If you are like many people, this is the first youve even heard about the kerry bog pony. Congratulations to june houston, silvery moon stables of harbor springs, mi, on the purchase of registered kerry bog pony mare taf dixie mayre the spotted badger x foxs lick from linda c. Also in 2002, americans became interested in the breed, and the first ponies were exported from ireland to the us in 2003, to a farm in ohio. Breeds of livestock kerry bog pony breeds of livestock. It has a strong and well set on neck, with a rounded shoulder and compact body. They also carried seaweed from the beaches to be used as fertilizer and pulled the family to. Ashar, thornapple farms of vermilion, oh, august 14, 2010.
Akbps is a notforprofit organization, with irc 501c3 status. Tooracurragh tuppence is a yearling filly by tooracurragh sixpence, out of little tutsy. The kerry bog pony society needed to establish a legal identity and the kerry bog pony cooperative society was formed. Kerry bog pony given official status as rare breed the irish times. The kerry bog pony faced almost certain extinction in 1994 when there were a mere twenty of these ponies left in all of ireland. The same year, the kerry bog pony society was formed. The kerry bog pony has a fine, intelligent head with large kind eyes. Class 1 is for ponies that pass inspection for classification. Breed horses and ponies, raise your foals, and train the next champion in this exciting and realistic online horse breeding game. Her kerry bog pony book was published after two years of research in libraries, the irish folklore commission in ucd, in the pony s native kerry and anywhere she could find a mention of the pony.
Kerry bog village museum killorglin, ireland attractions lonely. As per the irish registry, 51 stallions and 335 mares were recorded in 2011. In their book, the story of kerry bog pony, the sisters warn against the temptation to change aspects of a breed to make it prettier, or. Formed in november 2004, akbps is dedicated to the preservation and growth of the breed through responsible breeding of pure bloodlines and safeguards the registry of ponies imported and foaled in north america. Bluebloods to the humble pony, they all still register. Horse sport ireland export ta irish horse gateway does not control, and is not responsible for, content made available through the irishhorsegateway. It has a small head with a slightly dished face and small eyes.
The kerry bog pony is commonly found in chestnut, grey, and bay with a black mane and tail. Youll see the thatched homes of the turfcutter, blacksmith, thatcher and labourer, as well as a dairy, and meet kerry bog ponies a native breed and irish. I bought this book in ireland and i consider myself lucky to have stumbled across it. Middleboro connie and don miller walked their two irish kerry bog ponies in a gated area behind their middleboro home.
The kerry bog pony is extremely hardy, resistant to many equine diseases, with great powers of endurance. The kerry bog pony is a small animal that is quite similar in stature to the shetland pony. The book is beautifully written and gives a great history of ireland also. An old book depicting part of an irish procession at stuttgart in 1617 shows animals portrayed whose morphology and comparative small size suggest that they may have been ponies of the type known today as the kerry bog pony. Petition we request that the studbook rules be amended. The kerry bog village, located on the beautiful ring of kerry gives you a fascinating insight into how people lived and worked in ireland in the late 19th century. The kerry bog pony is a mountain and moorland breed of pony that originated in ireland. The star of our farm is an irish kerry bog pony, named midsomer magic, who was born in 2005. Our kerry bog herd is the largest in north america. Kerry bog pony is the definitive guide to irelands third national equine breed.
Keeping it local for bog ponies farming independent. The village is the only one of its kind in europe and is one of kerry s leading tourist attractions. The american kerry bog pony society was set up in 2005, with 11 ponies being initially registered. As of 2010 there were an estimated 800 exmoor ponies worldwide. Art, music, and books are everywhere in this old house that overlooks schull. The first stud book was published in 1963, and in 1981 publicity resulted in increased interest in the breed. They were affectionately nicknamed hobbies by the irish locals. Kerry bog pony origin and characteristics karina brez. Their weighttoheight ratio helped them travel over soft ground in the peat bogs. Aisling heffernan msc the haracterisation of the kerry og pony the studbook is held under licence from the dafm. In 2005 the society and the breed were recognised by the eu and the department of agriculture. So, we are delighted to have you here hailing from the magical emerald isles, the kerry bog pony for centuries had been an essential element for the irish farmers daily life.
History of the kerry bog pony barnmice equestrian social. New era begins for kerry bog pony monday, march 09, 2009 the little kerry bog pony, which has itself been saved from extinction, is now doing its bit to aid the survival of some bird species. Inspiring tale of the kerry bog pony irish examiner. Interestingly they exhibit the dished face of an arabian. The bog pony is rather small, about the size of a shetland pony ten or eleven hands high. Most kerry bog ponies tend to be chestnut, black, bay, or gray. A pony that has shaped the history of ireland, but has only recently been recognized as a breed. The kerry bog pony is a small sturdy native breed standing approximately 102117 cms for stallions and 102112 cms for mares. Found in the hills and bogs of county kerry in southwest ireland. The kerry bog pony, which was almost extinct 20 years ago, was yesterday given official status as an irish rare breed.
Nine years later, in 1996, there were 23 registered in the kerry bog pony stud book, which was also used as the pubs guest register. This foal was born and bred in the hills of kerry and has all the characteristics of a kerry bog pony. Printed copies of the 2015 stallion book are available from horse sport ireland for 2015 paid up irish horse board shareholders. We request that the stud book rules be amended to include ponies of broken colour on an equal footing with ponies of solid colour. The international kerry bog pony association ikbpa history. Possibly descended from the irish hobby horse, it originally lived a mainly feral existence in the peat. They are extremely hardy, and were used for working in bogs and carrying peat. It consists of a main section only and is divided into four classes. The existing kerry bog ponies are bred and preserved in the kerry bog village, which is an openair museum in glenbeigh. In 2005, the american kerry bog pony society was founded, with 11 initial registrants. It will have been compared to some degree with pony breeds in partner areas, e. Dedicated to the rare small native pony of ireland now making its comeback on both sides of the pond. At times, i will have kerry bog pony sale on this page.
Possibly descended from the irish hobby horse, it originally lived a. The kerry bog pony population will have become a viable entity. With no breedspecific health issues, the kerry bog pony is an attractive, rare breed with a distinctive face that has been saved from the brink of extinction. The ponies which were probably known as hobbyhorse in years gone by are a native irish rear breed that would be classed as a mountain and moorland breed. It is a remarkable story of how the kerry bog pony has come back from near extinction. A lot of artists keep extensive sketch books with ideas and the preliminaries for their works of art. The secret world of life and death in irelands peat bogs the. Round prairie farm home of merino sheep, kerry bog. It originally lived feral in the peat bogs of county kerry until local settlers began to domesticate the ponies.
Its dna and objective phenotype characteristics will have been defined. This studbook is the register of all purebred kerry bog ponies. American kerry bog pony society preserving an ancient breed. They can be bay, grey, or chestnut with a black mane and tail. The kerry bog pony originated from the mountains and moorlands of the county kerry in southwestern ireland. Fandom apps take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Best of breed and high point kerry bog pony at her first mountain and moorland show. The kerry bog pony, a small working pony, is found in the hills, valleys and bogs of south kerry and has clung to existence while many other local breeds have become extinct.
Possibly descended from the irish hobby horse, it originally lived a mainly feral existence in the peat bogs of county kerry in southwestern ireland. Such a special moment for kara getting her first pony. In the late 1980s to early 1990s, an irishman named john mulvihill, whom had known of these ponies through the legends and stories from his childhood, purchased a stallion he recognized as a kerry bog pony and bred him to twenty mares in an attempt to create a breeding program for the bogs. A unique breed from the bogs of ireland, the kerry bog pony was on the brink of extinction only twenty years ago. The kerry bog village top ring of kerry attractions.
This breed of pony is an old irish work pony that was used by the poor peasants of ireland to carry the dried peat bricks from the bogs in baskets or sle dges back to the farm to be used as firewood. In contrast, the kerry bog pony has only recently become. Kerry bog ponies coat and skill descriptions on howrse. Ideal for families and tourists with spacious parking. Admirers of the kerry bog pony like to point out their partly iberian ancestry. The exmoor pony society currently states that there are now approximately 500 ponies on exmoor and a further 3,500 in locations across the uk and several other countries. To establish whether or not these ponies are truly survivors of a rare breed, the stallion flashy fox was tested for genetic markers by wetherbys ireland, and was satisfactorily bloodtyped in 1994. Comparative genetic diversity in a sample of pony breeds from the. The kerry bog pony was first imported to the united states in 2003, and the american kerry bog pony society oversees the breed here.
Raeford, north carolina 28376 usa 2016 bay kerry bog pony gelding. The international kerry bog pony association ikbpa home. Should grow to 11hh a future stallion and show champion. Due to its strong legs, hard hooves and powerful hindquarters, the kerry bog is very sound and has good balance.
The kerry bog pony is a mountain pony that originated in ireland and is thought to be a descendant of the irish hobby horse. Ideas form as images in my mind and when they are ready, i put them into stone, or onto paper. Local inhabitants used the ponies as pack and cart horses for transporting peat and kelp to the villages. Jane tyrrell needs your help with kerry bog pony cooperative society of ireland. On the northern coast of county mayo, in the west of ireland, a 5,500yearold agricultural community is hidden and preserved under a bog.