Buying your perfect Exmoor pony
Tips from one of our breeders – as featured in Horse & Hound
As Britain’s oldest and one of the rarest breeds of native pony, an Exmoor pony is a versatile breed and can make a good choice as a working family pony. They can live out and require little maintenance… but they are known for their quirks. So, if you are thinking about buying an Exmoor pony it’s always good to get some professional advice before giving one a home.
As well as our Society’s advice available here, Horse & Hound magazine recently talked to a long-time Exmoor Pony Society member and breeder on recognising and buying your perfect Exmoor pony.
Jackie Webb has been breeding Exmoor ponies under the Blackthorn prefix since 1978. She is also on a number of judging panels, including NPS and BSPS and our own Exmoor pony Society panel. Here are some of her thoughts included in the article.
What to look for in an Exmoor pony
As the owner of influential stallions Siskin, Dunkery Buzzard, Blackthorn Hawkwind and Blackthorn Sea Poacher, Jackie knows what makes a good Exmoor. With these ponies, she has qualified numerous times for the Horse of the Year Show – with Siskin a three-time in-hand finalist and Blackthorn Blush Rose winning at HOYS twice with Katy Marriott Payne.
Jackie tells Horse and Hound:
“The pony has to shout Exmoor at you, which most of them do. An Exmoor is usually instantly recognisable. An Exmoor should be a well-made pony with good limbs and bone. A good Exmoor should have a bold eye and small pony ears.”
Of course, a ‘purebred’ pony will have been inspected to meet the right standard, and be registered in the Exmoor Pony Society studbook. Jackie also likes a well-marked pony, with obvious mealy markings. She notes that darker ponies don’t have obvious markings and at certain times in the year they can lose their markings completely, especially if they are rugged during show season.
What can I do with an Exmoor pony?
With stallions and geldings standing up to 12.3hh from 11.3h hands, and mares standing up to up to 12.2hh from 11.2hh, Exmoor Ponies make perfect mounts for capable children and smaller adults.
Many Exmoors jump well and can contend in ridden classes with an increasing number contending both lead rein and first ridden classes with success.
Jackie is seeing more and more Exmoor Ponies out on the show circuit, and says “these days many good ridden ponies do have movement and are able to be schooled similarly to the other breeds you see out and about on the circuit. Once upon a time, not many people showed Exmoors, but they are increasingly popular, which has been positive for the breed.”
Will an Exmoor pony suit me?
It really depends on what you wish to do with your pony. They are highly intelligent, which can be thought of as stubborn but generally this is because they are one step ahead of you!
Jackie’s advice on how much you can do with your pony is that “it depends on the temperament of the individual pony. It depends on how they are educated, too. If you get a pony that is wild from the moor, then they will take a lot more work to get going compared to a pony that has been handled from the off.”
Buying your Exmoor pony
When you are ready to buy your Exmoor pony, we would recommend starting on the ‘Owning a Pony’ section of the Exmoor Pony Society website. There you will find lists of registered purebred Exmoor ponies of all ages to purchase or loan.
If you are wanting a foal and are happy to wait for it to mature, we can also put you in touch with registered breeders on the moor or elsewhere. As Jackie says: “There really isn’t anything more rewarding than bringing one up yourself. Be aware of your own capabilities as not everyone has the experience to bring on a wild Exmoor foal!”
But finding the right Exmoor can take time, and it’s always worth looking at a number of ponies before you settle for the one to purchase. We strongly advise that you arrange pre-purchase vetting and, if for a child, a trial period. You can find more about your legal responsibilities on the following page:
Buying and owning a pony
With just 500 breeding mares, and 100 licensed and registered stallions, in any given period of five years producing between 100-150 foals per year, preserving the bloodlines of this rare breed is important. As one of Britain’s oldest breeds of native pony, owning one can also help conserve this priority breed for future generations.
Read the full article on the Horse and Hound website
Header image: Dunkery Godwit