The Welsh Mountain Pony (Section A)

Height: Not to exceed 12.2 hh.
The Welsh Mountain Pony needs little introduction. Bred in the  acknowledged beauty does not mean they are merely a pretty toy. Centuries of survival of the fittest has ensured the sound constitution, iron hard limbs and great intelligence, which, combined with the legendary Welsh temperament makes the ideal child's pony of today. They can seen be ridden and driven all over the world – equally at home in the cold of Canada and Sweden or the heat of Africa and Australia.

The head of the Mountain Pony should be small, with neat pointed ears, big bold eyes and a wide forehead. 

The jaw should be clean cut, tapering to a small muzzle, the silhouette may be concave or dished, but never convex. 

The neck should be of good length and well carried with shoulders sloping back to a clearly 
defined wither. 

The limbs must be set square with good bone and round dense hooves, the tail is set high and carried gaily. 

Action must be straight, both in front and behind, quick and free, with hocks well flexed.
The Welsh Pony (Section B)

Height: Not exceeding 14.0 hh.

The general description of the Welsh Mountain Pony can be applied to the Welsh Pony, with greater emphasis being placed on riding pony qualities while still retaining the true Welsh type of quality with substance.

For generations these ponies were the hill farmer's main means of transport, herding sheep and wild ponies over rough and mountainous country. They had to be hardy, balanced and fast to survive, which ensured that only the best were bred from. These qualities, combined with a natural jumping ability, plus the temperament of their Welsh Mountain Pony fore bearers make the Welsh Pony second to none in whatever field his young rider chooses. Today they hold their own among our top class riding and driving ponies, both in performance competitions and in the show ring.

The Welsh Pony of Cob Type (Section C)

Height: Not exceeding 13.2 hh.

The Welsh Pony of Cob Type is a stronger counterpart of the Welsh Mountain Pony, but with Cob blood.

Their true worth as a dual purpose animal has been fully realized in recent years and their numbers have increased accordingly.

Active, surefooted and hardy, they are ideal for so many purposes both for adults and for children.

Like all the Sections of Welsh they are natural jumpers, and they also excel in harness. They are an ideal family pony, able to serve each member of the family with their many abilities. 

The Welsh Cob (Section D)

Height: Exceeding 13.2 hh.

Aptly described as "the best ride and drive animal in the world", the Welsh Cob has been recognized throughout many centuries for his courage, tractability and powers of endurance.

The general character is the embodiment of strength, hardiness and agility. The head shows great quality with pony character, bold prominent eyes, a broad forehead and neat, well set ears. The body must be deep on strong limbs with good "hard wearing" joints and an abundance of flat bone. Action must be straight, free and forceful.

The Welsh Cob is a good hunter, and a most competent performer in competitive sports. In recent years they have had great success in International driving. Their abilities in all spheres are now recognized throughout the world.

From the Welsh Pony & Cob Society of Canada

A precise of the survey:

by Elizabeth French

[From the "Hill Ponies of Wales Newsletter" Issue 1, April 2005]

You may ask “Why this survey”?  Well, the hill ponies are our heritage, our ponies and cobs are admired all over the world, they have descended from the forebears of a gene pool of these hardy ponies on the hills, their survival is imperative for us to have a gene pool of these ponies. The purpose of this survey was to present the figures to The Rare Breeds Trust and for the application for Rare Breed Status and as a result the hill ponies are now on "The Rare Breeds List"

Many members thought the hill ponies were safe and that there were at least still 2000 breeding mares on the hills.  The survey showed that this was not so and that registered breeding mares of four years old and over were down to the very low number of less than 800 - this puts them into the category of “At Risk”.  Although the numbers have a built in ten per cent allowance for ponies not as yet visited, it was noted that of all the thirty areas visited only one hill breeder has increased his herd due to the renewed interest of the family.

To the year 2000 there had been a decline of the hill ponies by 25% over the previous eight years. Foot & Mouth was devastating and because of the hardships the decline of hill ponies has continued.

The general interest of all members was very positive and to further this interest Betty has over nine hundred photos and two hundred slides and is prepared to give talks and presentations to emphasis the importance of retaining the feral Welsh Mountain Pony in its natural environment.  The three years of gathering the information was a never to be forgotten project. Betty had the help and friendship of Hill Breeders, without whom it would not have been possible to make this survey a success.  She says "The whole experience was reward in itself, therefore this survey did not incur any cost to the Society, and through this survey, the hill ponies have received recognition from The Rare Breeds Trust."

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