DESCRIPTION OF THE DARTMOOR PONY

•  HEIGHT: Not exceeding 127cm (12.2hh)
• COLOUR: Bay, Black, Brown, Chestnut, Grey and Roan. Piebalds and Skewbalds are not allowed. Excessive white markings should be discouraged.
• HEAD AND NECK: The head should be small with large kindly eyes and small alert ears. It should be well set on a good neck of medium length. The throat and jaws should be fine and showing no signs of coarseness or throatiness. Stallions to have a moderate crest.
• SHOULDERS: Good shoulders are most important. They should be well laid back and sloping but not too fine at the withers.
• BODY: Of medium length and strong, well ribbed up and with a good depth of girth, giving plenty of heart room.
• LOIN AND HINDQUARTERS: Strong and well covered with muscle. The hind quarters should be of medium length and neither level nor steeply sloping. The tail should be well set up.
• LIMBS: The hocks should be well let down with plenty of length from hip to hock, clean cut and with plenty of bone below the hock. They should have a strong second thigh. They should not be ‘sickled’ or ‘cowhocked’.
• The fore legs should not be tied in at the elbows. The fore-arm should be muscular and relatively long and the knee fairly large and flat on the front.
• The cannons should be short with ample good, flat, flinty bone. The pasterns should be sloping but not too long. The feet should be hard and well shaped.
• MOVEMENT: Low and straight coming from the shoulder with good hock action but without exaggeration.
• GENERAL: The mane and tail should be full and flowing. The Dartmoor is a very good looking riding pony, sturdily built yet with quality.

SHOWING GUIDELINES

1. Ponies in Mixed Mountain and Moorland or Dartmoor classes must be shown unplaited.
2. Ponies should be shown in a clean but natural state with full mane and tail.

3.   Long hairs under the jaw and those protruding from the ears may be trimmed.

3. Whiskers must not be trimmed.
4. The tail may be trimmed at the bottom if excessively long.
5. No dye or make-up may be used and no false tails.
6. Ridden/Driven ponies may be clipped in the interest of welfare but not their legs.
7. False quarter marks are not allowed.

NPS America, Dartmoor Breed Representative:

See the Links section for Dartmoor Societies