Faroe pony
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| Faroe Pony | ||
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 A Faroe pony in Porkeri |
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| Alternative names: | Faroese horse | |
| Country of origin: | Faroe Islands | |
| Breed standards | ||
The Faroe pony, or Faroese Horse, is a small pony, its height is between 115 cm -125 cm. Because of its height it is biologically a pony, but people on the Faroe Islands call it a horse, because of its strength. The colors of the pony are mainly brown, red and black. It is known to be very hardy, friendly, adaptable and surefooted pony and it has 3 gaits - Walk, Trot, Canter.
The pony was used in the old days to haul bear and heavy loads at the farms and when it wasn't at work, it was released onto the mountains where it roamed free. Today it is mostly used as a riding horse for children who want to learn the art of riding.
The Faroe pony has been on the Faroe Islands for many hundred years, in the 1960s there were approximately 5 - 6 horses left on the Faroe Islands because of the huge export on horses to the mines in the United Kingdom. With a huge effort, that number has now increased to about 50 horses and the aim is to maintain and develop it further. The Faroe pony has recently been recognised as a unique breed.
Because there is no active B.I.P. Station (Border Inspection Post) available at the moment, the Faroe pony is not able to be exported, which means that these horses are only to be seen on the Faroe Islands and therefore are little known in other countries.
[edit] See also
- Norwegian Fjord horse
- Icelandic horse
[edit] External links
- Information on Faroese pony
- More information on the Faroese pony
- Faroese site with photos of Faroese ponies
- Faroese pony stamps
- Department of Animal Science at Oklahoma State University
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