Origin
Basque region (France and Spain)
History
The Pottok is an ancient breed found in the Pyrenees Mountains. Early cave paintings have been found that clearly depict this small horse. The Pottok is a rugged, tough animal that has developed in inhospitable surroundings. It is considered an integral part of the Basque cultural heritage. Living in the open and finding its own food, the Pottok has developed fantastic endurance. When caught and tamed, it was used as a pack pony and as a pit pony for the mines. Until World War II, the breed was used by smugglers to carry packs across the Pyrenees.
Use of the Pottok as a riding horse has only occurred in the last thirty years. A French breed association was founded in 1971 and a riding school specializing in breaking in was opened in Espelette in 1979. Soon the qualities of the Pottok were obvious, as a team from Espelette went through to the French National Finals in 1981. The French government officially recognized the breed, opened a stud book and has taken steps to assure the continued purity of the breed.
Description
- Head:
straight profile with a characteristic slight concavity between the eyes; short and active ears; large and expressive eyes; often the upper lip is overhanging, and when eating spiny plants during winter months in the mountains this pony often develops a thick set of whiskers for protection. - Conformation:
-short neck, often ewe-like, well set on with a full and shaggy mane
-shoulder, somewhat straight
-chest, wide and deep
-withers, well pronounced
-back, long and straight
-rounded croup
-clean and strong legs with good joints and hard feet
-tail, set very low usually long and full - Average height:
11.1 to 14.2 h.h. - Colour:
the predominant coat colours are chestnut, brown and bay. The Pinto Pottoks are unusual in that their coats may be not only black and white but also chestnut, white, and black, or chestnut and white. - Temperament:
very gentle nature - Today:
it is used as a childīs pony. The Pottok excels in all riding pony disciplines and is also a very good harness pony. It also has excellent jumping talent. Like the Landais, it was used in the creation of the French Riding Pony.
I have a black and white Pottok Pony and I love it very mutch. It is a mare an now 19 years old. It is very intelligent an willing to learn something new. At least we are training some circus lections. You can see some Picture of her at my homepage (http://www.pottok.de/Mirabelle_E.html). In the year 2007 we visited the Pottok Ponys in the basque country and saw the free basque ponys on the mountain LaRhune. I have made some pictures there and you can see it on my homepage too (http://www.pottok.de/LaRhune_e.html). It is a very nice pony breed and very robust. On the spanish side of the basque country they were called "Pottokak".