DaLES PoNY

DalesP onyS ocietyo f America hcrrcleducsost icn l:rckirrriln horsesl ncl other porl 32 WelshR oad breecls.Withi ts keen intelliscnce.s uper-btc nrpen- LebanonN, ewJ erse0y 8833 ntent, :rnc1t rertrencl

Daless tali on.e xhibiteidn tradito nals tali ont ack, n a MrxedM ountaiann dM oorlarrc: Ponyc lass.C ourtesyD avidson DalesP onyF arm A herdo f Dalesm aresa nd foalsi n WisconsinCourtesy Raspotni k Farm muscled equine more than capable of forestry and nineteenth centuries in England for the Pennines draft work. At the same time, it demonstrates the lead mining industry and won fame for their ability extraordinary charisma and ground-covering trot to quickly traverse rough country under daunting with just the right amounr of sparkle rhar makes loads.The ponies easily carried tp to 240 pounds even the most casual observer take notice. As of lead from the mines, across the Pennines, and these exceptional ponies establish their reputation to the lead washing stations.The trek could cover throughout North America, it is hoped that dedi- fifty miles a day over perilously narrow trails, cated breeders and committed enthusiasts ensure demanding a very surefooted and fast gait to make their traditional characteristics-those traits that good time. As railways emerged and road systems make a Dales a Dales-are never lost. improved, the Dales were less sought after as pack animals, but quickly found a niche on the small History farms in and around theYorkshire Dales.'W'ith therr Separated by the Pennines in Northern England, unusual strength, sensible nature, and remarkable the Dales and Fell Pony breeds share a corunon agiliry they ofFered great advantages over larger genetic heritage and similaq though distinct, his- draft breeds to the small farmer. tories. Once believed to be nvo types of the same The modern Dales Pony can trace its ancestry to breed, today the Dales and Fell are divided into the Pennine Pony (native to Yorkshire, Lancashire, separate studbooks and societies. Dales Ponies Cumbria, and Counry Durham) and the Scotch were bred as pack ponies in the eighteenth and Galloway, both now extinct. During the late bred the best of the Norfolk Cob and the Pennine Pony-ScottishG allowayb lood to creates pectacular trotting action without spoiling the ponyt abfiry to work the land and transport cargo and people. These fast trofting, hardworking, and increasingly stylishp onies becamet he modern-day DalesP ony. It was comfortable to ride, strong enough for draft work, and thrifty enough to flourish on the bleak grazirlgp rovided on the dales-the preciseq uali- ties prized by the Dalesmen.F amily farmers also recognized in the hardworking Dales an innare jumping talent, thus many became the preferred mount for a good dayt fox hunt, easilyc arrying an adult of 250 pounds or more. In short, the Dales Pony literally did it all for the farmer and his fam- ily, thoroughly earningt he breed'sr eputation ast he "Great All-Rounder." E"tly in the wventieth century there was a tre- "vanners" mendous demand for active (a smaller, lighter version of a full-sized dralt carriageh orse) "gunners" Daless tallione njoyings omeq uiett ime witha young for town work, and (horsest hat trans- friend. CourtesyDavidson Dales Pony Farm ported artillery and munitions) for the army. At this rime, many fine Clydesdales tallionsw ere rrav- eighteenth century when road improvement was eling the districts and were bred to Dales marest o on an upswing in England, demand surged for fast- produce vanners,w hich gave the farmer a good trotting horses for mail carriages and transportation return financially,b ut proved a significant threat to "roadsters " coaches.These fast trotters were called the purity of the breed.The addition of Clydesdare and the most sought after of these was the Norfolk blood wasv iewed by many proponentso fthe Dales Cob.The foundation Norfolk Cob sire was Shales breed asb oth a mistakea nd a failure. the Original, foaled in 1755 and a direct descen- Partially in responset o this situation, the Dales dent of the Thoroughbred, Flying Childers, by the Pony Improvement Society was formed in 191,6, Darley Arabian. (The Darley Arabian was one of and the Dales Pony Studbook opened,h elping ro three stallions considered to be the founders ofthe ensuret he preservationo fthe purebredD alesP ony. modern Thoroughbred.) Shales the Original was In testamentt o the value of the breed,r he United the foundation sire of many of the best trotting Kingdom's Board of Agriculture offered to Dales breeds, and most Dales Ponies today can trace their stallion owners a Stallion Premium-a monetary pedigree back to this remarkable stallion. award given to the stallion owner to help cover The Norfolk Cob was used to create the splen- the costso f standinga nd traveling a stallion-after did Yorkshire Roadsters of the mid-nineteenth an inspectiono f a number of poniesb y Capt.A . century and fashionable trotters became the rage. Campbell of the British Army. Campbell staredi n "Your Farmers in and around theYorkshire Dales (known his report regardingt he Dales Ponies, breed as Dalesmen) set great store in the famous trotring haso ne superba ssetp,o ssesseodf everys pecimenI races of the time, but most found it impractical sawi,. e.,t he most perfectf oot in the British Isles." to keep a pony solely for racing. The Dalesmen Sadly,b ecause of their compact size, relaxed DalesP onv 457

Daless talliong oing nicelyo verf ences.C ourtesyD avidsonD alesP ony Farm temperamentb, raverya ndl egendarys trength,D ales life, and thus far fewer ponies were bred. By the Poniesw ere usede xtensivelyb y the British Army in mid 1950s, only a very small number of regis- both World'WarI and'WorldW ar II. Their smalls ize tered Dales Poniesr emained.F ortunately,t hrough enabledt hem to be more efficiently transportedt o the support of dedicatedb reedersa nd the work the continent than the largerd rafth orses,whilet heir of conservationo rganizationst,h eir numbers have strengthm adet hem a favorite choice for the move- gradually increased,a nd the overall qualiry of the ment ofmunitionsa ndo thers uppliesT. he needw as breed remainsh igh. greata nd numerousD alesP oniesw ere conscripted. Some died during battle,while othersw ere sold for ln NorthA merica meat when the British troops necessarilyle ft the Denise and Colin Dunkley brought the first Dales poniesb ehindw hen they returnedh ome. Ponies to North America when they moved to Their numbersa lsos ufferedw hen the advento f Canada from their native England in 7997 and set mechanizedf arm machinery causedD ales Ponies up Canadale Dales Pony Stud. A few years later, to no longer be essentialt o the farmer's way of Dales Ponies arrived in the United States when eventing, and all forms of carriage driving com- petitions, most notably Combined Driving. They are highly sought after in the United Kingdom as mounts for disabled riders and drivers, and it is expected that as their numbers increase in the United States, they will find similar jobs. Dales even find work hauling timber or maple sap with harness and sleigh over silent, snowbound landscapes. Dales Ponies have much to offer chil- dren and adults, as well as backyard pony owners and serious competitors alike. As the Great A1l- rounder, the breed is becoming firmly established in North America. With approximately 2,000 Dales Ponies world- wide and fewer than 250 in North America. rhe breed is classified as endangered by the Rare Breeds SurvivalTrust in the United Kingdom and as criti- cal by the Equus SurvivalTiust in the United States. Although today they are more commonly sought after for equestrian pursuits, many Dales Ponies still actively work the land both in the United Kingdom and in North America. The Rare Breeds Survival Tiust has recognized the importance of the breed's affiniry for utiliry pony Dalesm area nd hery oungr ideri n a NoviceR idden work as it relates to its future survival, as shown "Although class. CourtesyDavidson Dales Pony Farm in this statement: competitive sporring events are likely to continue to be a significant fac- Stephen and Marian Barker established Blooming tor in the future use of most [endangeredj breeds, Dales Pony Farm in Oregon ln 1994,after import- the Trust is concerned about re-establishingu tiliry ing a stallion and three Section A mares.A ll foals values of native breeds outside the leisure indus- bred by Blooming Dales carry the Redprairie pre- try and is exploring their use in activities such as fix in their names-the first Dales prefix established forestry and farming. Dales Ponies, Suffolk Punch in the United States. and Clydesdale heary horsesh ave all demonstrated Since then, Dales Ponies have increasedi n popu- their worth in forestry work, and a proven eflicient lariry and small breeding operations have sprung function is the best safeguardf or the future securiry up acrosst he nation, with the greatestd ensiry being of rare breeds." on the East Coast. Many of these breeding farn-rs still import ponies from the United Kingdom to Registry ensure the qualiry of their homebred stock. ln 7964, the Dales Pony Sociery (DPS) of the Dales Ponies have made a name for themselves United Kingdom wasr eorganizeda, nd "lmprove- rn many equestrian disciplines, as the reputation ment" was droppedf rom the name.( Jnregistered of Mountain and Moorland ponies continues to but high qualiryp oniesw ere soughtf or inclusion grow in the United States. Across the country, into the registry.A grading-up register was initr- Dales cor-npetes uccessfullyi n dressaget,h ree-day ated whereby unregisteredm areso r maresw ith DalesP ony 459 half a pedigree were registered as Section D if catching Dales trot is a rounded, ground-covering they were true to type, color, and height. Foals gait with no wasteda ction, full of propulsion, and from Section D mares that were bred to a fully aj oy to watch. registered stallion were then graded-up in the registry to Section C. Similarly,o ffspring of Sec- Standards tion C mares were registered as Section B and General itnpression: Strong, active pony, full of offspring of Section B mares were registered as quality and spirit, yet gentle and kind. Section A. This grading-up register was closed Head: Neat and pony-like, and broad berween in 1,969,a long with Section D of the registry. the eyes, which should be bright and alert. Pony Thankfully, the grading-up scheme significant\ ears are slight\ incurving, and it should have a long increasedt he number of registered Dales while forelock of hair down the face. ensuring the quality of the breed today.T he DPS Neck: Strong and of ample length. Stallions is now the mother sociery for all approvedr egis- should display a bold oudook with a well arched tries throughout the world. crest. Throat and jaw line should be well defined, The DalesP ony Socieryo fAmerica (DPSA) is a and the pony should have a long, flowing mane. daughterr egistry for both purebred and part-bred Shoulders: Well-laid, long, sloping shoulders poniesi n the United StatesC, anadaa, nd Mexico. with well-developed muscles. Withers should not Frederickaa nd George'Wagnefro unded the DPSA be too fine. in L999w hen they imported ten DalesP oniesf rom the United Kingdom.The socieryb ecamea non- profit corporation and member-owned in 2005, and a fully sanctionedd aughterr egistry ofthe DPS in 2008.

BreedD escription Ideally, the Dales stand betlveen 14 and 74.2hands. The vast majority are black or dark brown, but bay and gray are found, with a few roan mixed in for good measure. White markings are closely monitored, and only a star above the eyes, a snip, and white up to the fetlocks on the hind legs are allowed for a pony to be registered as a Section A in the main studbook. Ponies with more white than this are registered as a Section B. Colts born to Section B dams are ineligible for stallion status even if correctly marked. The Dales head profile should be straight or slightly convex; any dishing is viewed as a fault. The neck is strong and muscular, and a good pony possessesa deep, short-coupled trunk with well-sprung ribs.The cannons must display 8 to 9 inches offlat bone, and pasternss hould be ofgood length and covered with silky feather to match the Dalesm arec ompetingin a PleasureD rivingc lass ample, flowing mane and tail. The famous eye- CourtesyDavidson Dales Pony Farm 460 Poniesa ndS mallH orses

Forearms: Set square,s hort, and very muscuiar Ponies registered with the DPSA are DNA quah- with broad, well developed knees. fied (sire,d am, and foai) and must be micro-chipped Body: Short coupled and deep through the prror to registration. chest with well sprung ribs. Colt registrations: Colts eligible for stallion Hindquarters: Deep, lengthy, and powerful, status must be sired by a licensed stallion out of with the second thighs well developed and very a Section A mare and must display correct mark- muscular. Thil weil set on, but not too high, with ings.All stallions must be licensed from three years plenry oflong luxurious hair reaching the ground. of age and all are re-entered in the Stud Book Flocks: Broad, flat, clean, and well let down. when licensed. Colts out of Section B mares or with plenry of dense,f lat bone. mismatched colts from Section A mares are nor Feet, legs, andjoints: The very best offeet and eligible for stallion status.Thesec olts will be issued legs should be present with flexible joinrs, showirrg a registration with a gelding nurnber and must be qualiry with no coarsenessT. he cannons should castrateda t a suitablea gc. display 8 to 9 inches of flat, flinry bone and well Mare, filly and gelding registrations: The defined tendons. Pasternss hould be nicely sloping registrarioni s divided by two secrions: and have good length.There should be ample silky . Section A: by a licensed stallion, out of either feathers and the feet should be large, round, and a Section A or Section B mare, and display- open at the heels with well-developed frogs. ing correct markings Preferred height: . 14 to 14.2 hands is desirable. SectionB :by a licenseds talliona nd out of a Colors: Black, brown, some gray and bay col- Section A or Section B rnare,b ut displaying ors, and a few are roan. White markings should incorrect markings only appear as a star,s nip, and to fetlocks of hind Part-bred pony registrations: The DpSA legs only. maintains a Part-bred Registry to encourage the Movement: Clean, straight and true, with it production of horses and ponies of good quality going forward "all on fours" with tremendous with substancec, ourage,a nd agiliry from Dales stal- energy. The knee is lifted, and the hind legs flexed lions. Crossbreeding of Dales mares is discouraged, well under the body for powerful drive. ast he breed is still recovering from near extinction. Character: True pony character and alert, cou- The Part-bred Registry will register crossbredf oals rageous,i ntelligent, and kind. that are the offspring of a licensed Dales stallion Registration requirernents: Ponies will be as one-half, three-quarters, or seven-eighths Dales, accepted by the DPSA from any counrry includ- but it is not possiblet o achieve a purebred Dales by ing Canada and Mexico, provided they have proper means of up-grading. DNA testing is not required documentation and DNA records, up until two for the part-bred foals or for the dams. full years of age. Imported ponies already regis- tered with the DPS in the United Kingdom or Credits:Kelly Davidson Chou, with assistancefr on with another registry recognized by the DpS will the Dales Pony Society, United Kingdom, and be accepted regardlesso f age. All purebred Dales DalcsP ony Societyo fAmcrica