Welsh pony (Section B)
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The Welsh Pony (Section B)--the Welsh Pony of Riding Type--is part of the Welsh Breeds (which also includes Welsh mountain pony (Section A), Welsh pony of cob type (Section C), and Welsh Cob (Section D)). They are one of the most beautiful of all the British native ponies.
[edit] Breed characteristics
Section B ponies are taller than the closely related Welsh mountain pony (Section A) with a maximum height of 13.2 hh (1.37 m) in the UK and 14.2 hh (1.47 m) in the U.S. . They also generally have slightly lighter conformation, as a result of Thoroughbred and Hackney blood, but should resemble the Sec. A pony, but be of "riding type".
They are tough and thrifty little animals, with a very steady, tractable, and calm nature. They come in any colour except piebald and skewbald. They should not be light of bone, but should resemble their Mountain Pony ancestors for quality of bone.
The ponies have a dished face (from the Arabian influence) with small ears, large eyes, and a fine muzzle. They are sure-footed with sound feet and dense bone, and are very hardy. The ponies should have a sloping shoulder, with free-flowing movement. They should have a muscular neck, arching from withers to poll, and have a deep, wide chest with a compact back. The tail is set and carried high.
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[edit] Breed history
The Welsh Mountain Pony is thought to have evolved from the prehistoric Celtic pony. The sparse and inhospitable hills of Wales developed the small and extremely hardy animal. The Section B pony came out of the Welsh mountain pony (Section A).
When the Romans occupied Britain, they brought horses of their own, presumably Arabians, which bred with the native ponies, producing hardy offspring with substance, but very beautiful. It is believed that Julius Caesar founded a stud for the ponies on the shores of Lake Bala.
The characteristics of the breed are thought to have been established by the late fifteenth century, after Crusaders brought Arabian stallions from the Middle East.
In the 1500s, King Henry VIII ordered that all smaller ponies be caught and destroyed. Many of the ponies were safe in their homeland of the Welsh Mountains.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, more Arabian blood was added by stallions who were turned out in the Welsh hills. Other breeds have also been added, including Hackney and Thoroughbred.
The Welsh breeds were used in mines, for pulling carts, as a means of transport.
In 1901, the Welsh Pony and Cob Society was formed, with the first Stud Book published the following year. It wasn't until 1949 when the sections of the Stud Book (A, B, C, and D) were introduced. One important stallion in the Welsh breed since the 1900s was Dyoll Starlight, credited to have been the foundation sire of the modern breed, and was a combination of Welsh and Arab. From his line came an influential stallion of the Section B type: Tan-y-Bwlch Berwyn. This stallion was sired by a Barb and out of a mare from the Dyoll Starlight line. Other influential stallions of the Section B type were Criban Victor of Welsh descent, and Solway Master Bronze.
Today, the Welsh Pony is known as a riding and driving pony. It is shown both in hand and under saddle, and makes an excellent children's pony. The breed is used for dressage, eventing, and jumping.
