Eriskay ponies are the last surviving remnants of the original native ponies of the Western Isles of Scotland.
Until the middle of the 19th Century, Eriskay ponies were found throughout the islands and used on small farms, undertaking everyday tasks such as bringing home peat and seaweed in baskets, pulling carts, harrowing fields and even taking the children to school.
1. Just to be clear on how long ago that was, what years mark the beginning and the end of the 19th century?
The ponies were subject to ‘human’ as well as ‘natural’ selection. The ponies had evolved to survive on meagre food supplies, with coats, ears and tails well adapted to coping with a harsh, wet and windy climate. Eriskays were then subject to the forces of living in a society where women and children did most of the work while the men were at sea. Poor temperaments could not be tolerated. Only those ponies happy to live in close proximity with their handlers, those willing to be trained and work hard, were retained.
Limited habitat and mechanization caused their numbers to decline until, in the 1970s, only 20 ponies remained!
That’s when a group of community members saw the urgency to save the rare horse from disappearing forever. Highland ponies and other breeds were brought to Eriskay Island to breed with the few remaining mares. Some original purebreds exist, but not many. A large portion of the offspring are mixed breed.
Below is the Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s Watchlist showing population categories for horse and pony populations (UK only, not worldwide).
By 2006, there were believed to have been around 300 mares and 4 purebred stallions. By 2009 this number had risen to around 420 ponies worldwide.
2. How many more ponies were there in 2006 than at their lowest point in the 1970s?
3. Assuming the population was located entirely within the UK, in which Watchlist category did Eriskay ponies fit into in 2006?
4. How many more ponies were there in 2009 than in 2006?
5. Assuming the population continues to increase at this rate, estimate the worldwide Eriskay Pony population by the end of 2015.
6. If all of these ponies lived in the UK, what Watchlist category would this breed fall into then?
As you can see in the photos, most Eriskay Ponies are grey in colour, however there are some bays and blacks. All Eriskay Ponies are born dark in colour and their coat lightens as they mature. There are no other colours seen in this breed and no coat patterns other than solids.
Eriskay ponies average height is between 120 and 135 cm or 48 and 54 inches.
Horse Talk – hh (hands high): Most horse and pony breeds are measured in hands with 1 hand = 4 inches or 10 centimeters.
7. Express the average height of the breed in hands.
The ponies weigh between 325kg and 400kgs depending on their height. Some are much slighter and others chunkier. The island ponies are lighter if they are living on rough grazing.
Eriskay Ponies are always shown completely natural with no clipping or trimming allowed. This includes leaving the manes, whiskers and the hair on the legs as natural. The tail can be trimmed if it is dragging on the ground, but cannot be cut off flat in a bang type cut seen in many competitions.
The Eriskay Pony Society is working closely with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust to ensure the long term survival of the breed. Another organization, The Eriskay Pony (Purebred) Studbook Society, is also involved in the survival of the breed.
Before checking your answers, would you like to watch a short video about these ponies? Click here.
1. Just to be clear on how long ago that was, what years mark the beginning and the end of the 19th century?
Answer: 1801 to 1900.
2. How many more ponies were there in 2006 than at their lowest point in the 1970s?
Answer: (300 + 4) – 20 = 284. There were 284 more ponies in 2006.
3. Assuming the population was located entirely within the UK, in which Watchlist category did Eriskay ponies fit into in 2006?
Answer: 2. Endangered
4. How many more ponies were there in 2009 than in 2006?
Answer: 420 – 304 = 116. There were 116 more ponies in 2009.
5. Assuming the population continues to increase at this rate, estimate the worldwide Eriskay Pony population by the end of 2015.
Answer: Step 1: The population increased by 116 ponies over 4 years. To find the average increase per year: 116 ÷ 4 = 29. The population increased an average of 29 ponies per year.
Step 2: Assuming the population increases by 29 each year that would mean 29 more ponies in the year 2013 + 29 (for the year 2014) + 29 (for the year 2015) = 87. The population would increase by 87 ponies resulting in a total population of 420 + 87 = 507. An estimate for the worldwide population of Eriskay ponies by the end of 2015 is 507.
6. If all of these ponies lived in the UK, what Watchlist category would this breed fall into then?
Answer: 3. Vulnerable
7. Express the average height of the breed in hands.
Answer for inches: 48 ÷ 4 = 12. 54 ÷ 4 = 13 R2. The average height of Eriskay ponies is between 12 hh and 13.2 hh.
Answer for centimeters: 120 ÷ 10 = 12. 135 ÷ 10 = 13.5. The average height of Eriskay ponies is between 12 hh and 13.2 hh. (1/2 of a hand is written as .2, with the 2 representing 2 inches (1/2 of a hand in the imperial system).
How to correctly calculate, write and speak the height of a horse is covered in the Level 1 Workbook due out early in 2014.
In addition to the domesticated ponies there is a small herd of Eriskay ponies living wild on the Holy Isle. These ponies are descended from a group of five ponies brought to the Holy Isle when it was owned by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare in the 1970s to form a nature reserve. Today the island is owned by the Samye Buddhist Centre for World Peace and Health. They operate a policy of non-intervention, allowing the ponies to live without human interference.
Photos:
Eriskay ponies by Barbara Carr; CC BY-SA 2.0
Breed Show 2007 courtesy of The Eriskay Pony Society
Belzars Shona courtesy of The Eriskay Pony Society