Mountain and Moorland Showing > Welsh Mountain Pony : Section A

Welsh Mountain Pony: Section A

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Breed Standard

Height - Not exceeding 12hh

Colour & Markings - Any colour except piebald and skewbald

Head - Small, clean -cut, well set on and tapering to muzzle. Eyes bold. Ears well placed, small and pointed. Set well up on the head, proportionately close. Nostrils wide and open

Jaws and Throat - Clean and finely-cut, with ample room at the angle of jaw

Neck - Lengthy, well carried and moderately lean in the case of mares, but inclined to be cresty in the case of mature stallions

Shoulders - Long and sloping well back. Withers moderately fine, but not "knifey". The humerus upright so that the foreleg is not set in under the body

Forelegs - Set square and true and not tied in at the elbows. Long strong forearm, well developed knee. Short flat bone delow the knee, pasterns of proportionate slope and length. Feet well shaped and round. Hooves dense

Body - Muscular, strong and well coupled back and loins. Deep girth with well sprung ribs

Hindquarters - Lengthy and fine. Not cobby, ragged or goose-rumped. Tail well set on and carried gaily

Hind - Legs Hocks to be large, flat and clean with points prominent, to turn neither inwards nor outwards. The hind leg not be too bent. The hock not to be set behind a line from the point of the quarter to the fetlock joint. Pasterns of propostionate slope and length. Feet well shaped and hooves dense

Action - Quick, free and straight from the shoulder, well away in front. Hocks and knees well flexed with straight and powerful leverage and well under the body

General - Character Hardy, spirited and pony like

Trimming rules for showing

Must be shown in as natural a state as possible, manes and tails must not be plaited with the exception of a single long plait behind the ear.

Animals, 3 years old and under must not be body clipped for showing purposes. Animals 4 years old or over, which have been clipped for winter activities can be shown. Fresh clipping for spring shows is not permissible. Legs must not be clipped.

Long hair under the jawline and those protruding from the ears may be trimmed off leaving as natural a line as possible. The whiskers around the muzzle may be trimmed.

If the mane and tail are very thick, they can be discreetly thinned to show off the topline and the hindquarters. The tail should look natural and should not be “banged” (levelled off square).

Tack for In Hand showing

White webbing halters are the norm for youngstock and adult females, although smart leather bridles can also be worn. Stallions and colts 2yrs and over must be suitably bitted and shown in a leather bridle.