Pony riding is a type of riding with ponies, generally aimed at children. Children as young as two or three years of age can be introduced to "baby pony" riding for a maximum of half an hour. Pony trekking is generally aimed at children aged five, six or seven and upwards, at riding schools and pony clubs. In France, a "brevet d'animateur poney (pony instructor's certificate)" is available to train and validate skills in teaching pony riding to children.
Pony riding has long been part of Anglo-Saxon culture, [1] and the British Isles have many breeds of pony perfectly suited to the instruction of young riders. [2] [3]
In the 1970s, the first imports of British ponies, the democratization of riding and the evolution of equestrian education led to the creation of pony clubs based on the English model. [1] In 1969, the French Crossbred Pony Association created a studbook with the aim of creating a French sport pony breed. In 1991, the breed was renamed the French Saddle Pony. [4]
In the 1990's, pony-riding became very popular. [5]
Pony riding generally begins at the age of six or seven, on Shetland ponies. This children's riding is at the origin of pony-games, an equestrian activity inspired by games. It can also be used for sport or leisure.
In France, all pony activities are managed by the DNEP (Délégation Nationale à l'Équitation sur Poney [National Pony Riding Delegation]). [6] It is possible to obtain a "brevet d'animateur poney (pony instructor's certificate)", [7] provided you have the "galop 6" and the BAFA (Brevet d'Aptitude aux Fonctions d'Animateur), and have followed a specific training course. Pony instructors work mainly during the summer months. [8]
Baby pony riding is not harmful to a young child's physical development. It is believed that the pony's movements help to stimulate the child's psychomotor development. [9] However, this activity should be kept to a minimum for very young children. The risk of developing genu varum, i.e. bow legs, is virtually nil. Regular contact with horse hair may also increase the child's chances of not being allergic to it in the future. [10]
Pony rides - carousels that make ponies available to children at fairs and funfairs - are increasingly controversial in Western countries. The conditions under which ponies are exploited can vary widely. Some animals are forced to run around in circles all day carrying children, without being fed or watered. Belgium adopted regulations to put an end to abuse in 2013. [11] [8]
The Shetland pony is a Scottish breed of pony originating in the Shetland Islands in the north of Scotland. It may stand up to 107 cm (42 in) at the withers. It has a heavy coat and short legs, is strong for its size, and is used for riding, driving, and pack purposes.
A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and international championships in a given discipline or breed. Most shows consist of a series of different performances, called classes, wherein a group of horses with similar training or characteristics compete against one another for awards and, often, prize money.
The Eriskay Pony is a breed of pony from Scotland. It is generally grey in colour, and has a dense, waterproof coat that protects it in harsh weather. The breed developed in ancient times in the Hebrides of Scotland, and a small population remained pure and protected from crossbreeding by the remoteness of the islands. It is used for light draught work, as a mount for children, in many equestrian disciplines, and for driving.
The Selle Français (SF) is a breed of sport horse from France. It is renowned primarily for its success in show jumping, but many have also been successful in dressage and eventing. An athletic horse with good gaits, it is usually bay or chestnut in color. The Selle Français was created in 1958 when several French riding horse breeds were merged into one stud book. The new breed was meant to serve as a unified sport horse during a period when horses were being replaced by mechanization and were transforming into an animal used mainly for sport and leisure.
Riding pony is a horse show classification used to refer to certain types of ponies. Competition is divided into sections based on height and type, and include being judged under saddle in standard pleasure horse classes, as well as in related events such as sidesaddle or in-hand.
The Welsh Pony and Cob is a group of four closely-related horse breeds including both pony and cob types, which originated in Wales. The four sections within the breed society for the Welsh breeds are primarily distinguished by height, and also by variations in type: the smallest Welsh Mountain Pony ; the slightly taller but refined Welsh Pony of riding type popular as a children's show mount; the small but stocky Welsh Pony of Cob Type, popular for riding and competitive driving; and the tallest, the Welsh Cob, which can be ridden by adults. Welsh ponies and cobs in all sections are known for their good temperament, hardiness, and free-moving gaits.
The Landais is a critically-endangered French breed of small horse or pony. It originated in the marshy plains and woodlands of the département of the Landes, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France, but is more often reared in the département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, particularly in the arrondissement of Pau. Due to influences from Arab and Welsh blood, it shows more similarity to Oriental horses than to other Celtic breeds. It is used for riding and driving, and is a good trotter.
The French Saddle Pony, also called the Poney Français de Selle, is a pony breed developed as a sport pony for children and smaller adult riders. It was initially developed in 1969 as the Poney de Croisement, and in 1972 a stud book was created. In 1991 the stud book was closed and the breed renamed to Poney Français de Selle. The breed combines a mix of French and British pony breeds, as well as Thoroughbred and Arabian blood, to create the horse seen today. Due to the large number of breeds used to create the French Saddle Pony, there is not yet a defined set of physical characteristics for the breed, although all tend to be suited for competition in English riding disciplines, including dressage, show jumping and three-day eventing. They fill a similar role as the British Riding Pony and the German riding pony.
The Mérens, Cheval de Mérens or Caballo de Merens, still occasionally referred to by the older name of Ariégeois pony, is a small, rustic horse native to the Pyrenees and Ariégeois mountains of southern France, where the river Ariège flows, and northern Spain, near Andorra. Two general types, a small, light traditional mountain horse and a taller, sportier modern type, are found. Always black in color, Mérens must meet strict physical standards in order to be registered in the stud book. The breed is known for its sure-footedness on mountain terrain, as well as for its endurance, hardiness and docility. The French breed registry organizes regional offices, and partners with other national organizations in Europe to preserve and promote the breed. The organization enforces rigorous selection of breeding stock, with a goal of increasing quality in the breed. In the past, the Mérens was used for farm work, draft work and as pack horses. Today it is mainly used as a saddle horse, although some members of the breed have been successful in carriage driving. Many Mérens are taken on an annual transhumance, in which they are moved higher in the mountains during the summer and into the valleys for the winter. An old practice, it fell into disfavor, but has recently re-emerged.
Mountain and moorland ponies form a group of several breeds of ponies and small horses native to the British Isles. Many of these breeds are derived from semi-feral ponies kept on moorland or heathland, and some of them still live in this way, as well as being kept as fully domesticated horses for riding, driving, and other draught work, or for horse showing.
The Anglo-Norman horse is a warmblood horse breed developed in Lower Normandy in northern France. A major center of horse breeding, the area had numerous regional types that were bred to one another and then crossed with Thoroughbreds to form the Anglo-Norman. Various body types developed within the Anglo-Norman breed, two of which were split off to form the Norman Cob and French Trotter. The remaining types were eventually standardized, although there remained some criticism of the "hybrid" nature of the breed's conformation. However, it is successful as an international sport horse, especially in the sport of show jumping. The Anglo-Norman also contributed to the development of several other breeds in Europe and Asia.
A pony is a type of small horse. Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under a given height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared to a larger horse, a pony may have a thicker coat, mane and tail, with proportionally shorter legs, a wider barrel, heavier bone, a thicker neck and a shorter, broader head. The word pony derives from the old French poulenet, meaning foal, a young, immature horse.
The Castillonais or Cheval Ariègeois de Castillon , also formerly called Cheval du Biros or Saint-Gironnais, is an ancient breed of small rustic saddle-horse from the Ariège département of south-western France. It may be dark bay or seal brown. It stands 135–155 centimetres at the withers, with an average height of about 145 cm. It is used principally for trekking and for driving.
Laetitia Bataille is a French journalist and author, specializing in equestrianism. She received classical riding instruction and has practised dressage, show jumping, eventing, carriage driving, horse breeding and long-distance trekking. She was well known as a long distance trekking rider, achieving with her husband Jacques Bataille several long trips on horseback. She is a certified Equestrian Tourism Guide (GTE). She taught riding in Paris at the Etrier Riding School for several years.
The Henson Horse, or Cheval de Henson, is a modern horse breed from northeast France. It was created by the selective breeding of light saddle horses with the smaller, heavier Norwegian Fjord horse to create small horses suitable for the equestrian vacation industry. The breeders' association, Association du Cheval Henson, was formed in 1983. In 1995 the studbook was closed to horses not born from Henson parents, and in 2003 the breed was officially recognised by the French government agencies for horse breeding. A hardy breed of horse, each winter the broodmares and youngstock from several breeders are let loose together to graze freely in the wetland reserves in France.
Leisure horses are intended for pleasure riding, and in particular for trail riding by private individuals. Difficult to define, it is above all an animal endowed with particular qualities, rather than a precise breed. It must be versatile and calm in character, with a willing and courageous mind. As early as the 1970s, breeders such as those of the Swiss Freiberger or Franches-Montagnes were breeding animals for this then-new use. The market for leisure horses is now buoyant. France has created "leisure qualifications" for this purpose.
The French Equestrian Federation(FFE) (French: Fédération française d'équitation) is a non-profit organization responsible for the management, promotion and development of equestrian disciplines in France. It also contributes to the selection of sport and leisure horses.
Equestrianism is the third most popular Olympic sport inFrance, and the leading sport for women.