http://www.petsmagazine.com.au 87
of pony. “One is never enough,” she says.
Perhaps that’s one of the reasons Marie started
breeding them more than 20 years ago. “I
like their general stockiness, their presence,
temperament and their height,” says Marie.
“I always rode stockhorses and was getting a
bit tired of bigger horses standing on my foot,
accidently or otherwise, and as you get older
the ground gets harder when you come off,”
she says with a smile.
One of Marie’s first Dartmoors was called
Bozo, and he still has a special place in her
heart. “He was a huggable little fellow, and was
a bit of a character,” says Marie. “We couldn’t
leave the door open — one day he wandered
in and was watching TV with my son.”A PRETTY PONY
The most popular colours for a Dartmoor
are black, light bay and dark bay. They’re a
handsome, muscular breed with sturdy legs
and thick manes and tails, a smallish head
and a medium-length body. During the cooler
months, their manes and tails grow quite
lush, and they shed their winter coats in the
summer months.
As well as being an ideal riding pony, Marie
says the Dartmoor is quite versatile. “From
jumping to harness to hacks, you name it, they
are well suited to lots of different disciplines,”
she says.AT HOME WITH YOUR DARTMOOR
Make sure your Dartmoor has access to clean
water and feed, and keep worming and vet
checks up to date.
Your pony will need a securely fenced
paddock that’s a couple of acres in size, has
access to natural shelter and a stable. The
Dartmoors don’t have a big appetite, probably
due to their origins in the rugged plains of
England. So don’t overfeed your Dartmoor or
you could end up with a roly-poly pony, which
isn’t good for their health. If you have plenty
of quality pasture grass, you’ll only need to
supplement with the occasional grassy pasture
mix bales. Marie also suggests molasses and
mineral lick blocks from time to time. “Mine
will get in and eat them like lollies if theyneed them. If they don’t, they’ll ignore them,”
she says.
The Dartmoor is resilient and strong, and
usually very healthy. Marie’s suggestion to
avoid any potential issues is to buy from a
registered breeder who has a good cross
section of bloodlines.IT’S SHOWTIME
If you plan on showing your Dartmoor,
preparing your pony can be a little different
than other breeds. “The Dartmoor is a native
breed so when shown you don’t plait, it’s to
be shown natural. They can be scrubbed up
but you don’t clip them or paint their hooves,”
says Marie.YOUR FIRST PONY
Before you get your pony, it’s important to
be familiar with being around ponies. As
well as getting some riding lessons, Marie
recommends learning about grooming a pony.
“A lot of kids are in love with the idea of
getting their first pony, but with that comes
responsibility, for the health and safety of
the pony, as well as the little rider. Find a
friend who has a pony and ask for help with
grooming,” she suggests. “Learning to groom
a pony teaches kids how to behave naturally
around a pony — grooming teaches you how
to talk to a pony, how to halter it, tie it up
correctly, to walk around a pony safely, how to
do its mane and tail, how to give it a biscuit of
hay, and how to pick up a pony’s feet.”Creature feature | PETS
Grooming:
Height: 12.2 hands maximum
Weight: From 125kg to 160kg
Longevity: 25 yearsAt a Glance
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