Dales Pony Society of America
32 Welsh Road
Lebanon, New Jersey 08833
www.dalesponies.com
Dales Pony Association of North America
P.O. Box 733
Walkerton, Ontario
Canada, N0G 2 V0
www.dalesponyassoc.com
The Dales is one of nine British Native Pony breeds referred to as Mountain and Moorland ponies, which developed in the rugged mountains and moors of Britain and Ireland. Native to northeastern England near the Scottish border, the Dales Pony possesses unusual strength, high courage, and great beauty. Fashioned by harsh and unforgiving conditions, Dales Ponies are tough, surefooted, and thrifty, while maintaining an inherent level-headedness often lacking in horses and other pony breeds. With its keen intelligence, superb temperament, and tremendous athletic ability, the Dales Pony is that rare commodity among equine breeds: a large pony that can take the amateur or professional equestrian far in a variety of athletic pursuits, while remaining a safe and enjoyable mount for family riding.
Dales stallion, exhibited in traditional stallion tack, in a Mixed Mountain and Moorland Pony class. Courtesy Davidson Dales Pony Farm
Dales Ponies were bred for a specific job in an inhospitable and tough environment, however, when their job requirements changed, they rapidly adapted to other uses. Today, the ponies demonstrate all the traits and talents that brought their ancestors such distinction. The combination of strength, talent, agility, and high courage with a kind and intelligent nature makes the Dales Pony a top-notch riding, driving, and draft pony.
Even among the remarkable Mountain and Moorland breeds, the Dales Pony represents something unique—an extremely powerful, well-muscled equine more than capable of forestry and draft work. At the same time, it demonstrates the extraordinary charisma and ground-covering trot with just the right amount of sparkle that makes even the most casual observer take notice. As these exceptional ponies establish their reputation throughout North America, it is hoped that dedicated breeders and committed enthusiasts ensure their traditional characteristics—those traits that make a Dales a Dales—are never lost.
A herd of Dales mares and foals in Wisconsin. Courtesy Raspotnik Farm
History
Separated by the Pennines in Northern England, the Dales and Fell Pony breeds share a common genetic heritage and similar, though distinct, histories. Once believed to be two types of the same breed, today the Dales and Fell are divided into separate studbooks and societies. Dales Ponies were bred as pack ponies in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in England for the Pennines lead mining industry and won fame for their ability to quickly traverse rough country under daunting loads. The ponies easily carried up to 240 pounds of lead from the mines, across the Pennines, and to the lead washing stations. The trek could cover fifty miles a day over perilously narrow trails, demanding a very surefooted and fast gait to make good time. As railways emerged and road systems improved, the Dales were less sought after as pack animals, but quickly found a niche on the small farms in and around the Yorkshire Dales. With their unusual strength, sensible nature, and remarkable agility, they offered great advantages over larger draft breeds to the small farmer.
The modern Dales Pony can trace its ancestry to the Pennine Pony (native to Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, and County Durham) and the Scotch Galloway, both now extinct. During the late eighteenth century, when road improvement was on an upswing in England, demand surged for fast-trotting horses for mail carriages and transportation coaches. These fast trotters were called “roadsters,” and the most sought after of these was the Norfolk Cob. The foundation Norfolk Cob sire was Shales the Original, foaled in 1755 and a direct descendent of the Thoroughbred, Flying Childers, by the Darley Arabian. (The Darley Arabian was one of three stallions considered to be the founders of the modern Thoroughbred.) Shales the Original was the foundation sire of many of the best trotting breeds, and most Dales Ponies today can trace their pedigree back to this remarkable stallion.
Dales stallion enjoying some quiet time with a young friend. Courtesy Davidson Dales Pony Farm
The Norfolk Cob was used to create the splendid Yorkshire Roadsters of the mid-nineteenth century, and fashionable trotters became the rage. Farmers in and around the Yorkshire Dales (known as Dalesmen) set great store in the famous trotting races of the time, but most found it impractical to keep a pony solely for racing. The Dalesmen bred the best of the Norfolk Cob and the Pennine Pony–Scottish Galloway blood to create spectacular trotting action without spoiling the pony’s ability to work the land and transport cargo and people. These fast trotting, hardworking, and increasingly stylish ponies became the modern-day Dales Pony. It was comfortable to ride, strong enough for draft work, and thrifty enough to flourish on the bleak grazing provided on the dales—the precise qualities prized by the Dalesmen. Family farmers also recognized in the hardworking Dales an innate jumping talent, thus many became the preferred mount for a good day’s fox hunt, easily carrying an adult of 250 pounds or more. In short, the Dales Pony literally did it all for the farmer and his family, thoroughly earning the breed’s reputation as the “Great All-Rounder.”
Early in the twentieth century, there was a tremendous demand for active “vanners” (a smaller, lighter version of a full-sized draft carriage horse) for town work, and “gunners” (horses that transported artillery and munitions) for the army. At this time, many fine Clydesdale stallions were traveling the districts and were bred to Dales mares to produce vanners, which gave the farmer a good return financially, but proved a significant threat to the purity of the breed. The addition of Clydesdale blood was viewed by many proponents of the Dales breed as both a mistake and a failure.
Partially in response to this situation, the Dales Pony Improvement Society was formed in 1916, and the Dales Pony Studbook opened, helping to ensure the preservation of the purebred Dales Pony. In testament to the value of the breed, the United Kingdom’s Board of Agriculture offered to Dales stallion owners a Stallion Premium—a monetary award given to the stallion owner to help cover the costs of standing and traveling a stallion—after an inspection of a number of ponies by Capt. A. Campbell of the British Army. Campbell stated in his report regarding the Dales Ponies, “Your breed has one superb asset, possessed of every specimen I saw, i.e., the most perfect foot in the British Isles.”
Sadly, because of their compact size, relaxed temperament, bravery, and legendary strength, Dales Ponies were used extensively by the British Army in both World War I and World War II. Their small size enabled them to be more efficiently transported to the continent than the larger draft horses, while their strength made them a favorite choice for the movement of munitions and other supplies. The need was great and numerous Dales Ponies were conscripted. Some died during battle, while others were sold for meat when the British troops necessarily left the ponies behind when they returned home.
Dales stallion going nicely over fences. Courtesy Davidson Dales Pony Farm
Their numbers also suffered when the advent of mechanized farm machinery caused Dales Ponies to no longer be essential to the farmer’s way of life, and thus far fewer ponies were bred. By the mid 1950s, only a very small number of registered Dales Ponies remained. Fortunately, through the support of dedicated breeders and the work of conservation organizations, their numbers have gradually increased, and the overall quality of the breed remains high.
In North America
Denise and Colin Dunkley brought the first Dales Ponies to North America when they moved to Canada from their native England in 1991 and set up Canadale Dales Pony Stud. A few years later, Dales Ponies arrived in the United States when Stephen and Marian Barker established Blooming Dales Pony Farm in Oregon in 1994, after importing a stallion and three Section A mares. All foals bred by Blooming Dales carry the Redprairie prefix in their names—the first Dales prefix established in the United States.
Dales mare and her young rider in a Novice Ridden Pony class. Courtesy Davidson Dales Pony Farm
Since then, Dales Ponies have increased in popularity, and small breeding operations have sprung up across the nation, with the greatest density being on the East Coast. Many of these breeding farms still import ponies from the United Kingdom to ensure the quality of their homebred stock.
Dales Ponies have made a name for themselves in many equestrian disciplines, as the reputation of Mountain and Moorland ponies continues to grow in the United States. Across the country, Dales compete successfully in dressage, three-day eventing, and all forms of carriage driving competitions, most notably Combined Driving. They are highly sought after in the United Kingdom as mounts for disabled riders and drivers, and it is expected that as their numbers increase in the United States, they will find similar jobs. Dales even find work hauling timber or maple sap with harness and sleigh over silent, snowbound landscapes. Dales Ponies have much to offer children and adults, as well as backyard pony owners and serious competitors alike. As the Great All-rounder, the breed is becoming firmly established in North America.
With approximately 2,000 Dales Ponies worldwide and fewer than 250 in North America, the breed is classified as endangered by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in the United Kingdom and as critical by the Equus Survival Trust in the United States. Although today they are more commonly sought after for equestrian pursuits, many Dales Ponies still actively work the land both in the United Kingdom and in North America.
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust has recognized the importance of the breed’s affinity for utility work as it relates to its future survival, as shown in this statement: “Although competitive sporting events are likely to continue to be a significant factor in the future use of most [endangered] breeds, the Trust is concerned about re-establishing utility values of native breeds outside the leisure industry and is exploring their use in activities such as forestry and farming. Dales Ponies, Suffolk Punch and Clydesdale heavy horses have all demonstrated their worth in forestry work, and a proven efficient function is the best safeguard for the future security of rare breeds.”
Registry
In 1964, the Dales Pony Society (DPS) of the United Kingdom was reorganized, and “Improvement” was dropped from the name. Unregistered but high quality ponies were sought for inclusion into the registry. A grading-up register was initiated whereby unregistered mares or mares with half a pedigree were registered as Section D if they were true to type, color, and height. Foals from Section D mares that were bred to a fully registered stallion were then graded-up in the registry to Section C. Similarly, offspring of Section C mares were registered as Section B and offspring of Section B mares were registered as Section A. This grading-up register was closed in 1969, along with Section D of the registry. Thankfully, the grading-up scheme significantly increased the number of registered Dales while ensuring the quality of the breed today. The DPS is now the mother society for all approved registries throughout the world.
The Dales Pony Society of America (DPSA) is a daughter registry for both purebred and part-bred ponies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Fredericka and George Wagner founded the DPSA in 1999 when they imported ten Dales Ponies from the United Kingdom. The society became a nonprofit corporation and member-owned in 2005, and a fully sanctioned daughter registry of the DPS in 2008.
Breed Description
Ideally, the Dales stand between 14 and 14.2 hands. The vast majority are black or dark brown, but bay and gray are found, with a few roan mixed in for good measure. White markings are closely monitored, and only a star above the eyes, a snip, and white up to the fetlocks on the hind legs are allowed for a pony to be registered as a Section A in the main studbook. Ponies with more white than this are registered as a Section B. Colts born to Section B dams are ineligible for stallion status even if correctly marked.
The Dales head profile should be straight or slightly convex; any dishing is viewed as a fault. The neck is strong and muscular, and a good pony possesses a deep, short-coupled trunk with well-sprung ribs. The cannons must display 8 to 9 inches of flat bone, and pasterns should be of good length and covered with silky feather to match the ample, flowing mane and tail. The famous eye-catching Dales trot is a rounded, ground-covering gait with no wasted action, full of propulsion, and a joy to watch.
Standards
General impression: Strong, active pony, full of quality and spirit, yet gentle and kind.
Head: Neat and pony-like, and broad between the eyes, which should be bright and alert. Pony ears are slightly incurving, and it should have a long forelock of hair down the face.
Neck: Strong and of ample length. Stallions should display a bold outlook with a well arched crest. Throat and jaw line should be well defined, and the pony should have a long, flowing mane.
Shoulders: Well-laid, long, sloping shoulders with well-developed muscles. Withers should not be too fine.
Dales mare competing in a Pleasure Driving class. Courtesy Davidson Dales Pony Farm
Forearms: Set square, short, and very muscular with broad, well developed knees.
Body: Short coupled and deep through the chest with well sprung ribs.
Hindquarters: Deep, lengthy, and powerful, with the second thighs well developed and very muscular. Tail well set on, but not too high, with plenty of long luxurious hair reaching the ground.
Hocks: Broad, flat, clean, and well let down, with plenty of dense, flat bone.
Feet, legs, and joints: The very best of feet and legs should be present with flexible joints, showing quality with no coarseness. The cannons should display 8 to 9 inches of flat, flinty bone and well defined tendons. Pasterns should be nicely sloping and have good length. There should be ample silky feathers and the feet should be large, round, and open at the heels with well-developed frogs.
Preferred height: 14 to 14.2 hands is desirable.
Colors: Black, brown, some gray and bay colors, and a few are roan. White markings should only appear as a star, snip, and to fetlocks of hind legs only.
Movement: Clean, straight and true, with it going forward on “all fours” with tremendous energy. The knee is lifted, and the hind legs flexed well under the body for powerful drive.
Character: True pony character and alert, courageous, intelligent, and kind.
Registration requirements: Ponies will be accepted by the DPSA from any country including Canada and Mexico, provided they have proper documentation and DNA records, up until two full years of age. Imported ponies already registered with the DPS in the United Kingdom or with another registry recognized by the DPS will be accepted regardless of age. All purebred Dales Ponies registered with the DPSA are DNA qualified (sire, dam, and foal) and must be micro-chipped prior to registration.
Colt registrations: Colts eligible for stallion status must be sired by a licensed stallion out of a Section A mare and must display correct markings. All stallions must be licensed from three years of age and all are re-entered in the Stud Book when licensed. Colts out of Section B mares or mismatched colts from Section A mares are not eligible for stallion status. These colts will be issued a registration with a gelding number and must be castrated at a suitable age.
Mare, filly and gelding registrations: The registration is divided by two sections:
• Section A: by a licensed stallion, out of either a Section A or Section B mare, and displaying correct markings
• Section B: by a licensed stallion and out of a Section A or Section B mare, but displaying incorrect markings
Part-bred pony registrations: The DPSA maintains a Part-bred Registry to encourage the production of horses and ponies of good quality with substance, courage, and agility from Dales stallions. Crossbreeding of Dales mares is discouraged, as the breed is still recovering from near extinction. The Part-bred Registry will register crossbred foals that are the offspring of a licensed Dales stallion as one-half, three-quarters, or seven-eighths Dales, but it is not possible to achieve a purebred Dales by means of up-grading. DNA testing is not required for the part-bred foals or for the dams.
Credits: Kelly Davidson Chou, with assistance from the Dales Pony Society, United Kingdom, and Dales Pony Society of America