Another "what breed is my pony"

[millikins]

Thanks all, interesting suggestions and he certainly looks more like Cortez' Sorraia breed than Highland. I have tended to rule out both Highlands and Fjords on the basis that if you owned one you wouldn't allow it to breed mongrels. Having declined Shetland too I had a rethink, what about Hackney pony X shetland? Both breeds often owned by the less "discriminating" type of breeder

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I defos wouldn't say there is Shetland in there in the recent pedigree to be honest. That colour of dun doesn't really come about in Shetlands very often and if it does they are bred for colour to shetlands not Heinz 57's.

 

[[145599]]

I think hackney pony would be to fine, this horse is quite solid but good idea

 

[[145599]]

I defos wouldn't say there is Shetland in there in the recent pedigree to be honest. That colour of dun doesn't really come about in Shetlands very often and if it does they are bred for colour to shetlands not Heinz 57's.

I agree, it does seam like it though so there is definitely a smaller breed in there and Shetland often have slightly smaller heads.

 

[millikins]

I defos wouldn't say there is Shetland in there in the recent pedigree to be honest. That colour of dun doesn't really come about in Shetlands very often and if it does they are bred for colour to shetlands not Heinz 57's.

There's more dun minis, agree dun standards are like rocking horse ****.

 

[ester]

Sorraia's are rarer and therefore even less likely to be used to breed crossbreds though surely?

 

[teddypops]

Thanks all, interesting suggestions and he certainly looks more like Cortez' Sorraia breed than Highland. I have tended to rule out both Highlands and Fjords on the basis that if you owned one you wouldn't allow it to breed mongrels. Having declined Shetland too I had a rethink, what about Hackney pony X shetland? Both breeds often owned by the less "discriminating" type of breeder

You definitely get Highland crosses and although the fjord stud book don’t allow crosses officially, you definitely get them.

 

[Cortez]

Sorraia's are rarer and therefore even less likely to be used to breed crossbreds though surely?

Not that rare in Portugal/Spain/Trans-Pyrenee France

 

[ester]

Be interesting to see the absolute numbers for each/depends whether wiki is right.

No one is doing a great job of preserving the breed if they are using them to produce 11h ponies when there are apparently only about 200 remaining.

 

[CavaloBranco]

I think Cortez has had the best guess. I can't see Fjord, Highland or Shetland to be honest.

 

[bonny]

Lundy pony ?

 

[Flicker]

23andMe? Are there businesses that genotype (if that’s the right word) animals?

 

[planete]

Spanish horses and ponies used to get shipped to France by the lorry load for meat, so a Sorraia cross is not that far fetched. The riding centre I had my first lessons at was populated entirely by horses which had come from Spain for meat. The local boucher chevalier was head of the riding centre!

 

[ester]

23andMe? Are there businesses that genotype (if that’s the right word) animals?

No, not currently.

 

[asmp]

There are also the Criollos who were shipped in their thousands via Italy (see my pic on left). Mine has a dorsal stripe so perhaps a cross?

 

[sunnyone]

Does he have a microchip from France i.e. beginning 250? If so I may be able to trace his breeding for you.
I seem to have been successful getting chocolategirl's horse's details.
P.M. me with the chip number and the name he came with.

 

[millikins]

Does he have a microchip from France i.e. beginning 250? If so I may be able to trace his breeding for you.
I seem to have been successful getting chocolategirl's horse's details.
P.M. me with the chip number and the name he came with.

Ooh thank you that would be interesting I've never given it a thought, his passport's at the yard so I'll check tomorrow.

 

[Quigleyandme]

I’m going European. Possibly Dolmen, Garrano or Sorraia with the latter being most likely.

 

[hobo]

I do not think there is any Fjord in him the body colour is wrong and even fjord crosses they are much more yellow and the yellow is very dominate. That saying he is beautiful and if he was 15:2 I would track you down and pinch him.

 

[ester]

body colour he is just black + dun, not sure where yellow is coming into it?
black+ dun fjords do exist.

 

[teddypops]

I do not think there is any Fjord in him the body colour is wrong and even fjord crosses they are much more yellow and the yellow is very dominate. That saying he is beautiful and if he was 15:2 I would track you down and pinch him.

You get grey dun fjords, they aren’t all yellow.

 

[hobo]

OK yellow not a correct colour but having bred a x-bred fjord myself and going to Janet Kidd's stud in the 70's they were like peas in a pod so yes there are black dun fjords but much rarer.

 

[ester]

yes but the black and the dun don't need to come together (ie from the same horse) when you are making a cross breed .

 

[planete]

Spanish horses and ponies used to get shipped to France by the lorry load for meat, so a Sorraia cross is not that far fetched. The riding centre I had my first lessons at was populated entirely by horses which had come from Spain for meat. The local boucher chevalier was head of the riding centre!

Should read 'boucher chevalin'. Blooming predictive text has no French vocabulary!

 

[Lois Lame]

I think he has some Shetland in him. He's lovely.

 

[Palindrome]

Pretty sure it's a Henson pony or Henson crossed with something (Hensons are themselves Fjord cross hence the color)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henson_horse

Here is one with the same color as yours from the Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henson_horse#/media/File:Polocrosse_Marquenterre_192_9280.jpg

Do the others at the dealer's were also from France and similar type and color?

I have never seen a Sorraia or Sorraia cross, that would be extremely rare.

 

[angrybird1]

The touble is that we will never know the answer to this! I dont know anything about French breeds but he still looks Highlandx shetland to me.
Hes lovely.

 

[rumble_bumble]

Icelandic x ? . Icey's can be as small as 12hh and come in all shades of Dun. The high knee action could show a hint of the Tolt. There aren't many Icey's in the UK but some breeders have experimented in crossing them with other breeds.

 

[millikins]

Pretty sure it's a Henson pony or Henson crossed with something (Hensons are themselves Fjord cross hence the color)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henson_horse

Here is one with the same color as yours from the Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henson_horse#/media/File:Polocrosse_Marquenterre_192_9280.jpg

Do the others at the dealer's were also from France and similar type and color?

I have never seen a Sorraia or Sorraia cross, that would be extremely rare.

Thank you, I'd never heard of these but my little chap is much too small. It's unlikely I'll ever know what he is, I'm just very curious as the only ponies I've heard of that small with dun as a colour are Shetlands, and I can't see much Shetland in him. He came from a dealer on Dragon Driving, I went to look because he's the right size and colour to make a pair with my other dun driving pony. When I saw him I decided immediately he was coming home with me, he was so poor, stank of urine and was absolutely terrified.
Somebody somewhere thought he was worth gelding and teaching to lead and tie up calmly, then it all went wrong for him. He was clipped and had been "long reined", he's likely been chucked in a cart and "driven". I can't get near him with any sort of whip/stick, (including a measuring stick) or long reins. About everything else, ride and lead, loading, walking over poles etc, he's a normal slightly worried young pony. I doubt he'll ever be safe to drive but he's a good companion, very sweet, and has a home or life; if I knew a competent 7 stone rider I'd get him broken to ride, he has lovely paces and a cracking jump.
Many thanks for everyone's input.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Pretty sure it's a Henson pony or Henson crossed with something (Hensons are themselves Fjord cross hence the color)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henson_horse

Here is one with the same color as yours from the Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henson_horse#/media/File:Polocrosse_Marquenterre_192_9280.jpg

Do the others at the dealer's were also from France and similar type and color?

I have never seen a Sorraia or Sorraia cross, that would be extremely rare.

I'd never heard of a Henson horse before, but now I really want one!