Welsh Section B
The riding pony of the four Welsh sections: up to 13.2hh, finer than a Section A and bred…
New Forest Pony
One of the nine British native breeds, running semi-wild on the New Forest for a thousand years. Versatile, sure-footed and famously traffic-proof, and among the best all-round family ponies in Britain.
Lifespan25-30 years
Typical priceSee guide
Weight230-320 kg
Height122-148 cm
Breed groupNative pony
Kennel Club recognisedNo
Also calledNew Forest, Forester
We do not have enough New Forest Pony adverts yet to publish a price range from our own data. The figures in the price section below are an editorial estimate.
Pros
- Genuinely traffic-proof - they grow up among cars on the Forest
- Wide height range means one suits a child and another an adult
- Hardy, economical and long-lived
- Versatile: pony club, jumping, dressage, driving, hunting
Cons
- Native good doers, so laminitis is the constant management job
- Forest-bred ponies come unhandled and need real work
- Wide variation in type, so what you see is what you get
- Sweet itch is common
New Forest Pony characteristics
Scores are editorial, and describe the breed in general. Individual animals vary, and how a dog is bred and raised matters more than its breed.
Health tests to ask for
Ask to see the certificates, with the parents' registered names on them. "Parents health tested" in an advert means nothing on its own.
- Five-stage pre-purchase vetting
- Equine passport and microchip check
- DNA test - congenital myotonia
- Laminitis history and foot X-rays if in doubt
- Dental examination
What is a New Forest Pony?
A British native of 122-148cm, running semi-feral on the New Forest in Hampshire, where a commoners' system of grazing rights has maintained them for a thousand years. Sturdy, sure-footed and unusually varied in height, which makes the breed useful across ages.
They are the native pony most likely to be genuinely unbothered by a lorry, because they have grown up beside the A31.
History and origins
Ponies have been recorded on the Forest since 1016. Over the centuries Thoroughbred, Arab and other native blood was introduced deliberately to improve them - including a Thoroughbred, Marske, the sire of Eclipse, who stood on the Forest in the 1760s.
Outside blood has been closed since 1930 and the stud book is now pure. Around 5,000 ponies run on the Forest, owned by commoners and rounded up in annual drifts.
Appearance and size
122-148cm, 230-320kg. A workmanlike riding pony with a sloping shoulder, good bone and hard feet. Any colour except piebald, skewbald or blue-eyed cream.
Type varies considerably: Forest-bred ponies tend to be smaller and hardier, stud-bred ones taller and finer.
Temperament and personality
Sensible, intelligent and friendly, with a reputation for being easy to handle once handled at all. They are bold without being sharp, and their Forest upbringing makes them notably unflappable about traffic, dogs, crowds and noise.
A pony bought straight off the Forest is a different matter - unhandled, and a genuine project.
Intelligence and trainability
Quick and willing. They take to almost any discipline and hold their training well. They are clever enough to be opinionated, and consistent handling is what settles that.
Children and other pets
One of the best family ponies in Britain, and the height range is why - a 12.2hh pony for a child and a 14.2hh one for a parent can come from the same breed.
Match the pony's education to the rider's ability. Live out happily in company and are sensible around dogs and machinery.
Health problems
Laminitis. As with every native, the main risk. Efficient metabolism, rich pasture, restricted grazing needed for most.
Equine Metabolic Syndrome and PPID, both blood-testable.
Congenital myotonia, a muscle stiffness disorder identified in the breed, with a DNA test. Uncommon but worth asking about.
Sweet itch, common and seasonal.
Dental problems in old age.
Otherwise hardy, with twenty-five to thirty years usual.
Daily care routine
Daily checks, feet out daily, farrier every six to eight weeks, teeth annually, vaccinations annually, worm counts through the season. Most live out with a field shelter.
Grooming and coat care
Thick winter coat that sheds heavily in spring. Manes and tails left natural for showing. Mud fever and rain scald are the routine winter jobs, and sweet itch means rugging from spring through autumn for affected ponies.
Exercise needs
Ridden work three to five times a week. They have good stamina, jump well, and hack out sensibly. They are genuine all-rounders rather than specialists.
Feeding and diet
Very little hard feed. Hay in winter, soaked if weight is a problem, plus a vitamin and mineral balancer. Grazing is the thing to manage.
Price
£1,500-£5,000 for a sound, schooled pony. £6,000-£15,000 for a proven show or competition animal. Unhandled Forest-bred youngstock sells at the autumn sales for a few hundred pounds, and that is a project for an experienced home rather than a bargain.
Keeping one costs £2,500-£6,000 a year.
Buying advice
Passport and microchip at the first viewing.
Ask whether the pony is Forest-bred or stud-bred and how much handling it has had. A pony off the Forest is unhandled, and buying one without the skills and facilities is how they end up passed on repeatedly.
Ride it, have the child who will ride it ride it, and see it caught from the field.
Five-stage vetting, and ask about laminitis history and sweet itch.
New Forest Ponys available now
No New Forest Ponys are advertised at the moment. Save this search and an email goes out when one is listed.
Breeds like the New Forest Pony
All horse breedsA shortlist rarely has one name on it. These sit closest to the New Forest Pony on size, coat and temperament, and each one has a full guide.
Worth reading before you buy
All adviceGoing to see a New Forest Pony? Take the horse and pony checklist with you. It is the questions worth asking while you are stood in somebody's kitchen, rather than on the drive home.
