Although the Basque Pony wanders largely in a semi-feral state through the Pyrenees Mountains and the remote areas of France, they are not true wild horses in that each Basque Pony is owned by someone.
Traditionally the Basque Ponies are all rounded up on the last Wednesday in January and are branded and recorded by the registered owners. The one and two year olds may then be sold at auctions or they may also be brought back to the individual owner's farms or stables for training before being sold or used on the farm.
The Basque Pony matures much faster than the average horse or pony and is often fully grown with regards to height when they are one year old. The sparse environment that they live in requires that they mature quickly so they are able to thrive and fend for themselves.
The Basque Pony was originally used as a pit pony and hundreds were exported to Britain to be used in the mines.
Currently there are between 2500 and 3000 Basque Ponies in the registry. This number is fairly constant but not all owners of the ponies from the annual round up register their ponies, so it is likely that their actual number is significantly higher.
The Basque Pony makes a terrific children's pony. They are very calm and gentle and are not prone to the typical "pony" behaviors that many of the smaller type ponies tend to exhibit.
A Basque Pony named Kuzko won the 1983 French National Championship in a combined event of show jumping and dressage. There are now many Basque Ponies competing in dressage and show jumping as well as eventing and English style equitation events and riding competitions.
In prehistoric paintings in the caves of the Basque region there are clear depictions of ponies and small horses, which are believed to be the early ancestors of the Basque region.
The Basque Pony is naturally found in most colors and coat patterns, including the pinto coloration. Many researchers believe that the pinto coloration may have been introduced to the solid colored Iberian horses in America when Basque Ponies or Basque Pony crosses were brought to North and South America by Italian explorers in the 16th an 17th century.
The Basque Pony is a highly adaptable breed of horse that seems to adjust well to both living in the wild as well as being an excellent riding and companion type of pony. Their gentle spirit makes them a perfect children's horse.
The Pottok Stud Book, started in 1970 to preserve the breed, recognizes two different sections, Stud Book A which is purebred Basque Ponies and Stud Book B which is Pottoks crossed with either Arabians or Welsh Ponies. Stud Book B horses tend to be taller and somewhat more horse-like in appearance. Typically it is the Stud Book B horses that are used in the competitions and events, while the Stud Book A horses are more commonly used as general riding horses and driving ponies.
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