Pottok pony

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Pottok pony
Pottok Pony.jpg
Important data
Origin: Basque Country
Main breeding area: France, Spain
Distribution:
Stick measure : 115-147 cm
Colors : all except mold
Main application area:
Pottok in the mountains of the western Pyrenees
Pottok in France
Pottok mare with two foals

The Pottok pony [ 'pocok ] is an old, rare pony breed from the Basque Country . Pottok , with a certain article also Pottoka , means “little horse” in the Basque language . The animals still live semi-wild in the western Pyrenees , both in France and in Spain . In Spain they are also known under the name Poni Vasco Navarro , as they are kept in the autonomous regions of the Basque Country and Navarre .

Background information on horse evaluation and breeding can be found under: Exterior , interior and horse breeding .

Exterior

Purebred Pottok ponies according to the French breed standard "Section A" are described as follows:

  • very robust pony,
  • straight profile,
  • short, high set ears pointing forward,
  • attentive, intelligent eye,
  • rather short neck with thick mane that reaches to the withers ,
  • slightly sloping shoulder,
  • broad chest,
  • long back,
  • short, sloping croup,
  • dense, deeply set tail,
  • correct leg position,
  • dry, strong limbs,
  • small hard hooves
  • Height : 115 to 147 centimeters
  • Colors : in all brown, fox and black tones as well as all piebalds with one or more of the named colors.

Mold does not occur.

interior

Excellent health, longevity, fertility and sociability. Exceptionally frugal, tough and resilient. Suitable for year-round free range if there is a refuge. Pottok are very intelligent and characterful ponies.

Breeding history

In France a stud book has been kept since 1970, in Spain they have been recognized as an independent breed since 1995. They are bred in stud farms, but also in the Basque Mountains, where nature continues to select the toughest, smartest and strongest. In the stud farms, Arabian and Welsh pony stallions are also crossbred to improve the breed. These foals are listed as Pottok Section B in France and must have at least 50 percent pure Pottok blood. In Spain there is an even greater distinction. There, only the original type in the coat colors black and brown with a stick measure of 130 centimeters or smaller is considered Pottoka type A. Type B is all pure-bred Pottokas without color restrictions and with a height of up to 140 centimeters. Type C ponies with at least 50 percent pure Pottoka blood and a stick size of 147 centimeters are allowed. Pottok have been bred in Switzerland since 1998. Since 2000, Switzerland has its own stud book, which is the only foreign stud book recognized by the mother stud book. Since 2004, the Swiss Pottok Club has been a section of the “Swiss Association for Ponies and Small Horses SVPK”, which since then has also kept the stud book for the Pottok in Switzerland. It is bred according to French guidelines.

use

For a long time, pottok were a "by-product" of the mountains for the farmers. There they lived in flocks, left to their own devices. Once a year they were rounded up and sorted out. In addition to being used as riding and driving ponies, they were often used for smuggling between France and Spain and had to pull the wagons in the coal mines. They are still used as a meat supplier, but they are also kept for pleasure and used in leisure activities. However, you can also meet them in all areas of equestrian sport, where they can best demonstrate their capabilities, as various championship titles have shown.

See also

Others

The Basque name of the Smurfs is “pottokiak”, the Pottok pony is also the mascot of the Aviron Bayonnais rugby team .

Web links

Commons : Pottok  - album with pictures, videos and audio files