Why do we have rare breeds?
According to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
(RBST), there are currently 5 breeds of horse and pony on the official 2016
Watchlist, classed as Critical – Critical
defined as there being fewer than 300 registered adult breeding females in
the UK.
Britain is a country with an admirable huge
variety of versatile, hardy native breeds, yet many of them have made it onto
this Watchlist. Why?
There are a number of reasons why breeds
become rare, such as their characteristics do not suit modern-day demands,
their once admired traits fall out of fashion, or even that people are yet to
realise what the breed can offer.
Our native ponies were generally bred in
harsh, isolated areas, with unforgiving weather and terrain, and they adapted
to survive on very little. They were also expected to lug heavy weights and
work hard, whether that was down mines, pulling carriages, or carrying
fully-grown men laden with their kit across fells and up mountains. Throughout
history, our native breeds have been simply invaluable and embedded into our
way of life.
But as our modern day lives change, those
of our mounts are expected to adapt. Being kept on fertilised pasture, and
barely worked during the week while we are busy doing other things or working
in offices to pay the bills, is not natural to many of our native breeds, and
they will struggle – whether that is seen in their health or temperament.
For example, topping the list is the
Cleveland Bay, without a doubt Britain’s oldest breed of horse. It is incredibly
versatile, throughout history having been used to pull the heaviest coaches,
plough the land, and take the people of Yorkshire hunting. These days it can be
found adapting to all modern disciplines including show jumping and showing,
and is definitely a breed on the rise.
Eriskay ponies are small, immensely strong
and can survive in the harshest of conditions, hailing from the Western Isles
of Scotland. The difficulty in accessing the Isle to provide new blood to the
breed meant that the pure-bred herd had declined to around 20 animals by the
early 1970s, but they have been very slowly building themselves back up ever
since.
On the opposite end of the size chart to
the Eriskay, the Suffolk Punch is principally an agricultural horse, their large
flat feet ensuring they do not sink into the heavy clay lands of their native
East Anglia. They are true gentle giants and always chesnut in colour, and can
still be seen in ploughing matches and driving trials, giving the modern
machinery a run for its money.
The Hackney Horse and Pony has made the
critical category; their decline likely occurring as motor vehicles replaced
horse-drawn carriages on the road. With their impressive high knee action, they
still make a fine carriage horse.
All of our native breeds have played their
part in the war effort, which caused their numbers to dwindle in the
early-to-mid twentieth century, and the Hackney was no different, doing their
bit as cavalry mounts and artillery horses.
These days they are primarily bred for the
show ring, where they continue to impress and excel.
The Royal Family have played a massive part
in the boost of our native rare breeds, such as through their own breeding
agendas or simply being ambassadors for the respected breed societies.
For example, Her Majesty the Queen gave the
Cleveland Bay a huge boost in the 1960s after the breed was severely depleted
in numbers by Britain’s war effort on the front line, by purchasing a colt due
to be exported, and making it available for public stud in the UK.
HRH Queen Elizabeth is also an avid
supporter of Fells and Highland’s especially, which has undoubtedly boosted
their popularity. Although both of those breeds are still on the Watchlist,
they are classed as “Vulnerable”, with 500 to 900 registered adult breeding
females in the UK. This is a stark contrast to the Fells’ close cousin, the
slightly bigger and more robust Dales Pony, who is really struggling.
The Dales Pony itself is also classed as
critical, yet described by its breed society as having “the combination of good
conformation with energy and ability make the Dales pony excellent for riding”
teamed with “a bold temperament, great presence and an eye-catching fast trot,
together with stamina, agility and a calm, sensible nature” – what is there not
to like? They really do have it all, so why on earth are more of us not riding
and enjoying them?
There are many more equine breeds
unfortunately gracing the RBST Watchlist, and although not critical, they still
need the help and support – but most importantly the recognition – of the
general public, to stop them falling further towards the critically endangered
category. And of course, it’s not just equines. There are records kept of
breeds of sheep, cattle, pigs, poultry and goats that are all at risk of dying
out.
We are so fortunate to be blessed with so
many beautiful and unique native breeds, and they all have so much to offer,
which simply begs the question: why are
they rare breeds?!
Breeders trying desperately and
passionately to preserve these invaluable breeds, simply cannot afford to go on
without the support of good horsemen and women buying their stock.
So please give it a thought when you are
scouring the adverts for your next ridden companion, your driven
next-best-friend, or versatile, invaluable turn-your-hoof-to-anything soul-mate,
that there are scores of well-bred native breeds out there struggling to get
noticed and off of the rare breeds Watchlist, when they really do have so much
more to offer, and help secure these fantastic breeds and bloodlines for the
future generations.
