That is the story about My little kerry lavatory ponies
It’s a tribute in a approach to one in every of Eire rarest and underestimated ponies as you might need seen beneath the animals tab we preserve and generally breed Kerry lavatory ponies. Not for the achieve of revenue as many individuals see them as not match for something aside from a baby s pony however for his or her companionship and intelligence and to do our bit to assist protect the breed for future generations.
This story began a very long time in the past Eire has at all times had an in depth relationship with the horse and even again so far as the iron age so far as 750 BC and the time of the unfold of the Celts there are tales of warriors and raiding events charging into battle in chariots pulled by small horses. Even harness items discovered from this era within the nationwide museum of Eire match the Kerry lavatory ponies right this moment. These early Irish ponies had been round 11 or 12 fingers excessive the identical measurement because the Kerry lavatory ponies.
Bones have been found across the hill of Tara and newgrange that are from ponies round 11 to 13 fingers excessive and though there have been greater horses they weren’t as widespread as they’re right this moment as they had been a rear prized possession and an indication of the Aristocracy and wealth.
It’s believed that the viking invasion right here between 795 AD and 1000 AD has had an affect on the Kerry lavatory pony right here too because it has been proved from DNA testing that there’s a sturdy genetic hyperlink to ponies of northern European origins just like the Icelandic horse the Shetland pony the Welsh or Exmoor ponies and different Scandinavian breeds.
It’s not associated to different Irish breeds just like the Connemara which has connections with the Iberian peninsula and Spain. It’s not recognized if the Kerry lavatory ponies reference to northern Europe has are available in with the vikings as they’re recognized to have transported ponies with them alongside their buying and selling routes and settlements which that they had on the dingle peninsula and in Limerick or in the event that they stole them in raiding events and took them again with them because the had been a prized possession on the time.
What is evident is there’s a clear reference to different pony breeds of northern Europe and can also be a definite Irish breed of pony.
The Irish hobbyhorse
there’s a point out of an Irish hobbyhorse from across the thirteenth century which is described as a small fiery horse round 12 fingers excessive. They had been so prized they had been stated to be a becoming present for a king. In the course of the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries at instances the export of the hobbyhorse was banned from Eire as there was such demand for them all through Europe.
landlords on the time such because the duke of ormond and the earl of cork had stud farms on their estates that bred hobbyhorses. Throughout this time it was unlawful beneath the penal legal guidelines for any native Irish catholic to personal a horse value greater than 5 kilos so horses had been nonetheless just for the very rich throughout this time. It’s stated that the passion went extent within the late17th century but when they did the identify lived on.
There have been a number of events all through historical past when the Kerry lavatory ponies may have gone extent through the sixteenth century raiding armies took animals with them from dingle leaving Kerry nearly denuded of animals. Within the 18th century there’s a point out of small passion ponies from Kerry pulling sleds or (slembnain in Gaelic) and carrying hundreds throughout the cork and Kerry mountains as there have been no roads there on the time to tug carts.
The cork butter market opened round 1770 and butter was introduced throughout the mountains from Kerry in caskets generally known as firkins. The journey was stated to have taken 4 days or extra. Later roads had been constructed alongside the tracks worn into the mountain aspect and these turned generally known as the butter roads.
In the course of the famine in Eire horses and ponies once more nearly disappeared from most small farms a time when quarter of the inhabitants both died of hunger or emigrated. The brand new roads that had been constructed to create employment through the famine additionally had the impact that the small sure-footed pack ponies had been not wanted as bigger horses may now pull heaver carts alongside the street community.
It has been stated that the small ponies nonetheless travelled throughout much less well-known mountain paths however smuggling puchin an unlawful Irish whiskey in an try to keep away from the authorities on the time.
Right here in Kerry I’ve typically heard the identify passion being utilized by the older era. Even my very own mom spoke of previous instances in her youthful days once they had a hobbyhorse on the farm. They had been used for mild pack work like bringing turf residence from the lavatory or taking the cart to mass. A lot of the identical makes use of that the Kerry lavatory ponies had been used for. Now we have to keep in mind that the identify Kerry lavatory pony is comparatively new and has solely been used previously 25 years.
In the course of the industrial revolution within the final century working horses and ponies had been changed by automobiles and tractors and equines had been bred manly for sports activities reminiscent of present leaping, looking or racing. This left little use for small ponies that had the identical use as donkeys which had been what you could possibly name pack animals and so they had been in a method solid apart or left to their very own devises.
The invention of the Kerry lavatory pony
It was solely within the Eighties a person referred to as john mulvihill recognized that the previous breed of native Kerry pony should exist. He heard about some wild small ponies that lived across the hills and mountains round glenbay the place he ran a pub generally known as the purple fox inn.
He went looking for these previous ponies placing adverts in native radio and information papers and sourced and bought his first pony referred to as bogman outdoors glencar in Kerry. bogman was mated with one other small pony he discovered referred to as Josie and so they had a foal referred to as Dempsey lavatory who was mated with a mare referred to as purple heather and so they had a colt foal referred to as flashy fox who was born in 1992.
Flashy fox went on to cowl many mares and is the daddy of our personal stallion rusty rua.
Within the early 90s John introduced within the assist of a vet ted clifford to establish the ponies and there distinctive traits. They then went about sourcing these ponies from gala’s and personal gross sales excluding ponies with Shetland or welsh traits. They had been particularly on the lookout for the traits of the previous Irish breed like dempseys lavatory or flashy fox.
In 1992 the Kerry lavatory pony society was based and so they knew of 20 mares and 6 stallions in existence at the moment. The permitted ponies had there markings taken and had been blood typed and had been issued with black passports which had been principally identification or data paperwork from 1992 to 2002 whereas efforts had been been made to have the breed formally acknowledged.
progress was gradual throughout this time and many of the sourced ponies didn’t have any breeding historical past connected to them, weatherbys DNA examined and labored on the characterization of the Kerry lavatory pony and on receipt of the genetic information the division of agriculture agreed that the Kerry lavatory pony needs to be acknowledged as an Irish breed.
Then studbook guidelines needed to be drawn up with procedures for registration and classification. In 2006 the black passports had been surrendered to the registration division of horse sport Eire and new brown passports had been issued of their place from that time on there have been formally 3 native Irish breeds of equine the Irish draught the Connemara pony and the Kerry lavatory pony.
Traits of a Kerry lavatory pony
The Kerry lavatory pony is a robust pony with sturdy bone and weight in relation to its measurement. They’re sure-footed and effectively succesful on comfortable or uneven floor.
They’ve a mean physique weight of between 190-220 kg. The top could be 102-117cm for stallions and 102-112cms for mares 
they’ve a dense lengthy coat suited to harsh winter situations and could be a vary of colors dun,brown.black,bay, chesnut and Gray. Their head is nice and common for his or her measurement with a dish-face very like the Arab ponies. Their jaw is powerful and well-formed with sturdy tooth for grazing heather and gorse. The ears are brief and effectively pointed.
The neck is powerful and medium size with well-rounded muscular shoulders and a robust compact physique. They’ve a deep chest and a great girth. Highly effective loins and hindquarters with a full ample tail that’s effectively set and carried.
The Kerry lavatory pony has a sort Temperament and character and I believe its necessary to not understate this within the years that we’ve got owned them I’ve by no means recognized friendlier animals they at all times come to greet us they’re very well-mannered but in addition brave and have good endurance.
how hardy are they
The Kerry lavatory is no doubt the toughest and friendliest animals that I’ve ever recognized and I’ve had come to know a lot through the years
This in my view comes from hundreds of years of working and residing on the poorest of land and soil varieties on the sting of Europe going through the Atlantic ocean.
Eire has chilly moist winters anyway and Co. Kerry on account of its place surrounded by sea and mountains will get the best rainfall ranges within the nation. Residing outdoors hear as an animal with all the percentages stacked in opposition to you it’s wonderful that the Kerry lavatory pony has not develop into extent like so many different animals.
They’ve survived regardless of the percentages as a result of its of their nature to be resilient. Preserving highland and belted Galloway cattle I can actually say that the Kerry lavatory pony will thrive the place even the hardiest of cattle will battle. That is partly to do with their genetic make up but in addition their capability to graze tighter than cattle and also will eat vegetation that cattle gained’t.
They carry on situation simply however can get chubby throughout summer time if grazing wealthy pasture. Their quantity have now gone from 20 to between 300-400 and have been exported to the usa and plenty of different international locations all over the world.
Whereas some may see my little pony as being too small or good for nothing they’re to me one of the crucial wonderful friendliest resilient animals on the planet.
After I Have some on the market I’ll have them on the backside of this page
I’ll depart you with some movies and pictures of the ponies on our farm please let me know your ideas
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