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| Country of origin | Tibet and China |
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The Tibetan pony is a horse breed originating in Tibet. Once thought to be simple hardy mountain ponies developed from Mongolian stock, recent research indicates that there may be up to six separate horse breeds native to Tibet. [1]
It is generally believed that most Tibetan ponies descended from ancient stock, likely partly from the Mongolian Pony and Chinese breeds. However, some breeds, such as the Nangchen horse have apparently have been bred pure for centuries. [1] Another type, the Riwoche horse, has been hypothesized to have been developed in isolation to a degree that some claim it is an evolutionary link between the prehistoric wild horse and the modern domestic horse, though it could also be a domesticated variety that reverted to primitive coloring. [2]
Horses in general are well regarded by the local people, and they have been traditionally kept by both wealthy Tibetans and farmers alike, as well as by the Dalai Lama and other religious figures. The ponies were sent as gifts to Chinese Emperors, especially during the Ming and Tang dynasties. Horses also were commonly traded for tea from the southern parts of Sichuan province, China even as late as the 1950s. The trade was prolific to the extent that the route between Lhasa and Sichuan came to be known as the Tea-Horse Road. [3] [4]
The ponies are known for having considerable strength and endurance for their size, as well as sure-footedness and resilience. They are mostly kept as light draft animals, as well as for pack and riding work. The Nangchen horse is used as a race horse and for handling livestock.
Most Tibetan ponies have a pronounced jaw line, straight profile, and small ears and eyes. The neck is a muscular and a bit short, the chest is deep, the shoulder is straight. The ponies have powerful hindquarters, and short, strong legs with good joints.
The Tibetan Pony has been extensively crossbred with the Bhutia Pony and the Spiti Pony to create a new type called the Indian Country Bred. The Tibetan breeds in their pure form do retain individual characteristics and heritage, however.
The yak, also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox, or hairy cattle, is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region of South Asia, the Tibetan Plateau, Gilgit-Baltistan (Kashmir), Tajikistan and as far north as Mongolia and Siberia. It is descended from the wild yak.
Kham is one of the three traditional Tibetan regions, the others being Amdo in the northeast, and Ü-Tsang in central Tibet. The original residents of Kham are called Khampas, and were governed locally by chieftains and monasteries. Kham presently covers a land area distributed between five regions in China, most of it in Tibet Autonomous Region and Sichuan, with smaller portions located within Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces.
Ya'an is a prefecture-level city in the western part of Sichuan province, China, located just below the Tibetan Plateau. The city is home to Sichuan Agricultural University, the only 211 Project university and the largest regional comprehensive university in Ya'an. As of the 2020 Chinese census, Ya'an has a population of 1,434,603.
The Tea Horse Road or Chamadao, now generally referred to as the Ancient Tea Horse Road or Chamagudao was a network of caravan paths winding through the mountains of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet in Southwest China. This was also a tea trade route. It is also sometimes referred to as the "Southern Silk Road" or "Southwest Silk Road."
A cashmere goat is a type of goat that produces cashmere wool, the goat's fine, soft, downy, winter undercoat, in commercial quality and quantity. This undercoat grows as the day length shortens and is associated with an outer coat of coarse hair, which is present all the year and is called guard hair. Most common goat breeds, including dairy goats, grow this two-coated fleece.
The Florida Cracker Horse is a critically endangered horse breed from the state of Florida in the United States. It is genetically and physically similar to many other Spanish-style horses, especially those from the Spanish Colonial horse group, including the Banker horse of North Carolina, and the Carolina Marsh Tacky of South Carolina.
The Bali pony is an ancient breed now living on the Indonesian island of Bali.
The Batak pony, also called the Deli pony, is a pony breed from Indonesia. Originating in Central Sumatra, it is thought to have descended from Mongolian Horse and Arabian blood, and has continually been infused with additional Arabian blood to improve its quality. The Batak is selectively breed by the Indonesians, and is often used to upgrade the quality of the horses and ponies on nearby islands.
The Sandalwood Pony is a breed of small horse originating from Indonesia, on the Sumba and Sumbawa Islands. It is named after the Sandalwood trees, which are a major export of the country. The Sandalwood pony is one of the finest in the country, partly due to the great amount of Arabian blood. They make suitable children's ponies, and have been exported to Australia for this purpose. They have also been exported to other Southeast Asian countries for use as racing ponies.
The Sumbawa Pony is a pony breed, named after the island on which they are bred, Sumbawa Island in Indonesia. This breed is very similar to the Sumba or Sandalwood Pony, a breed also developed in these islands, which came from crossing the native ponies on horses of Arabian breeding. The Sumbawa Pony descends from Mongolian Horses and ancient Chinese stock
Kangding, also called Tachienlu and Dartsedo, is a county-level city and the seat of Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province of Southwest China. Kangding is on the bank of the Dadu River and has been considered the historical border between the Kham region of Tibet and the Sichuan region. Kangding's urban center is called Lucheng, which has around 134,000 inhabitants.
The Java pony is a breed of pony developed on the island of Java in Indonesia. It is thought to have descended from wild forebears of Mongolian Wild Horse ancestry. It is larger and stronger than the Timor pony, with more Arabian breed influence.
The Guizhou pony is a small pony from the Guizhou province of China.
Gyêgu Subdistrict, formerly a part of the Gyêgu or Jiegu town is a township-level division in Yushu, Yushu TAP, Qinghai, China. The name Gyêgu is still a common name for the Yushu city proper, which include Gyêgu subdistrict and three other subdistricts evolved from the former Gyêgu town. The four subdistricts altogether forms a modern town which developed from the old Tibetan trade mart called Jyekundo or Gyêgumdo in Tibetan and most Western sources. The town is also referred to as Yushu, synonymous with the prefecture of Yushu and the city of Yushu.
Baoxing County is one of the seven counties under the administration of Ya'an City, in west-central Sichuan Province, China, located along the upper reaches of the Qingyi River. It is a vital geopolitical crossroad, transportation hub, and most importantly, a biodiversity hotspot and type locality for many endangered species, including giant panda, dove tree, Chinese thrush, golden snub-nosed monkey and Oreolalax popei. UNESCO named Baoxing as a part of the World Heritage Site, the "Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries - Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountain" in 2006.
The Riwoche horse is a dun-colored, pony-sized horse indigenous to northeastern Tibet. It came to international attention in 1995, at which time its primitive appearance and small size led to speculation that it might be an evolutionary link between the prehistoric wild horse and the modern domestic horse. Subsequent analysis, however, demonstrated that it is genetically indistinguishable from modern horses.
The Nangchen horse is a small breed of horse native to the Kham region of northern Tibet, thought to have been bred pure since the 9th century. They became known to the western world in 1994 due to the exploration of French anthropologist Michel Peissel.
Gonpo Namgyal (1799–1865), also known as Bulungwa, was a Tibetan rebel leader from the Nyarong who unified the region, then all of Kham in a series of campaigns from the 1840s to the 1860s, warring against the Qing Dynasty and the Ganden Phodrang. While he was initially successful in evading his powerful enemies, he was eventually captured and killed, putting an end to his state of Nyarong.
Yushu is a horse breed originating from the Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Yushu in Tibet, administratively located in Qinghai, China. It is a local variety of the Tibetan pony. About its measurements, it is medium-sized and one of the few horse breeds that have the champagne gene. Its breeding was discouraged by Chinese authorities in the 1990s. Fit for the saddle, Yushu is adapted to its highland environment. It has been the subject of several studies on its genetic diversity and blood composition. The breed has become rare today, although it is not considered endangered by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It is honored every year at a major equestrian festival, which attracts thousands of spectators.
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