The Newfoundland has a rich and varied history. As members of the Mountain and Moorland breeds, they are natives of the British Isles and were brought to Newfoundland with early settlers. The powerful Newfoundland pony was first used by fishermen to bring in the nets, wood and kelp. They also helped in the haying process and provided a means of transportation for families with no other means of traversing the island.

With the arrival of modern technology and the onset of mechanization, the Newfoundland Pony lost its place as the corner stone of island life and its numbers dropped dramatically. Today, there are less than four hundred remaining. The government of Newfoundland has declared the pony a Heritage Animal and has listed the breed rare.

Despite their small numbers, the Newfoundland Pony is still used as a light-draft horse. They are an ideal mount for both adults and children and they also perform well as harness horses. The Newfoundlands possess stamina, obedience, and a willingness to please. With hardy constitutions and solid temperaments, they are considered easy to keep and are known to be hard workers. Both these traits were built up over generations of hard, island life.

Physically, the Newfoundland Pony varies dramatically. Their height ranges, they can weigh anywhere from four to eight hundred pounds and come in almost any color, though brown is the most common. The overall look of the Newfoundland Pony could be described as “ready for winter.” The Newfoundland Pony will change colors from season to season and in the winter, their long tails and manes become positively “shaggy.” Long and silky feathering adorns the legs and the hooves are small, but hard and suited to snow trotting.

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Newfoundland Pony - Horses for Sale