Patagonia 150 plus

Wildlife

Mountain Ponies

Height: Between 106 cm - 116 cm to the shoulder
Head: Small head, small ears, wide forehead
Body: Short back, short legs, hard hooves
Colour: Various (e.g. black, white, reddish-brown or grey)
Food: Rough grass, sedge, rushes
Lives: On the marshy mountains of Carneddau, Snowdonia, North Wales

The wild ponies of Wales are strong and sturdy and can live in difficult conditions on the mountains. They have adapted to living on mountainous and marshy ground by using the natural shelter of trees and rocks during severe weather. They grow a thick coat to protect them from the harsh winter weather.

Even though these ponies live in the wild, once a year in October the farmers will gather the ponies to sell some of the foals and elder mares. The mares give birth to one foal a year.

The mountain ponies are important for the environment in the mountains. Because they don’t eat the flowers or heather, a wider variety of plants can grow there. These plants then provide a better environment for insects, birds and small mammals. They also ensure that there is food for a very rare bird – the chough.

Scientists have proved that the ponies in the Carneddau are a unique breed. Their genes are distinct and unlike the genes of other horses – but they are very rare. Today, there are only about a 100 of these ponies left, including 80 mares for breeding foals.

Did you know…?

In the 16th century, Henry VIII gave an order to kill wild ponies because they weren’t strong enough to carry men in suits of armour. Some farmers refused to kill the ponies, so they are still with us today.

People measure the height of a horse with a hand or fist. A ‘hand’ is 10 cm, and it must be measured from floor to shoulder.

When there are heavy snowfalls on the mountain, the ponies will form tracks that allow sheep to walk down the mountain safely.

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