Origin : Australia.

Australian Status: Recovering 

Approximate 2022 population in Australia: 651 mares. Based on having at least five generations recorded with the APSB and only one pony of another breed in the 3rd generation as the breed must have less than 20% of another breed in its genetics. Prefably no other breeds in the third generation.

 

History: Ponies of various breeds have been imported into Australia since the beginning of the 1800's. These breeds included but were not limited to the Timor Ponies, Hungarian Ponies, Hackney Pony and Horse, Exmoor Ponies, Highland Ponies, Shetland Ponies, Small Thoroughbreds and Arabs, Connemara Ponies and Welsh / Welsh Partbred ponies. All these breeds contributed to refining an animal that was suited to Australian conditions and was a versatile all round mount for both adults and children. Many of their early pedigrees were recorded by way of newspaper articles, Royal Shows, Stock Journals and Government records.

In 1931 Australian Pony Stud Book Society was formed. The original Studbook started with three breeds. Beside the Shetland and Hackney sections, the founders of the Studbook created the "Australian Pony" section. This section was originally to record all other breeds imported into Australia, not exceeding 14hh, and their genetic pool which contributed to the forming of the foundation stock for the “homebred Australian Pony”.

The intention was to produce a versatile pony of type, size, temperament and substance suitable for all applications as required by the variable climatic conditions of the Australian continent. Unfortunately many of the original ponies / horses from breeders of much earlier eras were not recorded as foundation stock in Volume 1 of the Studbook due to various reasons.

 

Some of these earlier ponies, as well as some of today’s traditional Australian Ponies, could also be considered Waler Ponies.

In 1951 the Qld Branch of the APSBS broke away from the Federal Council to form its own Society and produced a Studbook with many pedigrees going back many generations not recorded in the original APSBS Volume 1. The APSBS later recorded these ponies in Volumes V11 / V111.

1970 saw the formation of the Australian Welsh Pony and Cob Society Stud Book. This saw a significant increase in the number of Welsh Ponies, mainly stallions, being imported into Australia. Sadly many Traditional Australian Pony mares found their way into a dual purpose breeding program for these studs. 

Currently the Australian Pony Stud Book Society has a much greater number of different breeds that it administers.  The Society has created individual sections for all the Mountain and Moorland breeds, Riding Ponies, Gypsy Cobs and an APSB part bred section which includes the part breds of all these individual breeds and Australian pony part breds, leaving the 'Australian Pony' Section for just the Australian Pony. Now with the Society's focus now on only allowing Welsh Pony A / B blood to be the only outside blood now allowed into the breed. The Traditional Australian Pony, that was a sturdy mixture of such a diverse variety of blood, is now changing into a more welsh quasi counterpart. The catch cry today touted by some “as the modern Australian Pony”.

With the help of some dedicated breeders, that have a very real worry of where this sort of crossing will take the breed in the future, we have realised that, though the Australian Pony is technically safe from extinction and would not normally come under our radar, the Traditional Australian Pony is far from safe.

Breed traits: From the Standard of Pony Type set by the APSB published in 1949; A pony should be compact, sturdy and free from coarseness. A free and surefooted mover. alert and with energy in his movement, characteristic of a pony type. Cable of great endurance and with the ability to cover ground. He must not exceed more than 14 hands.

Head should be small, clean cut and alert. Broad between the eyes and tapering to a fine muzzle. Ears small and almond shaped. Jaw bone rounded but free from coarseness, open under the throat and join the neck in a free flowing curve.

Body; Shoulders should be deep and well laid back. Fine yet definite wither. Chest deep with plenty of heart room. Ribs well sprung but not rounded like barrel hoops. Back short and straight, short strong muscular loins. Hindquarters longs from hip to pin bone, well rounded and powerful. Tail set fairly high and gaily carried.

Legs; Knees and hocks well developed, Hocks well let down, forearm long and cannon bone short. Tendons pronounced denoting strength and stamina. Bone strong and flat but not clumsy. Feet; Feathers at back of fore and hind fetlock joints are natural, pasterns short and strong. Hoof should be small, neat and rounded. Heels wide and frog well developed and in close contact with the ground.

 

A Traditional Australian Pony is a pony that has no outside blood in it's pedigree from the 1950's onwards. This means all ponies within the pony's pedigree from 1960 onwards should be registered in the Australian section of the APSB Inc ONLY.

 

Uses: Riding, driving, pony club, eventing, campdrafting, and jumping - ideal children’s/small adults mount. 

Breed Organisation: Australian Pony Stud Book Society (APSB)

Additional Notes:

Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria’s official Catalogue of Annual Exhibitions 1900 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U6hyUKuchwI3eDXkl8Y-w5w-bVMEvpqE/view?usp=sharing

Extract from the Queensland Stud Pony Society 1953 https://drive.google.com/file/d/16HvpM-pB0azmzu0EJQLa6u6lnY-CqZGM/view?usp=sharing

Barolin Pony Stud advertisement – est. 1946 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UqBSu_H5bDpryX-CSdsQpl_sAnLkDJfb/view?usp=sharing

Photo; from the Australian War Memorial featured in the Queenslander 1902 https://drive.google.com/file/d/17lAbUimO7i4m4vInoqJl8HUJgLjrq6xa/view?usp=sharing

Australian Post Stamp issue “Horses in Australia” https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ap8h6kuc2h8VZ9EmRmWnvXH-E-DRAOnW/view?usp=sharing

Glenville Pony Stud by Andrew Gray reference APSB Journal 1994 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UvGc2vXjhRT_qnuFzwoMjiYnpfye6k4t/view?usp=sharing

Royal George born 1944 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OWgdJIdUZAsnuAUl18dYi43eJ3l7P7cV/view?usp=sharing

Little Tartar born 1933 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NMrmLDkitI1_dS6Ax4ycw6iHzy8mK7FW/view?usp=sharing

Photo :  Top; Jalengla Dinarth Jim, champion pony stallion at the Royal Sydney Show 1935 from the public domain of the State Library of NSW. Middle; A black & white photograph of Felix Johnstone with Champion Pony "General MacArthur" in Hughenden in 1954 from Flinders Shire Historical Collection public domain. Bottom photo kindly supplied by Judy Shirley.

Below are links to additional photos around the beginning of the 20th century of ponies around Australia.

https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+280/1/11/381 - https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+74147 - https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+280/1/11/404 - https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+280/1/11/315 - https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+280/1/7/559 - https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+74914 - https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE1456727&mode=browse - https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+280/1/6/272 - https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+280/1/14/380

 

Page by Amy Young.

Updated April 2022 (census figures ) by Janet Lane - list below...

Traditional Australian Pony 2022 census, mares - click to view/download
 

 

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