 The ancestors of all our native pony breeds came overland from Alaska approximately 130,000 years ago and became widely distributed throughout what is now the British Isles. One hundred thousand years later mankind appeared on the scene and discovered their natural source of protein, not to mention their skins and fat from the ponies which were an indispensable as part of the Winter survival kit.
Dramatic climate changes about 9,600 years ago began to restrict the amount of open grazing, mainly to mountain and moorland areas of Britain, thus herds became isolated on the uplands and the British Hill Pony developed as a result.
First domesticated by the Celts, these herds of ponies can trace their history largely through their first contact with Man. From the Doomsday Book onwards there is little written evidence of the Exmoor Pony but records from the 1500 s onwards reveal that the equine population of the moor varied in numbers rising to as many as a thousand at times. The moors, as part of the Royal Forest were controlled by wardens who ran native stallions there but it is known that non-Exmoor mares were sometimes allowed to roam with these herds.
 In 1818 the Crown sold the Royal Forest to John Knight but the outgoing warden, Sir Thomas Acland, fortunately took 30 of the ponies and founded the Acland Herd, (now known as the Anchor Herd), whose descendants still roam the Winsford Hill. Farmers from Withypool and Hawkridge who had worked alongside the warden also bought stock at the disposal sale and founded several herds of which Nos 1, 10, 12, 23 and 44 still exist.
John Knight made an unsuccessful attempt at improving the breed by introducing an Arab Stallion Katerfelto . The resulting produce lost the hardy characteristics needed to survive Exmoor’s harsh winters, and this line eventually died out leaving no lasting influence on the breed.
The Exmoor Pony Society was founded in 1921 at The Lion Inn in Dulverton by breeders concerned that Exmoor ponies, should not risk being sacrificed to fashion or improvements and to protect the foundation herds.
Several years were spent with highly experienced breeders inspecting ponies for acceptance into the Stud Book as foundation stock.
In the 1930s there was something of a boom time for the ponies. They became very popular children's ponies, due in no small part to the success of Moorland Mousie - the story of the life of an Exmoor Pony.
The War Years
Due to absent owners, moorland gates left open and trigger happy troops (who were inclined to use the moorland animals for target practice) the pony herds had a very rough time during war years. Food rationing incited butchers to look to the ponies once again as a source of food, and the majority of the ponies on Winsford Hill were lost in one incident. Frank Green, the owner of the Acland Herd, tried in vain to trace them but barely a dozen ponies survived the tragedy. As if all this were not enough, the war years were followed by one of the most severe winters ever recorded in 1947.
It was only thanks to a dedicated few that some ponies survived the war, yet ironically they did their bit for the war effort, helping to form the home guard unit. Issued with cavalry equipment the Exmoor Mounties were a common sight in an inhospitable terrain.
Post War Crisis
Thanks largely to the post war efforts of Mary Etherington, a keen supporter of the breed, cattle grids gradually replaced the gates and the boundaries to the commons were secured. The number of ponies dropped alarmingly. In 1946 only about 50 remained and only 6 pure-bred filly foals were registered for the whole of Exmoor.
 Thanks largely to the efforts of Mary and a few other dedicated breeders the numbers gradually grew and have continued to increase steadily. While they are still not considered a fashionable pony, their qualities as a hardy, intelligent sure footed equine are being increasingly recognised. Figures now stand at approximately 1200. However this figure should be put into context. Of this 1200 a mere 463 ponies are in breeding situations (classified as a mare or stallion having bred within the last 3 years) and of that number 80+ are stallions.
Put into context, this still makes the Exmoor Pony rarer than the Giant Panda, a little known fact. Strangely enough and whilst they are recognised by the Rare Breed Survival Trust, world-wide there are organisations who do not even know of their existence
The Characteristics Of The Exmoor Pony
There is little variation between adult Exmoor Ponies although they naturally range from about 11½ hands-13½ hands, the majority are 12-12.2 hands.
 The ponies are very stocky and strong, with deep chests and large girths, the large capacity of the digestive system is important in winter as they consume large quantities of rough material which provides them with internal warmth. The Exmoor Pony does in fact present a wonderful example of efficiency in the business of finding, gathering, chewing and digesting food and all around the country small groups of Exmoor ponies are being pressed into ecological service by grazing open spaces in such a way as to maintain the natural balance of the indigenous flora. This is due to their teeth being well adapted to a coarse diet. A pony that cannot eat successfully in harsh conditions will not survive, so the Exmoor has evolved incisors that meet cleanly and have a most effect bite – this even endures into old age. As a result the ponies do not damage plants as readily as other breeds and indeed they neatly graze around many allowing the plants to flourish and increase in number.
 Their colouring falls within a limited range of bay, brown or dun, with black points (with no white markings) and as such they blend in very well against their native background of heather, grass and bracken. Although their only predator in recent history has been Man, they retain the coloration most advantageous in terms of survival. This may also be the adaptive functions of the distinctive facial markings - the mealy muzzle and ring around the eye; the light and dark contrast break up the outline of the head making its movements less obvious to a predator.
The ring of colour around the eye is referred to as a toad eye . The fleshy structure immediately around the eye being yet another defence system against harsh weather conditions.
 The ponies have neat, hard feet well suited to coping with rough terrain Their legs are clean and short, straight and set apart, and their action is straight and smooth, without exaggerated action. The long low stride of the Exmoor gives them easy movement over rough terrain, providing a well balanced ride.
They should have mealy markings on the muzzle and around the eyes
A good Exmoor pony will have well laid back shoulders, fine at the top with a deep chest. The ribs should be long, deep, well-sprung and wide apart, with a broad back and level across the loins. Because of their build they are well able to carry an adult - up to 12 stone in weight - which must make them one of the strongest equines, relative to height. In summer their coat is close, hard and bright, but to contrast the rigours of an Exmoor winter they grow a coat in two layers which provides, in effect,
thermal underwear and a raincoat.
 The hairs next to the skin are fine in texture and form a layer of insulation; the outer hairs are coarser and greasy giving waterproof protection to the animal. That this system is highly efficient is best demonstrated by the phenomenon of snow thatching : snow collects on top of the ponies coat as insufficient body heat is lost to melt it; and the snow can be periodically shaken off.
The tail is neatly set in and the fan of short hairs near the root of the tail is called a snow chute . The mane, forelock and tail are thick and fully haired and also shed water efficiently. The Exmoor pony, like all wild ponies, has developed in response to its environment and because it has lived and evolved in such a relatively small area over such a long period, must be one of the purest examples of Equus in existence today. |
