Sable Island horse

The Sable Iceland pony is a very rare pony breed that has evolved by isolation on an island for a long time and natural selection.

Background information on the evaluation and breeding horses can be found at: exterior, interior and horse breeding.

Exterior

• Very large, straight head
• Strong, short, straight neck
• Extremely long, thick mane
• Straight back
• Hull with sweeping back ribs
• Sloping, strongly sloping croup poor
• Short, stable, dry limbs
• Very hard hooves
• Colours: Brown, foxes and sable, not mildew and piebald
• Often with small badge
• Height: ca.132 - 142cm

Breeding history

The sand- bank-like, treeless island in the Atlantic Sable Iceland, part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia is home to the semi-wild Sable Iceland ponies. 1738 tried the Bishop of Boston, Andrew Le Mercier, the island with persons and animals to colonize among other horses. The project failed, the cattle were stolen by fishermen, feral horses and planted continued semi-wild. Other sources predict that the Sable Iceland ponies are due to northern French ponies, which were brought from a Huguenot to the island in the 18th century. When they no longer needed the ponies, they were released and adapted themselves over the years of harsh and extreme conditions of the island, which is why the Sable Iceland pony is very durable and sturdy.

Horses were repeatedly captured before 1960 and sold, often for the coal mines on Cape Breton Island. In 1961 it prohibited by law, the Canadian government to interfere with the ponies in any way or to manipulate, such as trapping or feeding.