Mary Etherington

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Mary Etherington
OccupationHorse breeder
Exmoor ponies, like the ones conserved by Mary Etherington Exmoor ponies on Porlock Common.jpg
Exmoor ponies, like the ones conserved by Mary Etherington

Mary Etherington was an English horse breeder from Withypool credited with reviving the Exmoor pony population after World War II. [1] [2] [3] She and her husband, James Grant Speed (1906-1980) co-founded the Exmoor Pony Trekking Society at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies now part of the University of Edinburgh. [4]

Etherington was responsible for the breeding of Herd 2 Exmoors after they were left to her by her mother. [5] Originally Herd 2 was bred by Mr F.G. Heal. He then left the ponies to Etherington's mother, who was the wife of the rector at Withypool. In 1943 the ponies were split between her two daughters, Mary and Joy, with Mary taking Herd 2 and Joy taking Herd 3. [6]

Immediately following World War II, the Exmoor pony population had dwindled to under fifty as hundreds of ponies had been shot by soldiers during the war and others had been stolen from fields and killed for food. [4] Mary Etherington rallied breeders together to restore cattle grids and secure boundaries to the Commons in order to re-establish their herds, [7] proclaiming in 1947, "The coming generations will have good reason to call us unfaithful stewards if when we are gone there are no little horses on the Exmoor hills." [8] In 1948, she also exhibited two Exmoor ponies at the London Zoo in order to raise awareness of the threats they faced. [2] [9]

Etherington was consulted in government discussions on increasing the sheep and cattle population in Exmoor in 1949. [10] That year, she left home and moved the herd around England searching for a permanent home for the ponies. [6] She loaned a number of ponies to Maryon Wilson Park in Greenwich in 1950 which initiated its development into an animal park. [11] [12]

In 1952, Etherington heard from a friend at the British Museum about a research project on native pony breeds at the University of Edinburgh led by James Grant Speed, a Professor of Anatomy at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. [13] Etherington took her herd of twenty ponies on the train to Edinburgh and donated them to the veterinary school for conservation and research. [4] She and Speed were married soon after. [4]

The ponies were used to set up the Exmoor Pony Trekking Society after the success of pony trekking in Newtonmore. [5] The club intended that by taking the public out for treks, the breed would be publicized as useful horses and pay for their own keep. Mary Stone ran treks each summer from the Snoot Youth Hostel in Hawick. [6] The treks continued from a number of locations around Edinburgh and now run from the Pentland Hills.

When Mary and her husband decided to sell the Herd 2 Exmoor ponies, the students who had been running the treks formed a syndicate and in 1962 bought a core group of mares. These were bred as herd two until the last foal in 2009.

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Related Research Articles

Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses. Furthermore, modern breeding management and technologies can increase the rate of conception, a healthy pregnancy, and successful foaling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exmoor</span> National park in South West England

Exmoor is loosely defined as an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England. It is named after the River Exe, the source of which is situated in the centre of the area, two miles north-west of Simonsbath. Exmoor is more precisely defined as the area of the former ancient royal hunting forest, also called Exmoor, which was officially surveyed 1815–1818 as 18,810 acres (7,610 ha) in extent. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and 55 km (34 mi) of the Bristol Channel coast. The total area of the Exmoor National Park is 692.8 km2 (267.5 sq mi), of which 71% is in Somerset and 29% in Devon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Icelandic horse</span> Small horse breed developed in Iceland

The Icelandic horse, or Icelandic, is a breed of horse developed in Iceland. Although the horses are smaller compared to other breeds, most registries for the Icelandic refer to it as a horse. The breed is long-lived and hardy, owing to the ruggedness of its home country. In their native Iceland they have few afflictions or diseases, thus national laws are in place preventing foreign-born horses from being imported into the country, while exported animals are not permitted to return. In addition to the gaits of walk, trot, and canter/gallop, typical of other horse breeds, many Icelandic horses can also do the tölt and the flying pace. The only breed of horse in Iceland, the Icelandic is also popular internationally, and sizable populations exist in Europe and North America. The breed is still used for traditional sheepherding work in its native country, as well as for leisure, showing, and racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miniature horse</span> Very small horse

A miniature horse is a breed or type of horse characterised by its small size. Usually it has been bred to display in miniature the physical characteristics of a full-sized horse, but to be little over 100 cm (40 in) in height, or even less. Although such horses have the appearance of small horses, they are genetically much more similar to pony breeds such as the Shetland. They have various colors and coat patterns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dartmoor pony</span> Horse breed

The Dartmoor Pony is a breed of pony that lives in Devon, England. The breed has been in England for centuries and is used in a variety of roles. Because of the extreme weather conditions experienced on the moors, the Dartmoor Pony is a particularly hardy breed with excellent stamina. Over the centuries, it has been used as a working animal by local tin miners and quarry workers. It is kept in a semiferal state on Dartmoor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narragansett Pacer</span> First horse breed developed in the US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian horse</span> Canadian breed of horse


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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dales pony</span> British breed of horse

The Dales Pony is a British breed of pony or small horse. It originated in, and is named for, the Dales of Yorkshire in northern England. It is one the nine native mountain and moorland pony breeds of the United Kingdom, and belongs to the broader Celtic group of ponies which extends from Portugal and northern Spain to Scandinavia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exmoor pony</span> British breed of horse

The Exmoor Pony is a British breed of pony or small horse. It is one of the mountain and moorland pony breeds native to the British Isles, and so falls within the larger Celtic group of European ponies. It originates on, and is named for, the Exmoor area of moorland in north-eastern Devon and western Somerset, in south-west England, and is well adapted to the climate conditions and poor grazing of the moor. Some still live there in a near-feral state, but most are in private ownership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackney pony</span> Breed of horse

The Hackney pony is a breed of pony closely related to the Hackney horse. Originally bred to pull carriages, they are used today primarily as show ponies. The breed does not have its own stud book, but shares one with the Hackney horse in all countries that have an official Hackney Stud Book Registry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welsh Pony and Cob</span> Breed of horse

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Withypool</span> Human settlement in England

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The Equus Survival Trust is a United States nonprofit organisation dedicated to helping conservation efforts for over 25 horse breeds considered "endangered" by the organization due to their rarity and danger of dying out. It is dedicated to protecting the genetic diversity and traditional traits of historical horse, pony and donkey breeds that are currently nearly extinct. They are doing this through conservation efforts, public education and support of associations for rare breeds. The organization places an emphasis on North American breeds and breeders. The Trust is the only conservation organization in the world that specializes in equines.

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Louise Firouz (née Laylin), was an American-born, Iranian horse breeder and researcher who rediscovered and helped to preserve the Caspian horse, a breed believed to be the ancestor of the Arab and other types of what are called "hot-blooded" horses, and previously thought to have been extinct for 1,300 years.

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References

  1. "Wild and Tame - Exmoor Magazine". Exmoor Magazine. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  2. 1 2 Ltd, BIZISERVE. "Conservation of the Exmoor Pony". The World of Exmoor Ponies. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  3. "Exmoor Pony Centre - History". www.moorlandmousietrust.org.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Persecuted Exmoor ponies trot back from the brink" . Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Our History". Edinburgh University Exmoor Pony Trekking. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 "Diamond Jubilee for Exmoor Ponies" (PDF). Dick Vet News. Summer 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  7. Ltd, BIZISERVE. "History of the Exmoor Pony". The World of Exmoor Ponies. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  8. "Best of British: 60 things that make Britain great - Page 2 of 60 - Country Life". Country Life. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  9. Fran., Lynghaug (2009). The official horse breeds standards guide : the complete guide to the standards of all North American equine breed associations. Minneapolis: Voyageur Press. p. 471. ISBN   9780760338049. OCLC   1007567492.
  10. "I wish to ask an important question...: 1 Jun 1949: House of Commons debates - TheyWorkForYou". TheyWorkForYou. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  11. "Maryon Wilson Park - Charlton Parks Reminiscence Project" . Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  12. "Exmoor ponies in London Park". The Exmoor Society. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  13. Walker, Natalie (10 June 2012). "Persecuted Exmoor ponies trot back from the brink". The Scotsman. Retrieved 16 October 2018.