Horses: Dales

Country of Origin 

North Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland, England.

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Australian Status

 

 

International Status

The Dales Pony is listed as CRITICAL both in its home country (<300) and globally by Equus Survival Trust.

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Breed traits

• Ideal height 14-14.2 hh. Colours : Black, brown, bay, grey and roan. No broken colours. A white star and/or snip on the head and white fetlocks to the hind legs only. Mismatched ponies are downgraded to a grading-up register.
• Head neat and pony like.
• A strong active pony, with a strong short back, deep through the chest and well-sprung ribs.
• Powerful hind quarters, second thighs well developed, well laid strong sloping shoulder.
• The very best of feet and legs with plenty of bone and a well set tail.

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History

In the eighteenth century the now extinct Scottish Galloway was brought to the Dales area to be put to the local native mares, for the purpose of improving their speed and agility for the lead mines. Only the strongest, most active and healthiest were kept as breeding stock.  Eventually the Black Galloways of the mixed herds superseded the Scottish Gallows and became known as the Dales Ponies.

 Since then the breed has been influenced by the Norfolk Cobs and the Yorkshire Trotters. In the twentieth century, Vanners and Clydesdales were becoming popular to cross with the Dales.  Concern about losing the Dales as a pure breed, led to the formation of the Dales pony Improvers Society in 1916 and becoming an official studbook.

The Dales Ponies were heavily used during both World Wars by the British Army. During the WWII the British army took Dales mares and bred them to Vanners to produce ponies for town and city transportation. Few mares returned, causing the breed to nearly become extinct.

1964 saw the reorganisation of the Society along with the name change to Dales Pony Society. The breed was resurrected from the remaining purebreds, with a careful breeding program and a grading-up register. Due to the success of the program the studbook was closed in 1971 forming the purebred Dales Ponies of today.

History in Australia

Arrived in Australia in 2019.

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Breed Organisation: 

None in Australia.

 In their home country, the UK they are registered with the Dales Pony Society www.dalespony.org

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Australian Population

2020 Mares 2; Filly 1; Colt 1; Gelding 1

2025: Mares 4; Stallions 1

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Additional Notes

Only one breeder known in Australia Raycroft Dales https://raycroftstud.com.au/

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Photo credit

Imported Dales Pony mare and Australian born foal at foot from Raycroft Stud in NSW. Photo kindly supplied by Raylene Steptoe, owner of Raycroft Stud.

 

(new breed profile added 14/09/2020 by A.Y.)

Updated January 2026

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