232 MANAGEMENT AND BREEDING OF HORSES 



The color is usually brown, black or bay, although an 

 occasional gray will be found. In recent years efforts 

 have been made to improve the Dartmoor by the intro- 

 duction of good stallions of the best pony breeds. 



The Irish pony. — As the name suggests, this breed of 

 ponies was developed in Ireland, particularly in Galway 

 county, where ponies have been bred in a semi-wild state 

 for generations. Like other breeds that run practically 

 wild in a hilly country, it is hardy, active and sure-footed. 

 It has been much improved by the use of Barb, Arab and 

 Thoroughbred blood and in its present form stands 12 to 

 14 hands high, sometimes more. The color is usually 

 black, brown or bay, but chestnuts are often found. The 

 Irish pony has a thick, shaggy coat of hair. 



The polo pony. — The increasing popularity of polo is 

 attracting much attention to ponies suitable for playing 

 this game. The polo pony is really not a pony, but a 

 small horse. He does not necessarily belong to any dis- 

 tinct breed, and is generally a cross. For this purpose 

 any horse possessing the necessary speed, activity, en- 

 durance and intelligence will do. He must be able to 

 carry 160 to 200 pounds weight, make incessant turns, 

 twists and stops at full speed, and make short spurts at 

 the rapid gallop. The maximum height allowed by the 

 American Polo Association is 14.2 hands. Small Thor- 

 oughbreds, western ponies and cross breds are popular. 

 Breeding polo ponies, however, is somewhat of an ex- 

 periment and presents many difficulties, the chief one 

 being the limit of height, and the training. 



Other ponies. — AA'hile the above breeds of ponies are 

 more commonly known in America, yet distinct types of 

 ponies are found in almost every country. Thus we have 

 the Mongolian, Japanese, Korean, Burmese and Man- 

 ipuri pony; the Sumatra and Java pony; and the Rus- 

 sian, Scandinavian or Norwegian pony. Adverse climatic 

 conditions, promiscuous breeding and privation have had 

 much to do with the development of most of these ponies. 



