By Pat Morris Newfoundland Pony Association
Newfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Highland Pony
Newfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Eriskay Pony
It had long been my dream to visit the Outer Hebrides due to their remoteness and position facing the North Atlantic. This was before I had ever heard of the Eriskay Pony and its near extinction situation. I thought I would find these islands similar to the eastern coast of Newfoundland and to some extent they were. Eriskay and South Uist were probably the most like this area of Newfoundland being very rugged and barren but there were parts of the other Hebridean Islands that were familiar for me too.
Despite our making contacts and almost firmed-up arrangements prior to our departure from Canada, our plans to see Eriskay Ponies did not go well. We had been told there were Eriskay Ponies running free on the Holy Isle off Arran so this was our first destination. However, shortly before we were to depart to the Holy Isle the ferry was cancelled. It was to have been the last run of the day so our trip there had to be abandoned. Also, email transmission and receipt was sporadic due to the geography and somehow our arrival date had gotten mixed up. A pony owner couple on Eriskay were expecting us but not until the following week. Our arrival was a complete surprise to them and we were very lucky to find them home. Only days before our arrival, their ponies had been turned out on the summer pasture and were now nowhere close at hand to be seen. Thankfully, there were still a few ponies at home in a neighbour’s garden or this excursion might have turned out to be very disappointing as far as gaining any insight into the Eriskay Pony was concerned.
Eriskay Ponies at Home in the Outer Hebrides
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Newfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Eriskay Pony
This ferry map has been included to provide you with some idea of the remoteness of these islands from mainland Scotland. The ferry service was excellent and we highly recommend it. We experienced very pleasant journeys and meals aboard ship as we island hopped. In all, we took 5 ferries to get where we wanted to go. One trip was a quite lengthy through a long channel from Oban before crossing open sea to South Uist – about a 5 hour run. From South Uist we were able to drive across a causeway to the Isle of Eriskay (namesake of these ponies). Had we known beforehand that there were Eriskay Ponies on the Isle of Barra too, we would have rerouted to take in this island as well. We found all the islands in the Outer Hebrides to be quite beautiful and yet quite different from one another. All were well worth visiting.
The official Caledonian MacBrayne Hebridean & Clyde Ferries website is an excellent resource for trip planning as it also includes tourist info:
http://www.calmac.co.uk/
Map Caledonian MacBrayne - Hebridean & Clyde Ferries
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Newfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Eriskay Pony
Our hosts on the Isle of Eriskay were Donald John and Kirsty Rodgers. These pony owners and dedicated others on these islands have been working for many years to save the Eriskay Pony. The Eriskay Pony numbers were down to 20 mares and no stallions in 1972 when the efforts to save the breed began. It has been a difficult uphill endeavor. Initially Highland stallions were put to the remaining mares. Fortunately, a purebred Eriskay stallion was eventually found and a new breeding plan was established. Now they have two breeding groups: 1) pure Eriskay and 2) those ponies going through grading-up program due to the earlier infusion of Highland Pony blood.
The pure Eriskay Ponies are direct descendants of the ancient native stock that existed on the Hebrides. They are physically similar to drawings of ponies found on ancient Pickish stones in the north and west of Scotland. Their roots are Celtic and Norse. They may not have been influenced by foreign blood but they certainly would have influenced other breeds such as the Icelandic Horse and perhaps even the Newfoundland Pony. Certainly, The Western Isles are on the ancient trade route from the points south, to the Faroe Islands, Iceland and beyond.
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Newfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Eriskay Pony
I believe you will see a great deal of similarity between these Eriskay Ponies and the Newfoundland Pony. When the early settlers bound for Newfoundland in the early 1600’s sought tough and hardy cattle from Scotland who is to say that some of these ponies were not included in the shipments. The Eriskay Ponies are easy keepers and are kept outside in all kinds of weather conditions in the Hebrides.
The Outer Hebrides were settled by Vikings (Norse) for a period of about 400 years between 850 and 1266. These Norse intermarried with the local population and eventually many of these Norse Hebrideans played a significant part in the colonization of Iceland. Many living on these islands today are descendants of these Norse Hebrideans. The primary language on these islands today is Gaelic and all signage is bilingual – Gaelic/English.
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Newfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Eriskay Pony
This lad was a very friendly and helpful. These ponies belong to his family. We were very thankful to be able to see and photograph their ponies. He was very proud of the Eriskay Pony and wanted us to see them at their best – he is trying to stand this yearling filly square toward my camera. He told us the status of their ponies re the breeding up program. They were almost 100% pure. He was quite impressed that we had come all the way from Canada to see their Eriskay Ponies.
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Newfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Eriskay Pony
We left Eriskay behind and crossed the causeway back to the Isle of Uist. We had a bit of a drive from South Uist to North Uist for our next ferry and we planned to overnight in North Uist close to the ferry terminal. We did not have advance tickets and due to time constraints we needed to be on the first ferry to Harris. We passed these Eriskay Ponies in a pasture near the roadside and turned the car around to take photos. The ponies came over to the fence as soon as the car stopped. They were obviously friendly and curious. Maybe it was near their dinner time too but somehow I don’t think they needed anything given their lush field. I wish I could tell you more about this mare and her yearling filly. I probably should have knocked on the farm door and asked a few questions but it was around the dinner hour and I didn’t want to disturb the owners and we still had a way to go before putting up for the night.
I did purchase a couple of books before leaving The Western Isles. One was a small mostly picture book about the Eriskay Pony, the foundation animals and the movement to save them. It quotes Calum MacNeill co- founder of Comann Each nan Eilean “There have always been ponies on Eriskay”. There is another interesting point mentioned. Dr. Elspeth Milne, Scottish Agricultural College, on inspecting CEnE for EEC recognition in 2000 noted – “The breed is known to change characteristics when moved to an environment different from its native islands.” Maybe we should take note of this observation considering our Newfoundland Ponies. The other book is a postcard tour from Barra to North Uist based on old photographs. The book contains many photos of Eriskay Ponies taken between 1897 and 1933 and these ponies look identical to the ponies that we saw on Eriskay and Uist so their characteristics have not changed in the one hundred intervening years . Here is a recent article from the Hebrides News about the Eriskay Ponies which is well worth a read: http://www.hebrides-news.com/eriskay_pony_fight_for_survival_3313.html
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Newfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Eriskay Pony
As mentioned in the docu- mentation, most Eriskay Ponies today are grey. They are born other colours but eventually turn grey. You can still make out this filly’s star and perhaps a snip. Also, the darker legs on the mare which indicate that she may have been bay at one time. The grey gene is the most dominant gene and will take over the population colour if allowed.
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Newfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Eriskay Pony
The Eriskay Pony – Breed Standard and Showing Requirements
Please note that there are two separate organizations involved with the Eriskay Pony. The standards and showing requirements for each have been included.
Comann Each nan Eilean – Eriskay Pony Society – The Mother Society
The Studbook of Comann Each nan Eilean – the Eriskay Pony Society is recognised worldwide as the mother studbook for the Eriskay Pony.
http://www.eriskaypony.org.uk/
BREED STANDARD
GENERAL Since the Eriskay Pony is a native breed, owing more of its characteristics to natural selection than to human influence, it is the policy of the Eriskay Pony mother society not to be too rigid about standardisation. From a long term point of view, a little normal biological variation is quite good.
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Newfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Eriskay Pony
TEMPERAMENT The excellent temperament of Eriskay Ponies is one of their most distinctive and valuable features. All Eriskay Ponies should be placid and amenable with no signs of viciousness or aggression.
CONFORMATION A certain amount of flexibility is allowed. Generally, however, ponies must have the conformation of a good horse and, in addition, have those specific points which distinguish Eriskay Ponies: - as follows
• Withers Height: 12.0 hh to 13.2hh
• Body: generous in all dimensions, relative to the height of the legs.
• Chest: well sprung: ideally having a gentle but pronounced slope from the spine downwards towards the full width of the ribcage.
• Head: ample width, length and depth to the extent of being considered large by the standards of most horse breeds; not coarse; straight profile; large nasal cavity allowing for cold air to be warmed before reaching the lungs.
• Teeth: incisor teeth should meet evenly and there should only be a very slight angle; this angle will naturally increase with age.
• Neck: shorter and thicker than in ‘specialised riding horses'.
• Dock: low, but not excessively so; the ideal animal should show a gentle graceful curve from the croup to the pin bone with the dock situated in the middle third of this curve; the tail should not be well "set on", i.e. it should be tucked in close to the hindquarters to provide adequate protection for the perineum and groin.
• Legs: viewed from the front, knees and fetlock wide and flat, viewed from the side, leg almost straight from elbow to fetlock
• Shoulders: well muscled, not course or lumpy, can be more upright than those of ‘specialised riding horses'.
• Pasterns: are shorter and more upright than those found in Arabs and thoroughbreds , though not quite so short and upright as in heavy draught horses.
• Feet: small with hard horn; a little more upright and ‘ blocky ' and with slightly higher heels than those of ‘ specialised riding horses'; soles rather flat; frogs small.
• Hair: forelock, mane and tail well developed and generous in quantity; ideally this hair should be wavy to shed rain efficiently; caudal fringe should always be discernible; vortices anterior to the stifle region well developed. There should not be much feather, only a tuft.
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Newfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Eriskay Pony
COLOUR No colour will deem an animal unsuitable in spite of the dominant and distinctive Eriskay colour pattern of black turning to grey; in dark coloured animals there should be a light coloured muzzle and a light coloured ring round the eye; there should not be a pronounced eel stripe; nearly all Eriskay Ponies are born black, a few remain so but the vast majority gradually turn grey as they grow.
The following figures can be regarded as a guide:
Measurement Guideline
Withers height 120 – 137 cms (Note: 11.8 hh – 13.5 hh) Body length (point of shoulder to pin bone) 105% - 125% of withers height Length of head (commissure of lips to nuchal crest) 35% - 45% of withers height Point of hock to ground 28% - 35% of withers height Girth (pulled on spring balance to 10kgms) 108% - 130% of withers height (to attempt to obviate the confusing factor of fat cover)
Circumference of fore cannons minimum 16 cms (Note: 6.3 inches) Circumference of hind cannons minimum 17 cms (Note: 6.7 inches)
ACTION Legs are not lifted high and steps are short. This allows economy of energy and leads to increased endurance.
Guidelines for Inspection 1 Allowances may be made for ponies showing fear because they have not been handled much. 2 A barrel shaped chest will not constitute a serious fault. 3 The condition known as 'parrot mouth' if not excessive, should be regarded with great caution as it is sometimes seen in foals of this breed but disappears on maturation. 4 The following conditions, if not severe, will not constitute faults; calf knees, sickle hocks and cow hocks. 5 Double vortices are not a fault. 6 A faint eel stripe in young animals is quite acceptable. 7 A double mane is frequently seen and is quite acceptable. 8 A dish face is not acceptable.
Note Definitions:
Caudal Fringe = tail fringe or snow chute Pin Bone = point of buttock Commissure = line where lips or eyelids meet Nuchal Crest = nape of the neck; top of poll Vortices = ??
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10 | PageNewfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Highland Pony
Newfoundland Pony: Ancestors and Relatives Fell Pony
