Highland Horse

Origin: Scotland.

Height: Garron: About 14.2hh. Western Isles: 12.2-14.2hh.

Color: Usually varying shades of dun with dorsal stripe, often with blackpoints or silver hairs in tail and mane. Also gray, chestnut (sometimes withblond mane and tail), bay, black.

Character: Intelligent, responsive, and very docile. It is a sensitive pony,giving its trust generously to a good owner but tending to be wary ofstrangers and easily soured by bad treatment.

Physique: There are two types of Highland pony, the Western Isles and theGarron, or Mainland, variety. The Garron, bigger and stronger than theIslands type, is a powerful, well-made animal with a short, deep head withopen. nostrils, bright, intelligent eyes and short ears. Head well-carried onstrong, cresty neck of medium length; shoulders powerful, chest and girthdeep and roomy. Back short, with well-sprung ribs and strong loins, hind-quarters full and powerful. Legs short, hard and strong, with plenty of bone,and thick feather at the fetlock joint. Hard, broad hooves. Long, thick tail,well set on, and plentiful mane. Action is straight and free and well-balanced,though it has a tendency to be "on the forehand". It is a sturdy, hardy pony,and very sure-footed The Western Isles type, grouped into two divisions according to height(those 12.2-13.2hh and 13.2-14.2hh), is a smaller and finer-limbed versionof the Garron.

The Highland pony is traditionally associated with deer stalking. It is sure-footed enough to carry a deer's carcase on the steep and slippery slopes ofthe Scottish glens, and so docile and trusting that a hunter can fire a gunfrom its back.

Of the two types of Highlander the Garron is the type with which thename Highland Pony is most generally associated. It is simply a scaled-upversion of the Western Isles type, developed during the last century inresponse to the need for a strong working pony which had the weight to pullor carry a big load. The Garron is the biggest and strongest of all the Britishpony breeds, and has been known to carry at a canter (in a circus act) sevenadult riders at a combined estimated weight of 60 stone (840lb) withoutany apparent difficulty.

Highland ponies contain Arab blood; also some French blood and a bit of Clydesdale is thought to have contributed to the Garron. The smallerWestern Isles type is an excellent children's riding pony, while the biggerGarron - in the past the crofter's pony of all work as well as the stalker'sfriend - today makes a first-class trekking pony.