The Canadian Rustic Pony was developed by Dr. Peter Neufeld of Manitoba, Canada.[1] Breeders developed the breed by crossing Heck horses from the Atlanta ZooinAtlanta, Georgia with Arabian horse-Welsh pony crosses. On January 23, 1989, the Canadian Rustic Pony Association was formed, incorporated under the new Canadian federal Animal Pedigree Act, also known as Bill C-67. Prior to this, since 1978, Canadian rustic ponies had been registered through a registry based in the United States, and as of September 1989, 72 ponies had been US-registered. These ponies were eligible to become double-registered under the Canadian and US registries, and many did so. No ponies were found outside of Manitoba and Saskatchewan as of September 1989, but this was expected to change as more breeders became aware of the new breed.[2]
These ponies stand between 12.2 and 13.2 hands (50 and 54 inches, 127 and 137 cm) high. They can be gray, buckskin, dunorbay, have primitive markings such as dorsal and zebra stripes, and have partially raised manes. The facial profile is straight or slightly dished, with a prominent jaw. The neck is thick but arched, the girth and shoulders thick, and the croup slightly sloping. The legs are strong, and the ponies are said to move fluidly, especially at the trot. The Canadian Rustic Pony is used mainly for jumping, driving or as family pets.[2]
These are the horse breeds considered to originate wholly or partly in Canada and the United States. Many have complex or obscure histories, so inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively from those countries.
