The history and origins of the Bali Pony are rather obscure, but they are believed to be descendants of the Chinese Ponies brought to the Island of Bali in the early 6th century.
Since Bali is an island, the ponies were relatively isolated from outside breeding except by horses shipped to the island. This has kept the Bali Pony relatively free from a lot of influence from other breeds of horses and ponies.
It is known that the Chinese Ponies were derived from the Mongolian Horse, which were favored mounts of Genghis Khan and his warriors. The Mongolian horse is still a very strong, hardy and extremely adaptable breed that can be found with the various nomadic Mongolian people. It is reported that there are more horses in Mongolia than human inhabitants.
In the 18th century the Dutch brought several breeds of horses and ponies to the area. Although actual records of what breeds were imported is not available, it is likely that Friesians, Gelderlanders and possibly Arabian or Thoroughbred mares and stallions were brought in as both riding and working horses. There were also likely to have been a variety of larger ponies brought in for working in the mines as well as for carting.
The Bali Pony was seen as an ideal harness pony used for hauling coal from the mines to the ships. The strong, hard working ponies were valued for both their calm temperament as well as their ability to pull heavy loads.
The Bali Pony is considered to be primitive in its markings, almost like a modern day version of the original horses. They have a black dorsal stripe down their back, known as an eel stripe, as well as the black bars on the shoulders and the zebra lines on the lower to mid legs. The mane is also much more erect than in many of the pony breeds, further adding to the primitive appearance.
The Bali Pony is not a breed that was bred for conformation, and the ponies are largely left to fend for themselves. Through this natural selection process only the most resourceful and hardy of the breed has lived to reproduce, resulting in a very durable working pony.
In modern times may tourist companies have capitalized on the temperament and strength of the Bali Pony and now offer pony treks to remote and beautiful areas of Bali that cannot be accessed by motorized means. This has lead to a completely different use of the Bali Pony as a ridding pony, plus it has led to more efforts to maintain and conserve the breed.
The Bali Pony is considered to be very easy to train either for riding or driving. Most ponies are handled only minimally until they are mature, which makes the training ease rather surprising. On pony treks often the foals follow right along with the mares on the trip, providing some excellent photo opportunities for tourists.
|
