By Jacqueline Louie

Strong, willing, versatile, brave. 

Even-tempered, friendly, hard working.

And critically endangered.

This is the Newfoundland Pony, a conservation breed and one of three horse breeds that have evolved in Canada¹

The Newfoundland Pony is a unique type of pony that developed in Newfoundland from a variety of Moorland and Mountain ponies brought in by settlers from the British Isles starting in the early 17th century. Dartmoor, Exmoor, New Forest, Welsh, Galloway, and Highland, as well as Connemara ponies from Ireland, all influenced the development of the Newfoundland Pony. When not in use, these ponies roamed, fended and foraged for themselves, often for months at a time, in herds that roamed the headlands of Newfoundland and bred at large.

Newfoundland ponies were an integral part of the European settlement of the province affectionately known as “The Rock,” and allowed the fishermen and other settlers of rural Newfoundland to survive in the harsh climate. People used ponies for transportation, farming, and fisheries, hauling fishing nets and bringing codfish to market. Ponies hauled wood from the forests for building houses, flakes for drying fish, stages (outbuildings) and wharfs, and firewood to heat homes through the winter. Ponies worked in the mines and brought kelp from the ocean to be used as fertilizer for the fields.

“They were the virtual engine of outport life for hundreds of years… People’s survival depended on having these ponies,” says Newfoundland Pony Society president, Jack Harris.

Beothic’s Nutmeg with her newborn colt, M7 Ghost Pepper. Photo: Bar Lazy M7 Ranch

Over the centuries, a pony with special characteristics developed, which is now recognized as a distinct breed.

Newfoundland ponies typically stand anywhere from 11 to 14.2 hands high and weigh approximately 226 – 385 kilos (500 – 850 pounds). Their short furry ears serve as protection from black flies. To protect them from the elements they sport a compact, low-set tail; double mane and furry fetlocks; and long, shaggy coats in winter.

“The Newfoundland Pony is a very versatile animal known for its strength and its very fine temperament,” Harris says. “It’s a wonderful animal and a great part of our heritage. The Newfoundland Pony helped people survive in very rough circumstances over centuries.”

When Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949, becoming Canada’s tenth province, there were 1,300 communities on the island and an estimated 13,000 Newfoundland ponies. Over time, however, with increased urbanization and mechanization, the ponies became less useful, and new rules introduced to prevent animals from roaming meant the ponies were vulnerable.

When Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949, the island was home to an estimated 13,000 Newfoundland ponies spread across 1,300 communities. But as urbanization and mechanization changed rural life, the hardy little ponies were rounded up for the meat trade and their numbers declined dramatically. By the early 1990s, only about 500 remained. Photo courtesy of Jack Harris

“The meat industry got wind of this and came collecting animals to sell them out of province for meat, and the ponies started disappearing very rapidly,” Harris says. 

By the 1980s, the ponies’ numbers had plummeted. And by the early 1990s, a mere 500 remained, according to Andrew F. Fraser, author of The Newfoundland Pony: The Lone Member of the Moorland Family of Horses in North America, Now on the Verge of Extinction.

It was around this time that a friend of Harris’s who was involved in the Newfoundland Pony Society — founded in 1979 by a group of concerned pony owners — asked Harris for help to save the Newfoundland Pony, which was on the verge of extinction.

In 1994, Harris, a former NDP Member of Parliament and at that time a member of the House of Assembly — Newfoundland and Labrador — representing St. John’s East, put forward a private member’s motion asking for recognition of the Newfoundland Pony breed as a heritage animal, and for their protection from being exported out of the province without a permit, in an effort to stop the ongoing meat trade.

Following his resolution, which passed unanimously, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador brought in the Heritage Animals Act (1996), recognizing and protecting animal breeds in Newfoundland with historical and cultural significance.

Starting in 1997, government veterinarians traveled across Newfoundland with a group from the Newfoundland Pony Society to identify purebred ponies and collect DNA samples for testing, to establish the foundation of an official Newfoundland Pony Registry. The DNA testing confirms parentage, and the registry is used to track ponies and ensure the breed remains intact. 

The Heritage Animals Act mandates the Newfoundland Pony Society to protect and maintain the Newfoundland Pony Registry, which confirms that registered ponies are legitimate Newfoundland ponies with the breed’s typical characteristics. A pony can be registered if both the sire and dam are registered Newfoundland ponies.

Fillies M7 Shallowyn and M7 Raining Charm have a trait shared from their dams that sees their coat colour change with the seasons. Photo: Bar Lazy M7 Ranch

“Not all ponies in Newfoundland are Newfoundland ponies. There are a fair number of crosses with other things,” Harris notes. 

The current databank traces back as many as five generations, with testing based on parentage, not genetic profiling — the only way to guarantee that a pony is 100 percent purebred.

Ponies living outside of Newfoundland are also included in the registry. To date, the Society has registered approximately 850² ponies across Canada and in several US states. Not all are of breeding age, and some registered ponies have passed away.

While the Pony’s numbers have stabilized, they are insufficient in the long run, according to the Newfoundland Pony Society, and are considered critically endangered by Rare Breeds Canada, The Livestock Conservancy, and Equus Survival Trust.

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The Newfoundland Pony Society is working to protect and preserve the critically endangered breed for future generations, while creating more opportunities for the public to see and learn about the ponies. The Society currently leases a heritage pasture in Newfoundland’s Trinity Bay area, with hopes of expanding it into a breeding program and educational centre. Membership fees help fund DNA testing and pony registration, and supporters don’t need to own a pony to get involved. Photos courtesy of Jack Harris

“We need to have a higher birth rate,” says Harris, who encourages pony owners with ponies of breeding age to consider breeding them. “We want to see the numbers increase to the point where there are no concerns about their sustainability.” 

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has designated the Newfoundland Pony Society — a not-for-profit, charitable organization — as responsible for the promotion, protection, and preservation of the Newfoundland Pony. The Society’s work to ensure the Newfoundland Pony survives as a breed involves many facets, including helping owners and breeders work together, running a rehoming (rescue) program, finding new jobs for ponies, and public education.

“It’s a wonderful pet for children with a wonderful temperament, and a great work animal. They’re also very good as equine therapy animals because of their temperament and how well they get along with people. These are terrific riding ponies and show ponies; they are outstanding ponies,” Harris says.

Newfoundland ponies are well suited for children and lightweight adults to ride, he notes. People also use Newfoundland ponies for cart driving, and in winter for pulling sleds and sleighs —whatever people use horses for.

Admiral’s RoseE with her colt (above), M7 Wildfire Prince, and with her filly (below), M7 Pyrosita. Photos: Bar Lazy M7 Ranch

The Newfoundland Pony Society is dedicated to conserving, protecting, and preserving the pony for future generations, and is seeking public support to do so.

One challenge in promoting the breed is that there is no official public place where people can see Newfoundland ponies.

Currently, the Society is leasing land that includes a heritage pasture in the Trinity Bay area on the Avalon Peninsula, hoping that it can eventually be expanded to include a breeding program, along with a centre of excellence to showcase the history and uses of the Newfoundland Pony.

Buying a membership in the Newfoundland Pony Society is one of the easiest ways to help, according to Cari McDonnell, who together with her husband Shamus owns the Bar Lazy M7 Ranch in central Alberta and is a hobby breeder of Newfoundland ponies.  

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Cari McDonnell with the mare, Highland Creek’s Limited Edition (Lily), at the Bar Lazy M7 Ranch in Alberta. Photo: Bar Lazy M7 Ranch

Newfoundland Pony Society membership fees go towards such things as DNA testing and ensuring that as many ponies become registered as possible. You don’t have to be a pony owner to become a member.

After retiring early, McDonnell wanted to give back and started looking for critically endangered horse breeds. That’s how she learned about the Newfoundland Pony. She got her first Newfoundland ponies almost a decade ago.

McDonnell notes that ponies have a reputation for being stubborn and nippy at times. But “Newfoundland ponies are generally not like that. They really do love people. They’re easy to train, so willing.

“These ponies are so wonderful and personable. They are perfect for children and good driving prospects. I have a couple of driving ponies and they pull that wagon like there is no tomorrow. They are also amazing jumpers. You can imagine these ponies in 4-H, cowboy challenges, or working cattle. The potential is endless. They have heart. It’s incredible how brave they can be.”

McDonnell’s first crop of fillies, now four, have reached breeding age. Because there are so few Newfoundland ponies worldwide, part of her goal is to build a breeding program, and to sell more ponies to loving homes. If healthy enough, Newfoundland ponies can be bred into their twenties.

Longtime horse enthusiast Lynne Arbuthnot of Kelowna, BC, owns two Newfoundland ponies that came from the Bar Lazy M7 Ranch. She discovered Cari McDonnell “and her wonderful ponies, where exists an entire breed of my favorite traits” after two decades of searching for her ideal horse.

Lynne Arbuthnot riding Charlie and leading Pepper. Photo courtesy of Lynne Arbuthnot

“All I can say is, where were these ponies when I was 12 years old?” says Arbuthnot, who owns Pepper, a six-year-old breeding stallion and sport (driving) pony, and Waylon, Pepper’s half-brother, age three, that she is training as a riding pony.

With Pepper, Arbuthnot wants to make breeding easy through artificial insemination. And she wants Waylon to go to “a family that is very, very horsey and that appreciates what a cool little guy he is. He’s athletic enough that for anyone who wants a little jumper, he’ll have no problems with that, he’s so trainable. That’s what the appeal of this breed is.

“These ponies are so calm and quiet… My objective is to support the breed by ensuring they are seen happily in use. They really need to be out there and seen as a wonderful sport pony for people to use.” 

These Newfoundland ponies owned by Lynne Arbuthnot are Pepper (left), a six-year-old breeding stallion and sport driving pony, and Waylon (right), Pepper’s three-year-old half-brother, in training for riding. Photo courtesy of Lynne Arbuthnot

Blakely Ellsworth, age 13, of Tignish, PEI, has owned a Newfoundland Pony for the past five years. A dark bay gelding that stands 13.2 hands high, Clarence is trained for both English and Western riding, as well as pulling a carriage and sleigh. Blakely rides him bareback and with a saddle, takes lessons, jumps with him, and competes.

“We were looking for a pony for her instead of using a lesson horse,” says Blakely’s mother, Riva. “It was love at first sight.”

What does Blakely like the best about Clarence? “His personality,” she says. “He’s very kind. He’s well-mannered. Whenever I get home from school and go over to see him, he’s always really happy to see me.”

Blakely Ellsworth, 13, of Tignish, PEI, has owned Clarence, her 13.2-hand Newfoundland Pony, for five years. Trained in English and Western riding and to pull a carriage and sleigh, Clarence is ridden by Blakely bareback and saddled for lessons, jumping and competitions. Photo: Riva Ellsworth

She adds: “Newfoundland ponies are really fun to ride, they’re really fast sometimes, and they don’t forget.” Looking forward to what’s next with Clarence, Blakely would like to get out to more shows. “It would be fun to do dressage shows too, and jumping.”

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Kelesha Crewe with Crewe’s Calliope (above), a filly she recently rehomed. Photo: Mary Watkins

The mare, Randall’s Joy. Photo: Kelesha Crewe

“They’re very hardy. They thrive in the cold. They’re an all-around breed — whether you want to run barrels or go over a few jumps, they can do anything. They’re super easy to keep and easy to train. They’re tough-footed, super smart, really curious, even-tempered, and super friendly. There’s no dirt in them — they’re not mean at all. I always say if people are going to get a pony, why not get a Newfoundland Pony?”

Kelesha Crewe with Driftwood’s Newfie Bullet and Randall’s Joy. Photo: Shaelee Sparkes

Crewe, who is completing a University of Guelph certificate in equine science, emphasizes that healthy breeding is what will keep the Newfoundland Pony going — breeding for diverse bloodlines. “It’s hard to find stallions that are not related to mares, because there are so few of them.

“In the Thoroughbred world, they say don’t breed closer than the third generation by third generation. To me, that’s still too close.”

Crewe hosted a stallion last summer that she could have bred to her mare, Randall’s Joy. “But if you go back further in the lineage, there is one relative (in common) in the fourth by fifth generation, and I wouldn’t do it unless there wasn’t a better option.”

Kalen, nephew of Kelesha Crewe, sharing a moment with Crewe’s Calliope. Photo: Shaelee Sparkes

She adds that it’s far enough back to be doable — and people are. Because the Newfoundland Pony is critically endangered she is not going to tell owners not to do it, but to look for other options first.

As Crewe sees it, “I don’t like to have relatives in the lineage if at all possible… I try to breed for diversity.”

To this end, she notes that Newfoundland Pony owners collaborate with pony owners in other provinces, as well as those closer to home. “We have a full lineage report on our website. If you’re going to breed a pony, look back,” she says.

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Beothic’s Nutmeg with her newborn colt, M7 Ghost Pepper. Photo: Bar Lazy M7 Ranch

That lineage is interwoven with the place they come from. Over the centuries, Newfoundland ponies adapted well to The Rock’s harsh climate. “They’ve become what they are because of the land,” says Newfoundland Pony breeder and educator, Korrine Jordan, who together with her husband Wayne owns Willow Creek Stables, a not-for-profit rescue outside Perth, Ontario.

Jordan, who has served four terms on the Newfoundland Pony Society board, got her first Newfoundland Pony, Captain Sweetapple, 14 years ago. She had been leasing a Quarter Horse, but when Captain, who was then six years old, came to the barn, she gave up the Quarter Horse and took a lease on him. 

Gelded later in life, Captain had been a breeding stallion and had sired six foals. He was challenging to handle at first, she recounts. For example, when the farrier came to trim his feet, which were overgrown, “Captain was absolutely wild, kicking and acting crazy.” The farrier said he would return in a month to try again and asked her to make sure she touched the horse all over in the meantime to get him used to being handled. She did what the farrier asked, and when he returned, Captain allowed his feet to be trimmed.

“As soon as he had that consistency and daily handling, he was fine,” Jordan says. “I put kids on him; I put babies on him. He is amazing.”

She really got involved in the Newfoundland Pony when she went searching for Captain’s babies to make sure they were registered. This is how she met Wayne, who owned one of Captain’s foals, Carling. “I called Wayne up out of the blue and told him that I wanted to come out and get a DNA sample and get his pony registered,” she recalls. “Basically, I stalked him for his pony and ended up with him and the pony.”

Willow Creek Stables, which is primarily a Newfoundland Pony rescue, hosts visitors from around the world. They open their doors to a wide variety of groups including schools, Girl Guides, retirement homes, and people with developmental disabilities. The rescue offers barn visits and activities in exchange for donations. Even though most of the ponies are seniors, they still have jobs.

Willow Creek Stables teaches people how to walk with a pony on a lead line, and how to stop, start, and handle a pony. Pony treks take place in the fall and winter, with guests taking a pony out on the back 90 acres for a walk through the woods and fields while the Jordans explain the history of the Newfoundland Pony, why it’s critically endangered, and what people are doing to save the breed. They also share the rescue story of each of the ponies on the trek that day.

“We’re trying to show that even though a pony is past service and can’t be ridden, they still make really wonderful companions,” Jordan says, noting that a Newfoundland Pony’s average life expectancy is in the early to mid-30s. “Our senior ponies love to get out and walk and meet people.

“We try to encourage people to keep their senior horses. Just because they can’t be ridden doesn’t mean they aren’t fun or useful.”

At the same time, not every pony’s story has a happy ending. As with all animal rescues, there is a dark side to running a pony rescue.

“Sometimes ponies come in in such bad shape that you are bringing them home to put them down,” Jordan says. “We see a lot of bad stuff here with the rescue — not just people surrendering because it’s a senior animal — there are also cruelty investigations, and we even outbid meat buyers at auctions.” The rescue has taken in several ponies weighing less than 181 kilos (400 pounds).

Jordan wants people to know that Newfoundland ponies “are by far the most gentle, docile, easy to work with, endlessly forgiving, hardworking, exceptional animals. They are level-headed and logical — they tend to observe and take things in first before they react. There’s nothing better than a Newfoundland Pony.”

She speaks from first-hand experience. When she was going through cancer treatments, she wanted to get on a horse again, even though she was suffering from significant neuropathy. “Even though I was so weak and not steady, I still got on my Newfoundland Pony. I go out on trail rides with him and canter with him. I knew he was going to look after me.”

If you have an opportunity to meet a Newfoundland Pony, “it’s great for both mental and physical health,” says Tammy Webber, a member-at-large on the Newfoundland Pony Society board. “It’s great for getting kids out into nature and interacting with an animal that’s friendly and wanting to interact with you.”

In addition to her involvement with the Pony Society, Webber is also part of the member-run Newfoundland Pony Pals Project, based out of the Conception Bay North area on the Avalon Peninsula. Open to Newfoundland Pony owners and supporters alike, the Newfoundland Pony Pals Project is out in the community through the summer months, at Canada Day celebrations and at all kinds of community events — showcasing the Newfoundland Pony with rides and meet-and-greets. Pony Pals does its work by donation; all funds raised go towards the ponies’ upkeep for costs including hay, feed, farrier and veterinary care, and trailer upkeep.

“The Newfoundland Pony is as much a part of Newfoundland as the dory boat was to the fishery,” Webber says. “We have a living part of history here. We should embrace it for all it’s done for us. We needed the pony to live. Now, the pony needs us to live.” 

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Through the Newfoundland Pony Pals Project, based in the Conception Bay North area on Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula, volunteers bring Newfoundland ponies into communities for events, rides, and meet-and-greets that celebrate the province’s heritage breed. Run entirely through donations, the group helps cover the ponies’ ongoing care while raising awareness about their history and importance. 

Pictured below is the Newfoundland Pony Stryder (front of the line) and in the winter of 2022. Photos: Tammy Webber

Newfoundland Pony Sanctuary

“We started out to help bring back the numbers,” says Netta LeDrew, owner of the Newfoundland Pony Sanctuary, a not-for-profit pony rescue, home to eight Newfoundland ponies on the Change Islands located off Newfoundland’s northeast coast. LeDrew, who has been with the rescue since it first opened its doors, encourages people to come to the Change Islands to experience both the ponies and the spectacular destination. (The Change Islands are just a 20-minute ferry ride from the mainland and another short ferry ride from Fogo Island). The rescue is open to visitors year-round and offers pony rides when the weather permits. 

These photos capture Netta with several beloved Newfoundland ponies over the years. In the first image, she is pictured with Heidi “W,” St. George’s Princess, and Change Island’s Charm; the second shows Netta with Beothic’s Strawberry; and the third features Netta riding Change Island’s Charlie alongside Kristie Boyd on Change Island’s Beothic Jigger in the background. Heidi, Princess, and Strawberry have since passed away. Photos: Kelesha Crewe

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Related: Canada’s Wild Horses - An Uncertain Future

Resources:

• The Newfoundland Pony: The Lone Member of the Moorland Family of Horses in North America, Now on the Verge of Extinction, by Andrew F. Fraser
• The Long Haul: Tracing the Path of the Endangered Newfoundland Pony, by Dennis Flynn 
• The Newfoundland Pony Society
• Newfoundland Pony Sanctuary
• Netta's Change Islands Newfoundland Ponies
• Newfoundland Pony Pals Project
• Willow Creek Stables
• Newfoundland Labrador website
• Newfoundland Pony Conservancy Center

More by Jacqueline Louie

Footnotes

1. The other breeds that have evolved in Canada are the Canadian Horse, descended from horses sent over by France’s King Louis XIV in the mid-17th century; and the Ojibwe Spirit Horse, also known as the Lac La Croix Indigenous Pony.

2. Today, there are an estimated 600—700 living Newfoundland ponies, including both registered and unregistered animals that qualify for registration. Approximately 630 are registered, and another 60 – 80 ponies are registerable but not registered.

Main Photo: Newfoundland Ponies and half-sisters Charm and Diamond are an enjoyable driving team (Osceola’s Pure Country Charm and Osceola’s Sweet Diamond). Photo: Bar Lazy M7 Ranch