Dales Pony information
The Dales Pony Breed Standard
The Dales pony is a strong, active pony, full of quality and spirit.
Height: The preferred height range is 14 hands - 14.2 hands
Head: Neat and pony like. Broad between the eyes, which should be bright and alert. Pony ears slightly in-curving. Long forelock of straight hair down the face. Neck: Strong and of ample length. Stallions should display a bold outlook with a well-arched crest. Throat and jaws clean-cut. Long, flowing mane.
Shoulders: Well-laid, long, sloping shoulders with well-developed muscles. Withers not too fine. Body: Short-coupled and deep through the chest, with well-sprung ribs. Hindquarters: Deep, lengthy and powerful. Second thighs well-developed and very muscular. Tail well set on, not high, with plenty of long, straight hair reaching the ground. Hocks: Broad, Flat and clean. Well let down with plenty of dense flat bone below.
Forearms: Set square. Short and very muscular, with broad, well-developed knees.
Feet, Legs and Joints: The very best of feet and legs, with flexible joints, showing quality with no coarseness.The cannons should display 8"-9" (20.3cms - 22.9cms) of flat flinty bone and well defined tendons. Pasterns should be nicely sloping and of good length. Ample silky feather on the heels. Large, round feet open at the heels, with well developed frogs.
Colors: Black, Brown, Grey, Bay and Roan
Markings: A white star and /or snip on the head. White fetlocks on the hind legs only. Mismarked ponies ( ponies with more white than allowed ) will be down-graded to the grading-up register (section B).
Action: Clean, high, straight and true. Moving forward on “all fours” with tremendous energy. The knee and hock are lifted, the hind legs flexed well under the body for powerful drive.
Character: Alert, highly intelligent, and kind.
Info taken from the Dales Pony Society at www.dalespony.org
Height: The preferred height range is 14 hands - 14.2 hands
Head: Neat and pony like. Broad between the eyes, which should be bright and alert. Pony ears slightly in-curving. Long forelock of straight hair down the face. Neck: Strong and of ample length. Stallions should display a bold outlook with a well-arched crest. Throat and jaws clean-cut. Long, flowing mane.
Shoulders: Well-laid, long, sloping shoulders with well-developed muscles. Withers not too fine. Body: Short-coupled and deep through the chest, with well-sprung ribs. Hindquarters: Deep, lengthy and powerful. Second thighs well-developed and very muscular. Tail well set on, not high, with plenty of long, straight hair reaching the ground. Hocks: Broad, Flat and clean. Well let down with plenty of dense flat bone below.
Forearms: Set square. Short and very muscular, with broad, well-developed knees.
Feet, Legs and Joints: The very best of feet and legs, with flexible joints, showing quality with no coarseness.The cannons should display 8"-9" (20.3cms - 22.9cms) of flat flinty bone and well defined tendons. Pasterns should be nicely sloping and of good length. Ample silky feather on the heels. Large, round feet open at the heels, with well developed frogs.
Colors: Black, Brown, Grey, Bay and Roan
Markings: A white star and /or snip on the head. White fetlocks on the hind legs only. Mismarked ponies ( ponies with more white than allowed ) will be down-graded to the grading-up register (section B).
Action: Clean, high, straight and true. Moving forward on “all fours” with tremendous energy. The knee and hock are lifted, the hind legs flexed well under the body for powerful drive.
Character: Alert, highly intelligent, and kind.
Info taken from the Dales Pony Society at www.dalespony.org
** FIS and the Dales Pony **
FIS ( Foal Immunodeficiency Syndrome ) is a fatal , recessive disorder that is found in both the Dales and Fell ponies. It is similar to SIDS in Arabs. A foal born with FIS will become ill and die within 2 months of birth. Foals are born to carrier parents. There is currently a test for FIS through the UK Animal Health Trust. It is a simple test requiring only a hair sample. All ponies should be tested to be properly bred from.
**All ponies tested will receive a certificate of testing results. All breeding stock tested and found to be clear will have clear offspring. Carrier ponies offspring must be tested individually.
Information on FIS :
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22016514
http://www.horsetrust.org.uk/Horse-Trust---Funded-Test-For-Fell-Pony-Foal-Syndrome-A--Massive-Success---With-Breeders
http://www.aht.org.uk/cms-display/genetics_fis.html
http://blogs.equisearch.com/horsehealth/tag/fis/
http://www.equinescienceupdate.com/articles/pmfis.html
**All ponies tested will receive a certificate of testing results. All breeding stock tested and found to be clear will have clear offspring. Carrier ponies offspring must be tested individually.
Information on FIS :
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22016514
http://www.horsetrust.org.uk/Horse-Trust---Funded-Test-For-Fell-Pony-Foal-Syndrome-A--Massive-Success---With-Breeders
http://www.aht.org.uk/cms-display/genetics_fis.html
http://blogs.equisearch.com/horsehealth/tag/fis/
http://www.equinescienceupdate.com/articles/pmfis.html