PONY BREEDS 135 



heads and necks that make for light mouths, but the notion enter- 

 tained by some that they are bullish and wilful is largely due to 

 the fact that, being naturally tractable, they receive but the most 

 elementary schooling. 



A standard height of 42 inches has been fixed in this coun- 

 try, with a proportionate discount up to 46 inches. If in excess 

 of this they are disqualified. 



Colors. — Solid colors, black or a cinnamon brown being most 

 typical, are preferred by breeders, while buyers of ponies to use 

 generally express a preference for the skewbalds and piebalds. 

 The widest range of oddest colors is permissible, but broken 

 colors are suggestive of some Iceland or Faroe Island foundation 

 in the remote ancestry. 



Too Little Discrimination. — While the demand for chil- 

 dren's ponies is strong and they meet with ready sale, there is not 

 sufiicient discrimination among buyers to stimulate much im- 

 provement in the breed. All ponies look alike to the majority, 

 it seems, and so long as they are clever and safe, no further ques- 

 tions are asked. The result is that the average pony falls short 

 of ordinary horse standards, leggy, coarse^headed, flat-ribbed, 

 steep-rumped, cat-hammed, and crooked-legged individuals, with 

 no step, being all too common. On the other hand, some wonder- 

 fully typical, good-going ponies have been brought out by those 

 who have given time and study to their production. 



THE WELSH PONY 



The Welsh pony is native to the rough mountain districts of 

 Wales, but has long been bred for actual road work. Their open 

 life, ranging in bands, has made them extremely rugged and 

 thrifty. Some improvement in their way of going has been 

 secured by the use of small ]N'orfolk trotting stallions from time 

 to time, although not enough crossing has been done to destroy 

 the original integrity of the breed. 



The true type of Welsh pony is comparable to a miniature 

 coach horse (Fig. 94), pony built, yet with a good head, neck, 

 and forehand, well formed legs, and considerable speed and action 

 at the trot, with unusual endurance. They are snappy and free. 



