HORSE AND PONY BREEDS

17. GERMAN RIDING PONY (DEUTSCHE REITPONY)

Breed name: German Riding Pony

Place of origin: Germany

Breed purpose: Competition

Size: Ideally 13.2hh - 14.2hh

Colour: Same as warmbloods

Ancestors: Anglo-Arabs, Arabs, Thoroughbreds, Welsh ponies

History

The breed originated in 1965 when various ponies, especially Welsh ponies, were crossed with Arabs, Anglo-Arabs, and Thoroughbreds.

About

aboutThe German Riding Pony is also known as a ‘small warmblood’. These ponies were bred with the intention that they could be handled by children but had the talent and movement to compete at a high level – essentially, they were ‘warmbloods for children’.

Although the German studs originally bred these ponies with performance in mind, they have kept many of their pony characteristics. They have willing characters and temperaments and are usually easy to keep and manage. Having said this, they often need quite an experienced child rider to compete successfully, as they ride more like a horse than a pony.

There are distinct bloodlines used to create these ponies, and all German Riding Ponies undergo a strict inspection process. These rigorous inspections help to maintain the breed standard.

Appearance

German Riding Ponies generally appear more like tiny horses than ponies. The only difference is that they tend to keep a very ‘pony-like’ head.

DID YOU KNOW?

Back in 1990, some breeders of German Riding Ponies tried to introduce more blood through Trakehner, Hanoverian, and Holsteiner lines. This was, however, unsuccessful, as many of the pony characteristics were lost. Breeders have now reverted back to the original lines used.