island of Newfoundland from Europe for draft purposes. Then many years later, Lord Falkland brought another hardy type that were used to rough ground (possibly the New Forest ponies of England.) For many years these European breeds interbred, producing a more rugged pony. Then in the 1800’s when settlement was encouraged, small draft horses, Welsh Mountain ponies, the Highland, and the Galloway were brought from New England and Nova Scotia, Wales, and Scotland. Sable Island Ponies were introduced in 1852, and then in 1939 Welsh Ponies arrived from Ontario and also bred with the Newfoundland breeds.

In time, the pony population had increased to the point where importing horses from outside the province were unnecessary. Isolated on the island of Newfoundland, the ponies interbred until eventually there emerged a recognizable breed. By the mid 1900’s Newfoundland Ponies had evolved to a breed of their own. The ponies were used for plowing the fields, turning soil, pulling wood for fires and housing, and even to drive the families to church on Sunday. They had firmly established themselves as important assets in Newfoundlanders way of life.

The Newfoundland Pony stands between 11.0 and 14.2 hands high, but body structure and weight can vary from fine boned to large and stocky. They can be many colors, with bay, black, and brown being the most common, but also including chestnut, dun, gray, roan, and “white”(pink skin). Paint colors (skewbald and piebald) are not acceptable. Many ponies however, have a coat that changes variably with the season and can often be quite dramatic. A thick mane and low set, heavy tail are both characteristic, as is feathered fetlocks with hair extending below the fetlock points. Flint hard hooves are a contributing factor to the surefootedness of this pony.

Possessing of a remarkably good temperament, the Newfoundland Pony is docile and obedient. Often credited as being a fixture in the building of Newfoundland society, the Newfoundland Pony is an excellent winter animal, a reliable mount, and a safe companion for children. Many households in Newfoundland remember a time when the pony was part of the family, often bestowing people names such as “Betsy” and “Beau” on them and allowing them to wander freely in the yard.

In the 1970’s, an estimated 12,000 ponies were in Newfoundland. Increased modernization rendered the pony obsolete, and by the 1980’s fewer than 100 remained. After 400 years in the making, a ten-year time span nearly wiped out the race. With the help of the Newfoundland Pony Society and Newfoundland Pony Care Inc., the provincial government of Newfoundland passed the Heritage Animals Act in 1997, providing legal protection for the Newfoundland Pony by making it illegal to transfer ponies off the island without an export permit. This ensures that ponies leaving the island go to breeders and pony lovers- not meat packaging plants.

Today, there are approximately 250 breeding stock ponies alive. Many remaining ponies are geldings and mares too old to be bred. While the majority of Newfoundland Ponies remain in the province where they originated, the rest of the world continues to take an interest, with ponies located in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Florida. However, the Newfoundland Pony continues to be classified as critically endangered by Rare Breeds Canada.

The next step for the Newfoundland Pony is attainment of registered breed status. Currently, the Animal Pedigree Act (APA) recognizes the Newfoundland Pony as a “type”, but it must make a place for itself in today’s world to become a registered breed. The Newfoundland Pony is an “all purpose” pony, possessing of strength, courage, obedience, and ability. Today they can be found mostly in Eastern and Atlantic Canada in Pony Club competitions, pulling wagons or wood for the family, teaching children how to ride, and providing us with the familiar sight of a pony grazing in a grassy field.

Photo Credit:
"newfs, Kaitln" taken by Kaitlyn Campbell at the Torbay NL Pony Project
"Amyy" picture of Point Lemington Prince taken by Amy Hemeon
"Skipper of Avalon" taken by Ruth Story

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