The British Isles are known for producing wonderful horses. The Connemara, Thoroughbred and Shire all found their start in the U.K. While all of these breeds are synonymous with this part of the world, one in particular is so tightly linked to England that horses of this breed still graze on the land where the breed was first developed hundreds of years ago.

This is the legacy of the New Forest Pony, a hardy and sure-footed breed that lives in the New Forest of southern England, 100 miles from London. Now part of a national park, the New Forest is made up of pastures, glades, woods, moors, hearthland and cliffs. The land overlooks the English Channel and is the reason for the New Forest Pony’s rugged constitution.

Today, the descendants of the original New Forest Ponies, who grazed on this land for centuries, live in a semi-wild state. They are managed through the centuries-old tradition of “commoning,” which allows farmers to graze their livestock on common land. Once the hunting grounds of William the Conqueror, the New Forest is home to hundreds of native ponies owned by local farmers and managed by “agisters,” who care for them.

The Modern New Forest Pony

About 5,000 New Forest Ponies live in the New Forest today. The New Forest Pony Breeding & Cattle Society (NFPBCS) in Hampshire, England, holds the studbook and registers New Forest Ponies throughout the U.K. Although the breed is famous for its long history in the New Forest, this mighty British pony is also known for its versatility.

In England, the NFPBCS manages a program called the Elite Scheme, which was established to help breeders, owners and potential owners of New Forest Ponies discover the most successful bloodlines in the breed. The program highlights the qualities of New Forest Ponies in many different disciplines. Known for their versatility, the breed can be found doing just about anything. At the NFPBCS annual breed show, ponies compete in dressage, gymkhana, hunter, and other riding and in-hand classes.

Alana Henson in Nottingham, United Kingdom, has had her New Forest Pony mare, Bowlingreen Espresso (aka “Coffee”), for a few years now, and is completely sold on the breed.

“Coffee is 8 years old and has only had a riding career of three years,” says Henson. “In her previous home, she mainly did show jumping and Pony Club activities. With us, she has excelled at showing as a working hunter. She has won a few championships this season.”

Coffee also qualified for STARS Champions of Champions, where she competed in the working hunter classes. STARS was established in England in 2018 as an end-of-season finale for young equestrians showing any breed of horse or pony.

“Coffee was one of only a few that made it around a very tricky course and was awarded the Shining Star award,” says Henson.

Although only a few hundred New Forest Ponies are registered in North America, the people who keep them on this side of the pond are passionate about their ponies.

“We love the New Forest Pony temperament, intelligence and trainability,” says Lynda Davies of Manoravon Farms in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. “They move more like a horse than a pony, have great feet, and are easy keepers. Their size makes them excellent family ponies—small enough for children, yet capable of handling an adult.”

Davies has also found New Forest Ponies to be an extremely versatile breed, performing any task asked of them.

“Our ponies have done Pony Club, hunter/jumper, dressage, and eventing,” she says. “They are also great driving ponies and can do both pleasure and combined driving. My husband and I take our ponies on camping and trail riding weekends. We also use ours in our small lesson program for children and adults.”

This charming breed may be rare in North America, but likely not for long. Word is spreading on the joys of owning a New Forest Pony, and it is little wonder—the breed’s beauty, brains and athleticism are hard to beat.

Fast Facts

Height: No more than 14.2 1⁄8 hands

Color: Any color except pinto, spotted or blue-eyed cream

Overall Appearance: Fine head, alert expression; sloping shoulders; strong quarters; plenty of flat bone; good depth of body; straight limbs and good, hard, round feet.

Associations:
◆ New Forest Pony Society of North America
◆ New Forest Pony Breeding & Cattle Breeding Society

This article about the New Forest Pony breed appeared in the March 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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In a dense British forest of birch and oak, as old as the ice age, lives a special breed of pony. Semi-wild and living off the grass that grows in the clearings, the pony has long called this forest his home. His cousins, the other mountains and moorlands breeds, can be found throughout the British Isles.

The New Forest Pony takes its name from the ancient New Forest in southern England just 100 miles from London, where it has lived for centuries. Once the hunting grounds of William the Conqueror in 1067, the New Forest became a place where medieval farmers could graze their livestock. That tradition continues today, and the New Forest Pony is the predominant equine in the forest.

Part of the New Forest is now a national park, while the rest of the nearly 350-square-mile forest is designated a Site of Specific Scientific Interest.

Made up of pastures, glades, ancient woods, moors, heathland and cliffs overlooking the English Channel, the New Forest created the characteristics so treasured by those who love the New Forest Pony.

Known to be hardy and sure-footed, New Forest Ponies have been bred only to each other since the early 1900s, when the New Forest Pony & Cattle Breeding Society began keeping a stud book. Prior to this time, other blood was deliberately or incidentally introduced into the breed. Because the New Forest is unfenced, it’s possible that hundreds of years ago, Dartmoor and Exmoor ponies from nearby areas wandered into the New Forest and bred with the native ponies.

As far back as the 13th century, other blood was introduced to the breed to help improve it. In 1208, some experts believe Welsh Pony mares may have been introduced to the New Forest. In 1765, a Thoroughbred stallion named Markse, who belonged to a local farmer, was used to service New Forest mares. And in 1889, Queen Victoria arranged to have Arabian and Barb stallions turned lose in the forest to breed with the ponies. Around this time, other members of the nobility also added native British breeds to the mix, such as Dales, Fells and Welsh Ponies.

Today’s New Forest Ponies

Just as in centuries past, New Forest Ponies still roam the New Forest today. Each pony belongs to a “commoner,” the name for private owners who have rights to graze livestock in the forest. This tradition goes back many years to the time when the New Forest was William the Conquerer’s favorite hunting ground, and local farmers were allowed to use the land for grazing.

Each pony living in the forest today has a brand that identifies its owner. The way the ponies are managed heralds back to British tradition, where individuals called verderers caretake the forest. Other individuals concerned with the ponies’ welfare are agisters, who collect service fees from the ponies’ owners, and cut patterns in the ponies’ tails to indicate which owners have paid.

Of course, New Forest Ponies don’t only exist in the New Forest. The breed is not only found in domestic settings in England, but also in the U.S. and Canada. The New Forest Pony Society of North America (NFPSNA) has 200 registered ponies in the two countries, including 20 licensed breeding stallions.

In North America, the New Forest Pony has proven itself to be extremely versatile, intelligent and easy to train, making it a good choice for a number of disciplines. Both adults and junior riders in the NFPSNA compete in hunters, jumpers, eventing, dressage, driving, pleasure, trail and games, as well as in 4-H events and Pony Club. New Forest Ponies have also been seen in distance riding competitions.

Part-bred New Forest Ponies are becoming popular in North America too, with breedings to European warmbloods creating a distinctive sport pony. The NFPSNA maintains a part-bred registry in addition to its purebred registry, and is seeing these part-warmblood ponies become competitive in FEI level dressage, jumping, eventing and driving.

The future is bright for the New Forest Pony, both in its native England and here in North America. Whether valued for its pure, ancient breeding or its excellent athleticism, this special equine will continue to win hearts the world over.

This article on the New Forest Pony originally appeared in the December 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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In England, near the coast in southwest Hampshire, lies the beautiful New Forest. The New Forest Pony, one of the nine native breeds of the United Kingdom, has existed here since 1016 A.D.

The native ponies mixed with transient stock, Welsh ponies, Arabians and Thoroughbreds, and because of this influx the pony’s genes are more diverse than any of the British breeds. However, their distinctive type was shaped by their environment.

Today, New Forest Ponies are popular throughout the world as leisure and driving horses and excel in dressage and jumping.

New Forest Pony Breed Characteristics

The New Forest Pony does not have a lower height limit, and they can be 11 hands high or shorter. The maximum limit is 14.2 hands high.

Foresters come in all colors except palomino and pinto.

The New Forest Pony is more horse-like than the other native breeds. Viewed from the front the shoulders slope in and form withers, which is more like a horse than a pony.

The Forester must lift his shoulders and his hocks as he moves; this is functional because a low mover would have trouble in a land filled with heather and gorse.

For More Information:

• The New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society, www.newforestpony.com

Further Reading

• British Isles Ponies: New Forest Pony

This breed profile was originally published on December 15, 2006.

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