Frequently Asked Questions

Welsh Ponies are native ponies to Great Britain. They developed naturally in the hills and mountains of Wales and have been recognized as a breed since before the time of King Henry VIII.

Welsh ponies are intelligent and calm with strong curiosity traits. They are generally non-reactive in new situations as they think before they act. But they are very athletic and will respond willingly with strength and speed when asked. They are very food orientated so respond quickly to positive reinforcement training techniques.

Welsh ponies sometimes need restricted grazing. They will eat as much as a big horse, given the opportunity and this can cause health problems. Ponies are intelligent and realize that fences are for testing. Quality fencing is a must as your pony will check regularly to see if an opportunity has happened for them to reach some of that greener grass on the other side.

Welsh ponies make excellent mounts for children. They have a calm, patience demeanor and are generally non-reactive in new situations. They also come in a variety of sizes so that a small adult can ride and train them for the use of younger children. Welsh ponies also have a long life span and many are still being ridden in their late 20’s making them ideal for the youngest rider. Northern Twilight Welsh ponies have been used by children as young as 3 (on a lead line), competitively by kids as young as 5 and ridden by adults. Since Welsh ponies come in a range of sizes it is easy to keep kids mounted on a Welsh or Welsh cross into their teens.

Welsh ponies are often used as lesson ponies but not all ponies are suitable for this demanding job.

Yes. Welsh ponies excel in the hunter/jumper arena and in the fast growing sport of Combined Driving. They have tremendous endurance and strength in a small package. Many of the smaller Section A ponies are capable of free jumping their own height.

Most Welsh ponies make excellent candidates for driving ponies either competitively, for pleasure and for jobs around the farm like harrowing the arena or hauling in firewood. A Welsh pony can pull up to twice its weight. A 12 hand Section A Welsh pony will weigh approximately 600 lbs so will be able to pull up to 1200 lbs.

Welsh ponies can be started under saddle, like any other equine, around 3 years of age. The challenge is to find a small but experienced rider to undertake this job. My ponies are all started in harness as 2 and 3 yr olds and then go into under saddle work as 3 and 4 yr olds.

Welsh ponies adapt well to living in the barn and are seldom herd bound.

Many Welsh ponies are still being ridden and used after the age of 25. Many live to be 30 or more. I have had ponies that lived to be 34 and 35 years. The oldest Welsh pony I know of is JAB Lucky Nugget who passed away in 2020 at the age of 37! Nugget is now represented in my breeding program through the Section A stallion Jade Light Solar Nugget.

Top of the line means that the pony is right at the cut off for their height class. i.e. 12.2 hands for a Small Pony Hunter. This is advantageous in competition because then you are riding the biggest pony allowed for that height of jumps.

Owning a Welsh pony teaches life skills such as communication, empathy for animals and people. Being involved in the local equestrian community with your pony encourages long term friendships from outside your regular peer group. It gives a new sense of enjoyment to being outside and being in sync with the natural world. It is always a great way to stay physically active riding, driving or just taking care of your pony.

Yes, Welsh ponies require the same kind of regular health care as horses in regards to vaccinations, farrier and dental care, quality feed and supplements. One thing that is important for managing your Welsh pony’s health is to be limiting the amount of green grass they have access to. Many Welsh ponies are sensitive to the sugars in grass and over indulgence can cause health issues such as metabolic syndrome. This is easily controlled with a grazing muzzle or restricting grazing hours.

Yes, they are predisposed to metabolic syndrome and other endocrine diseases such as Cushings disease. These diseases are usually a result of over feeding.

Yes and no. Welsh ponies are too easy to keep. You must plan for restricting grazing to grass especially for the smaller Welsh Mountain Ponies. So you can’t just leave them out in the field for the summer or drop in a round bale for the winter. They are very prone to over eating as they require less daily roughage than a large horse but can easily consume the same quantity. Ways to control this is through the use of slow feeder hay nets, grazing muzzles and restricted hours for grazing.

Yes, Welsh ponies can live outside with all different sizes of horses but again you must be aware of how much the pony is eating.

The term “pony” directly relates to size, and they are divided into three groups. We generally measure horses and ponies in “hands (hh),” which is 4 inches per “hand” but their height is officially recorded in centimeters for competitions. • Small ponies <12.2 hh • Medium ponies 12.2 - 13.2 hh • Large Ponies 13.2 - 14.2 hh These measurements are especially important for ponies competing in Pony Hunter Shows or Combined Driving Events. Different sizes of ponies have different rules and expectations at competitions so it is important to know what size category your pony is in. Ponies will be measured prior to competition by an official at these types of events. Northern Twilight Section A ponies are typical ‘Smalls’ while our Section B’s are ‘Mediums’. We breed Welsh crosses to achieve ‘Large’ ponies.

Welsh ponies come in several different sizes and types which are divided into Sections. I raise Section A (up to 12.2 hands/50”/127cm) and Section B (from 12.2 hands to 14 hands/56”/143cm). Most Section A ponies are between 11 hands and 12 hands. Most Section B ponies are between 12.2 and 13.

A fit Welsh pony can carry up to 30% of their body weight. Therefore an 800 pound section B Welsh pony can carry 240 pounds.

Because they are so darn cute! I love the personality of Welsh ponies and their ability to do so many different jobs. Also Welsh pony breeders and owners are very supportive and friendly so it is a great community to be part of.

My family first purchased the Welsh Pony mare, Illini Nickole, for me to ride in 1973. I have been an owner and breeder of Welsh ponies since then.