In Southern England there is a place with beautiful heat, bogs and woodlands, where native ponies have been around for centuries. They are known as the New Forest Pony. The area was once a royal hunting ground and farmers were granted rights to graze their livestock. A tradition that continues to this day. Today there are about 4,500 ponies living in the New Forest National Park. Registered ponies that are sired and born in the area are called, “Forest bred.” Although they appear to be wild, all of the ponies in the park are owned by individual people known as Commoners. The pony we have today is the result of crossing various breeds over the years including Welsh, Thoroughbred, Arabian and Hackney as well as other Native British Ponies like the Fell, Dales, Highland, Dartmoor and Exmoor. In the early 1900’s the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society started the original Stud Book. In addition to the pony's bred in the forest, there are now also private studs and breeders around the world, but the breed is currently on the watch list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.  Average height is between 12.0hh and 14.2hh. They can be a wide variety of colors and are most commonly bay, brown and gray. Known for their kind nature, these hearty ponies are intelligent and strong. They can be ridden by both children and adults, making them an ideal family pony. They have proven their versatility over and over again as they are used for everything from long distance riding, to dressage, to gaming and even driving.