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15th Nov 2005, 10:41 AM
The Welsh Breeds
History
The Welsh breeds may have roots that can be traced back as far as the Bronze Age. Harness and bits found in North Wales can be dated that far back, and from the size of both harness and bits - which measure under 3" in length - we can safely assume that ponies, not horses, were used for work at that time.
In the tenth century, Hywel Dda's laws describe three types of horses; the Palfrey, which was the riding horse or pony; the Rowney or Sumpter, which was a pack horse, and the third which was a type of light working horse. Further references to horses can be found in the Book of Taliesin, which contains a poem 'Canu y Meirch', describing horses of the time.
It seems that much of the improvement of Welsh horses, and the final type of Welsh pony and cob that happened between 1100 and 1500, can be attributed to the influence of Arab stallions brought into Wales by the Crusaders. These stallions were Spanish horses which were used on native Welsh mares to produce the 'Powis Horse', a Welsh cob which was used extensively by the English armies from the thirteenth century. Descriptions of Welsh cobs found in the work of the fifteenth century Welsh poets are still the ideal in present-day cobs, and it is also around this time that the importance of pedigree is stressed. Around this time the term 'hackney' is also seen to be used; this is not, however, the Hackney horse we know today - rather it refers to an all-purpose light horse, the term being derived from the French 'haquenee' meaning a light saddle horse.
In 1535 Henry Vlll passed legislation that aimed to eliminate the existence of small horses. Because of the needs of the armies, who carried huge amounts of armour, it was neccessary to breed bigger horses for soldiers; thus a penalty of 40 shillings was imposed on anyone using a stallion under 14hh in height. Another law passed in 1541 forbid the use of horses under 15hh - in other words, smaller ponies were to be destroyed. Many of the smaller Welsh ponies evaded capture living in the mountains and hills, and it's also possible that the law's existence was never known in some parts of Wales at all. When Elizabeth became queen the law was annulled; the result is a proliferation of Besses, Lady Besses, Black Besses and Queen Besses in the early days of a grateful Welsh Stud Book! George ll then passed an Act in 1740 which banned 'ponies' from racing. As a result, a small Thoroughbred stallion called Merlin was bought and turned out on the Ruabon hills with the Welsh mares, resulting in an improvement in quality and the term 'merlynnod' being used to describe his descendents; the word 'merlen' is still used here today to describe a pony.
By the late 1800s Welsh breeders were using Hackney stallions on their cob mares to produce flashy movers which commanded high prices. The Hackneys of that era were a much more substantial animal than those we see today and many nicked well with the Welsh mares. A number of Welsh stallions were registered in the Hackney stud book; before the Welsh Stud Book came into existence, breeders felt it was better to have their stock registered there than not at all. A lot of the information about pre-stud book stallions can be found on their stud cards, although there is also a certain amount of confusion since what is on the stud card does not always tally with the stud book entry. Further confusion can arise from offspring named after a sire; the early stud books are full of Comets, Flyers and Expresses for a start. Another cross which was fashionable for a while was that with English Shire horses to produce colliery horses. That cross introduced dishing, plain heads and coarse bone, and fell from favour fairly quickly.
History
The Welsh breeds may have roots that can be traced back as far as the Bronze Age. Harness and bits found in North Wales can be dated that far back, and from the size of both harness and bits - which measure under 3" in length - we can safely assume that ponies, not horses, were used for work at that time.
In the tenth century, Hywel Dda's laws describe three types of horses; the Palfrey, which was the riding horse or pony; the Rowney or Sumpter, which was a pack horse, and the third which was a type of light working horse. Further references to horses can be found in the Book of Taliesin, which contains a poem 'Canu y Meirch', describing horses of the time.
It seems that much of the improvement of Welsh horses, and the final type of Welsh pony and cob that happened between 1100 and 1500, can be attributed to the influence of Arab stallions brought into Wales by the Crusaders. These stallions were Spanish horses which were used on native Welsh mares to produce the 'Powis Horse', a Welsh cob which was used extensively by the English armies from the thirteenth century. Descriptions of Welsh cobs found in the work of the fifteenth century Welsh poets are still the ideal in present-day cobs, and it is also around this time that the importance of pedigree is stressed. Around this time the term 'hackney' is also seen to be used; this is not, however, the Hackney horse we know today - rather it refers to an all-purpose light horse, the term being derived from the French 'haquenee' meaning a light saddle horse.
In 1535 Henry Vlll passed legislation that aimed to eliminate the existence of small horses. Because of the needs of the armies, who carried huge amounts of armour, it was neccessary to breed bigger horses for soldiers; thus a penalty of 40 shillings was imposed on anyone using a stallion under 14hh in height. Another law passed in 1541 forbid the use of horses under 15hh - in other words, smaller ponies were to be destroyed. Many of the smaller Welsh ponies evaded capture living in the mountains and hills, and it's also possible that the law's existence was never known in some parts of Wales at all. When Elizabeth became queen the law was annulled; the result is a proliferation of Besses, Lady Besses, Black Besses and Queen Besses in the early days of a grateful Welsh Stud Book! George ll then passed an Act in 1740 which banned 'ponies' from racing. As a result, a small Thoroughbred stallion called Merlin was bought and turned out on the Ruabon hills with the Welsh mares, resulting in an improvement in quality and the term 'merlynnod' being used to describe his descendents; the word 'merlen' is still used here today to describe a pony.
By the late 1800s Welsh breeders were using Hackney stallions on their cob mares to produce flashy movers which commanded high prices. The Hackneys of that era were a much more substantial animal than those we see today and many nicked well with the Welsh mares. A number of Welsh stallions were registered in the Hackney stud book; before the Welsh Stud Book came into existence, breeders felt it was better to have their stock registered there than not at all. A lot of the information about pre-stud book stallions can be found on their stud cards, although there is also a certain amount of confusion since what is on the stud card does not always tally with the stud book entry. Further confusion can arise from offspring named after a sire; the early stud books are full of Comets, Flyers and Expresses for a start. Another cross which was fashionable for a while was that with English Shire horses to produce colliery horses. That cross introduced dishing, plain heads and coarse bone, and fell from favour fairly quickly.