The British Riding Pony is bred to resemble a smaller version of a sport type horse or warmblood type, not to closely resemble a pony at all. The term pony is only used to designed the size of the British Riding Pony, which has to be under 14.2 hands for competition.
British Riding Ponies cannot exhibit pinto colorations. In the United Kingdom this is called piebald or skewbald. Piebald is a black and white pinto pattern whereas skewbald is any other color and white.
Although Pony Clubs and competitions for children and young riders have been popular for over 100 years, it wasn't until 1920 that breeders actually worked to develop a specific show pony. The used native pony breeds including the Welsh and the Dartmoor and crossed them with small Thoroughbreds and Arabians. This created a slightly larger, finer boned pony that resembled a horse in physical attributes but was still a good children's pony with regard to temperament and personality.
Naseel is one of the most influential of the Arabian stallions used in creating the British Riding Pony seen today. Much of the refinement and natural elegance of the breed comes directly from this infusion into the line.
The National Pony Society was formed in 1913 and was dedicated exclusively to the registry of the British Riding Pony. Since 1994 any British Riding Pony bred outside of the country is placed in a separate register to distinguish between national and international breeding lines.
British Riding Ponies are exported all over the world. There are many different breeding programs that include the British Riding Pony in countries such as the United States, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and South America. Many European countries also have British Riding Pony private breeders.
The British Riding Pony has been used in the development and improvement of other specific show pony breeds. They continue be used to add refinement and also to develop the spirit and showmanship qualities that the Riding Pony is well known for.
Riding Ponies may be used in hunter events as well as show jumping. Hunter events combine movement and jumping while show jumping is based only on completing a pre-set course with speed and without knocking down or "faulting" on any jumps.
British Riding Ponies are often registered in the American Sport Pony Registry in addition to being registered in the United Kingdom. To be registered in the American Sport Pony registry the ponies must pass a very difficult test, then they are scored to gain entry to the registry.
With new research and scientific DNA testing available, many breeders now provide DNA certification with all registered British Riding Ponies. This is very important as it is now relatively common to have mares inseminated with semen that is sent from different countries. While this may seem challenging, it is actually commonly used in cattle, horses and even in dogs throughout the world.
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