New Forest Pony
One of the nine British native breeds, running semi-wild on the New Forest for a thousand…
Welsh Section B
The riding pony of the four Welsh sections: up to 13.2hh, finer than a Section A and bred to be ridden by children. Athletic, hardy and sensible, and the classic first competition pony.
Lifespan25-30 years
Typical priceSee guide
Weight250-350 kg
Height122-137 cm
Breed groupNative pony
Kennel Club recognisedNo
Also calledWelsh Pony, Section B
We do not have enough Welsh Section B adverts yet to publish a price range from our own data. The figures in the price section below are an editorial estimate.
Pros
- Genuinely athletic - jumps, does dressage and holds its own in pony club
- Hardy and economical for a competition animal
- Long-lived, and stays sound into their twenties
- Bigger than a Section A, so a child gets more years out of one
Cons
- Still a native and still prone to laminitis on UK grass
- Forward and quick - not a plod for a nervous beginner
- Good ones hold their price and are hard to find
- Outgrown eventually, like any pony
Welsh Section B 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
- Laminitis history and foot X-rays if in doubt
- Strangles blood test before mixing with a new yard
- Dental examination
What is a Welsh Section B?
The Welsh Pony proper: the second of the four sections in the Welsh Pony and Cob Society stud book, not exceeding 13.2 hands (137cm). Finer and more riding-shaped than the Section A mountain pony, with more length of rein and a longer stride.
Where a Section A is a child's first pony, a Section B is the one they compete on.
History and origins
Created deliberately in the early 20th century by putting Section A mares to small Thoroughbred and Arab stallions to produce a quality riding pony that kept the hardiness of the hill stock. The stallion Tan-y-Bwlch Berwyn, by an Arab out of a Welsh mare, is the foundation of the modern type.
The section was formalised in the stud book in 1931.
Appearance and size
122-137cm. A refined head with a slightly dished face, a well-set neck, sloping shoulder and a level topline. More scope and more daylight underneath than a Section A.
Any solid colour - grey, bay, chestnut, black, dun, roan, cream - but never piebald or skewbald, which is a useful check against a mislabelled advert.
Temperament and personality
Sensible and willing, with more forward than a Section A and less independence. They are alert and quick to learn, and a well-produced one is honest across country and in the ring.
They are still Welsh: clever, opinionated and perfectly capable of teaching a child bad habits if the child is left to it.
Intelligence and trainability
Highly trainable and fast to pick things up, which cuts both ways. They learn a course quickly and they learn evasions just as quickly. Consistent handling from somebody competent is what makes the difference.
Children and other pets
The classic children's competition pony. Match the pony's education to the child's rather than its height to the child's - a competent ten-year-old on a schoolmaster Section B is a fine partnership; a novice on a green four-year-old is not.
Lives happily out in company and is generally sensible around farm dogs.
Health problems
Hardy, and the problems are the native ones.
Laminitis. The main risk. Welsh ponies are efficient on poor grazing and UK pasture is, from their point of view, a permanent feast. Most need restricted grazing, a track system or a muzzle.
Equine Metabolic Syndrome and PPID (Cushing's), common in natives and often first noticed as recurrent laminitis. Both testable on a blood sample.
Sweet itch, an allergic reaction to midge bites - seasonal, miserable and manageable with rugs rather than curable.
Dental problems in old age, because they live long enough for their teeth to run out.
Daily care routine
Daily checks year round: water, fencing, feet, and a hands-on look for injuries. Feet picked out daily, farrier every six to eight weeks, worm counts four times a year, teeth annually, vaccinations annually. Most live out with a field shelter.
Budget an hour a day, more in winter.
Grooming and coat care
A thick winter coat that sheds heavily in spring. Do not clip a pony living out unless you will rug it properly. Manes and tails left long and unpulled for showing. Mud fever and rain scald are the routine winter jobs.
Exercise needs
Ridden work three to five times a week suits most, and they will do a great deal more. They event, jump, do dressage and go in the showing ring, and they hack out sensibly.
Feeding and diet
Less than you think. Most need no hard feed beyond a vitamin and mineral balancer, plus hay in winter, soaked if weight is a problem. Overfeeding is the commonest mistake made with Welsh ponies and it is not a kindness.
Price
£2,000-£6,000 for a sound, well-schooled pony, and £8,000-£20,000+ for a proven show or competition animal with a record. Unbroken youngstock from £1,000.
Keeping one costs £2,500-£6,000 a year at DIY livery, more on part or full.
Buying advice
Ask for the passport at the first viewing and check the microchip matches it - a legal requirement and a hard stop if missing.
Have the child who will ride the pony ride it, and see it caught from the field rather than tacked up and waiting.
Get a five-stage pre-purchase vetting from your own vet, £250-£450, and ask specifically about laminitis history. Look at the feet for the divergent growth rings that follow a founder.
Welsh Section Bs available now
No Welsh Section Bs are advertised at the moment. Save this search and an email goes out when one is listed.
Breeds like the Welsh Section B
All horse breedsA shortlist rarely has one name on it. These sit closest to the Welsh Section B on size, coat and temperament, and each one has a full guide.
Worth reading before you buy
All adviceGoing to see a Welsh Section B? 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.
