British Riding Ponies are the royalty in the pony world. They are the result of skillfull, selective breeding for type over a period of many decades. The pedigrees of the British Riding Ponies can be traced back over many generations.
In 1869 the 10th Royal Hussars returned from their services in India and introduced Polo to England, where it soon became very popular. Polo, however, requires a specific type of horse, which was not customary in Great Britain in those times.
In 1893 a society was formed «for the improvement and encouragement of the breeding of high- class Riding Ponies, and that a stud book be formed for the registration of pedigrees and detailed description of height and colour, and that it be called the «Polo Pony Stud Book».
Apart from obtaining a hardy, swift and fast mount, the main issue was the height limit of 14.2 hh, imposed by the governing Hurlingham Polo Association. The best results were achieved by the «three way cross» of small Thoroughbred, Arab and Mountain and Moorland pony, notably Welsh and Dartmoor.
In 1913 the society was renamed from «Polo Pony Stud Book Society» to «National Pony Society» (NPS), as the emphasis was placed on ponies being bred to be «suitable for riding purposes».
In 1949 the British Show Pony Society was formed to govern the ridden aspect of the Riding Pony, whilst the NPS dedicated its aims to running the studbook and overseeing the welfare of the British Native Breeds.
During the 1950's various eminent breeders became dedicated to the task of cultivating the BRP as we know it today – the most singly influential sire being the legendary BWLCH VALENTINO, himself a product of the «perfect three way cross».
Today the British Riding Pony is much respected and sought after world wide, and a large proportion of the best bloodlines have been exported, predominantly to Australia and New Zealand, from whence frozen semen is being re-imported to be re-introduced to the current breeding programmes.
The British Riding Pony is best described as «originally the result of crossing Thoroughbred and/or Arab with one of the Mountain and Moorland Native Breeds, above all Welsh and Dartmoor», and is now normally recognised as the progeny of BRP sire and dam. This is an animal of outstanding quality that is a true pony retaining the pony characteristics of good temperament, hardiness and surefootedness. It possesses the ability to make the ideal ridden pony.
The pedigree may include ponies from any recognised Native Pony, Thoroughbred and Arab, and regularly the pedigree is now derived from British Riding Pony stock.
It is acceptable and sometimes desirable to return to the «gene pool» of original pure blood, i.e. TB, Arab and Mountain and Moorland.
British Riding Ponies are categorised into Show Ponies or Show Hunter, Working Hunter and Performance Ponies. It is generally recognised that «type» is hard to define. People will always have different views. However, the basic description of the Show Pony can equally be used to describe the Show Hunter, Working Hunter or Performance Pony.
The BRP should have a good quality head, honest with a bold, intelligent well set eye. The neck should be well muscled, not cresty or ewe necked, with good flat sloping shoulders, deep heart room and well sprung ribs. It should have powerful quarters which flow down to strong hocks. Good joints are required with hard flat knees, a short cannon bone and well shaped feet.
The BRP must have well balanced, fluent action and move freely from the shoulder with good natural impulsion from the hindquarters.
The height at maturity must not exceed 14.2 hh (148 cm) for Show ponies, 15hh (153 cm) for Show Hunter, Working Hunter and Performance Ponies. There is no minimum height limit, but BRP under 11.2 hh are seldom found.
A show Pony should have the type, quality, bone, elegance, refinement and movement expected of a smaller edition of a high class Thoroughbred, whilt retaining true pony characteristics.
A show Hunter, Working Hunter or Performance Pony should have the type, quality, bone, substance and movement expcted of a really high class Middleweight Show Hunter or Eventer, whilst retaining true pony characteristics.
Whichever «type» is bred, the result is, by definition, a British Riding Pony.
The British Riding Pony is the ideal mount for todays's enthusiastic, competitive rider, a pony for all spheres.
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