The Pony Diaries: The Northland Pony is endangered

This has nothing to do with the 'New Forcast ride' or Juniblest's health, but I read in the news today that the Norwegian Northland Pony (wikipedia article) is endangered. Less than 200 foals were born this summer, which is considered critical. The whole breed can be lost forever in a matter of a few generations (I hope they're talking human generations!) and unless something drastic happens Juniblest will be the only NNP to set hoof in England ever, not just the first..

I know England has New Forest ponies, Welsh ponies, Exmoor and Dartmoor ponies, but I'd like to tell you what I like about the NNP anyway in case someone realises this is the breed for them =)

First of all - the Northland Pony is a fantastic allrounder! If you want to specialise in something it may not be the breed for you, but if you want to do a bit of everything or if you want a family pony the Northland Pony is absolutely perfect. Juniblest does dressage to a certain level, he jumps 3 feet, he's a very good driving pony, a fantastic hacker and endurance pony, is perfect for Riding for the Disabled, can do cross country on a low level, loves medieval re-enactment (including jousting) and gymkhana/mounted games, and takes all challenges in his stride. New things or situations are never a problem with him.

And all the Northland Ponies I've heard about (the ones that are not left in a field to get fat and lazy, that is..) are as 'multi skilled' ;) Just check out Ruskens Solve (all text is in Norwegian, but the pictures will tell you what you need to know)!

Second of all - Juniblest can go from gallopping flat out to walk calmly on a long rein. I'm not a 100% sure if this applies for all Northland Ponies but from the ones I've seen I think it does. This is a huge advantage when doing endurance, for instanse, because the pony does not wind itself up from running and is mentally very calm - something that brings the heartrate down. Also, it makes life easier for us humans. I can have a canter or a gallopp whenever I like without being scared of my horse becoming nappy afterwards. There is an element of training here, but as the Northland Pony comes from hard conditions with hardly any predators (if any at all) it is more important for them to save energy than to be on guard constantly.

Third - I've had a few incidents where Juniblest has got himself stuck and where him panicking could end very, very badly. That time when someone had left a rusty and invisible steel wire fence in the forest and he got both his front legs completely tangled in them, for example. I told him to stay and he did until I had freed both his legs and we could go home. Or all those times where he's had a roll in a stable just to get himself caught on his back with his legs up against the wall.. He never struggles, he just waits calmly for me to get a lead rope around his leg and pull him free. Again, there's an element of training here, but freaking out is not a typical Northland Pony thing and it makes them pleasant to handle and ride.

Fourth - although they can be very calm and almost dopey, they love playing and when they're having fun you can get lots of energy from them! Just look at the pictures of Ruskens Solve jumping!

Oh, and they are very economical as they are extremely hardy and can (almost) literally thrive on love and thin air. The plus side of this is that you will not need a stable, you will not have to buy expensive pony nuts (supplements are always good, though), you'll hardly need any hay during the winter and you won't have to buy many expensive rugs. The down side is that you have to be very careful with grass, but basically this means that you have to use a grazing muzzle and ride a lot in the summer - which is fun!

I'm hoping that the New Forcast Ride will help promote this lovable and diverse breed outside of Norway and that it will become as popular as the Norwegian Fjord Horse =)

Here are some pictures to illustrate Juniblest's diversities and skills:

First time he was clipped ever - no drugs, no twitch, nothing