Gotland Pony
Encyclopedia
Gotland pony or Gotland russ is an old Swedish
pony
breed. The name russ comes from a now obsolete word ross, which means a riding horse or a charger and it is linked etymologically to the English word horse (in Old High German
this word appeared as hros, and in English a metathesis
has switched the places of the /r/ and the /o/, whereas in Swedish only the /h/ has disappeared, producing ross or russ.
Gotland ponies are thought to descend from Tarpan
s that lived on the small island of Gotland
that is on the South-Eastern coast of Sweden right after the last ice-age.
The Gotland pony is the only breed of pony native to Sweden. The Öland horse from the neighbouring island of Öland
was a close relative of the Gotland, but went extinct in the early 20th century.
resembles the Hucul and Konik
of Poland
. Like those horses, it is believed that the Gotland Russ descended from the Tarpan
.
In the beginning of the 19th century Gotland ponies still lived everywhere on the island, but due to the chopping the woods and the increasing cultivation the number ponies had begun to lessen menacingly. Plenty of ponies were also taken to the manner Europe, and around 1870 they were sold 200 per year. They were transported all the way to Great Britain and Belgium where they were used in coal mines. Extinction of the breed was avoided when the ennobling society was founded in Sweden. To the society's merit the moors and forests of Lojsta were protected for the ponies to live in.
The first pedigree-book for Gotland ponies was opened in Sweden in 1943. To improve the breed two Wales pony stallions have been accepted in it: Reber General and Criban Daniel. The pedigree was closed in 1971 after which only registered Gotland ponies have been accepted in it.
Today, they are mainly bred in Sweden
, Denmark
, Finland
, Norway
and North America
.
ponies. They also excel at show jumping
, dressage
, and eventing
.
The pony is strong and hardy, and can be ridden by children and small adults.
, black
, buckskin, and palomino
, but all colors except for dun, grey, and dorsal pinto
, are allowed.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
pony
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
breed. The name russ comes from a now obsolete word ross, which means a riding horse or a charger and it is linked etymologically to the English word horse (in Old High German
Old High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
this word appeared as hros, and in English a metathesis
Metathesis (linguistics)
Metathesis is the re-arranging of sounds or syllables in a word, or of words in a sentence. Most commonly it refers to the switching of two or more contiguous sounds, known as adjacent metathesis or local metathesis:...
has switched the places of the /r/ and the /o/, whereas in Swedish only the /h/ has disappeared, producing ross or russ.
Gotland ponies are thought to descend from Tarpan
Tarpan
Tarpan is an extinct subspecies of wild horse. The last individual of this subspecies died in captivity in Russia in 1909....
s that lived on the small island of Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
that is on the South-Eastern coast of Sweden right after the last ice-age.
The Gotland pony is the only breed of pony native to Sweden. The Öland horse from the neighbouring island of Öland
Öland
' is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of 1,342 km² and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. The island has 25,000 inhabitants, but during Swedish Midsummer it is visited by up to 500,000 people...
was a close relative of the Gotland, but went extinct in the early 20th century.
Origin
This breed of horseHorse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
resembles the Hucul and Konik
Konik
The Konik or Polish primitive horse is a small horse, a kind of semi-feral horse, originating in Poland. The Polish word konik is the diminutive of koń, the Polish word for "horse" . However, the name "konik" or "Polish konik" is used to refer to certain specific breeds...
of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Like those horses, it is believed that the Gotland Russ descended from the Tarpan
Tarpan
Tarpan is an extinct subspecies of wild horse. The last individual of this subspecies died in captivity in Russia in 1909....
.
Wild ponies, and breeding
Once the Gotland ponies lived wild on the island. Nowadays a semi-wild herd is kept in the 650 acres (2.6 km²) enclosed area of Lojsta moor where the horses live all year round.In the beginning of the 19th century Gotland ponies still lived everywhere on the island, but due to the chopping the woods and the increasing cultivation the number ponies had begun to lessen menacingly. Plenty of ponies were also taken to the manner Europe, and around 1870 they were sold 200 per year. They were transported all the way to Great Britain and Belgium where they were used in coal mines. Extinction of the breed was avoided when the ennobling society was founded in Sweden. To the society's merit the moors and forests of Lojsta were protected for the ponies to live in.
The first pedigree-book for Gotland ponies was opened in Sweden in 1943. To improve the breed two Wales pony stallions have been accepted in it: Reber General and Criban Daniel. The pedigree was closed in 1971 after which only registered Gotland ponies have been accepted in it.
Today, they are mainly bred in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Uses
The Gotland Russ is the most common breed of pony in Sweden. It is a good all round pony and is often used by riding schools. Modern Gotlands are most popular as a riding ponies, often for children, and as harness racingHarness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
ponies. They also excel at show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
, dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
, and eventing
Eventing
Eventing is an equestrian event comprising dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test requiring mastery of several types of riding...
.
Body
The Gotland Russ has a light and narrow build with sloping quarters and a low-set tail. Their hooves are good and hard. This pony generally stands from 115-130 cm at the withers (47-52 inches, 11.3 to 13 hands) and is ideally between 123-126. Three-year old pony must be 115-128 cm.The pony is strong and hardy, and can be ridden by children and small adults.
Coat
The coat of the Gotland pony can be a variety of colors, although bay or black is usually preferred. Wild bay and mealy (Pangare) are very common in the breed. Common colors include bay, chestnutChestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
, black
Black (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
, buckskin, and palomino
Palomino
Palomino is a coat color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called the cream gene working on a "red" base coat...
, but all colors except for dun, grey, and dorsal pinto
Pinto horse
A pinto horse has a coat color that consists of large patches of white and any other color. The distinction between "pinto" and "solid" can be tenuous, as so-called "solid" horses frequently have areas of white hair. Various cultures throughout history appear to have selectively bred for pinto...
, are allowed.