Australian Pony

Australia has no indigenous breeds of horse or pony, so development of their breeds relied on importing from other countries. The first horses and ponies to arrive in Australia were on the ship First Fleet which arrived at Sydney in 1788 from South Africa. From 1803 onward, the increasing importation of the hardy Timor pony from Indonesia followed. This provided the basis of the breed, which was then subjected to a diverse range of sources through its development. Most notable influences on the breed were those of the Welsh Mountain pony, the Hackney pony, Arabian, small Throughbreds, the Timor, Shetland, Highland and Irish Connemara. Two Exmoor ponies feature in the development of the breed - Sir Thomas and Hungarian stallion called Bonnie Charlie was used to progress the breed.

The Australian Pony of today clearly shows how early breeders concentrated on using native British stock, as well as maintaining the quality of the Arab. The influence of the Welsh Mountain, Dyoll Greylight, is generally considered to be the founding sire. Dyoll Greylight arrived in Australia in 1911 and passed on his incredible beauty and conformation to his progeny. The Australian Pony Stud Book Society formed in 1931 and there are now over 27,000 ponies registered. The Australian Pony is a first-class children's pony with quality, presence and ability. They generally have excellent conformation and a good length of stride for a pony breed. They excel in all areas of riding, including dressage, jumping, pony club eventing, gymkhana and mounted games, showing, and competitive driving. They have remarkable temperaments and are ideal for children, small adults, and novices alike.

In appearance, they have a quality pony head and large kind eyes. The neck should be well set and arched, with very well conformed sloping shoulders, and a short straight back. The chest should be deep and well developed, the barrel round, and the quarters sloping. The legs are short, with a strong and dense cannon bone, and are most well put together. Typically most Australian ponies are gray although any color is allowed, apart from skewbald and piebald, and they usually stand between 12 hh to 14 hh.