Welsh Pony and Cob

About the breed

The Welsh Pony and Cob is not one size of horse but one breed with four stud-book sections: from the small Welsh Mountain Pony of Section A, which stands no more than 121.9 cm, to the Welsh Cob of Section D, which must exceed 137.2 cm and has no upper limit. All four are registered by the Welsh Pony and Cob Society in Wales, and they share the hardiness, intelligence and versatility that make the breed popular with children, families and driving enthusiasts.

From the Celtic pony to the 1901 breed society

The Welsh pony descends from native ponies that, according to the breed society, have lived in the Welsh uplands for thousands of years. The society describes them as descendants of the Celtic pony that remained in Britain after the last Ice Age, and names Arabian horses said to have come with the Romans as the first outside blood. The earliest written references to Welsh ponies and cobs appear in the Laws of Hywel Dda, ruler of Deheubarth, written in AD 930.

The breed has come through hard times. Henry VIII's Breed of Horses Act of 1535 barred stallions under 15 hands (152 cm) and mares under 13 hands (132 cm) from running on common land. Poor-quality land was exempted, which allowed the mountain ponies to survive there. The Welsh Pony and Cob Society was founded in 1901 and published the first volume of the Welsh Stud Book the following year. The Commons Act of 1908 then allowed undesirable stallions to be cleared from the common land, so that only approved stallions ran with the mares.

According to the society, the Welsh Cob was recognised as a breed by the 15th century; it served as a draught horse and family transport until motor cars and tractors took over. Since 1951 the society has also kept the Welsh Part-Bred Register, and by 1960 the entry condition had been set at no less than 25 per cent registered Welsh blood.

Four sections, one breed

The Welsh Stud Book has four sections, which differ in height and type rather than in the breed's core qualities:

• Section A – Welsh Mountain Pony: the smallest, original type, which the society regards as the foundation of all other Welsh ponies and cobs.
• Section B – Welsh Pony: a riding pony described as an extension of Section A, with the emphasis on quality riding action.
• Section C – Welsh Pony of Cob Type: a lighter, smaller counterpart of the Welsh Cob that keeps the cob's strong characteristics in a more pony-like package.
• Section D – Welsh Cob: the largest and most powerful; the same breed description applies as for Section C, only taller.

Section B has run into difficulty in recent years. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust placed it on its "At Risk" list for 2024 after the number of breeding mares fell below 400, less than half the figure for 2009.

Height at the withers by section

The Welsh Mountain Pony (Section A) must not exceed 121.9 cm (12 hh) at the withers, Sections B and C must not exceed 137.2 cm (13.2 hh, i.e. 13 hands 2 inches), and the Welsh Cob (Section D) must exceed 137.2 cm with no upper limit. Because of this range the breed counts as a pony on our size scale, even though a good cob is close in height to a small riding horse.

The limits have changed over time. The first stud book allowed Section A ponies up to 12.2 hh (about 127 cm), and the society records that the Welsh Cob's height limits originally varied between 14.2 hh and 15.2 hh (about 147 and 157 cm); by 1950 they had been replaced by a minimum of 13.2 hh and no maximum. The Welsh Pony & Cob Society of America uses different rules, describing Section A as under 12.2 hands and Section B as under 14.2 hands.

Conformation, colours and weight

The Section A standard asks for a small, clean-cut head tapering to the muzzle, small pointed ears, a lengthy neck and a long, sloping shoulder, legs with short flat bone below the knee and dense hooves. The action should be quick, free and straight. For Sections C and D the standard asks for "as much substance as possible", long strong forearms and well-developed knees with an abundance of bone; a moderate quantity of silky feather is not objected to, but coarse, wiry hair is.

All four sections may be any colour except piebald and skewbald. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust lists grey, chestnut, bay and black as the most common colours in Section A. Neither the breed standard nor the society publishes a weight; the gap between a small Mountain Pony and a cob is so wide that a single figure for the whole breed would mislead, so an individual pony's weight is best tracked with a weighbridge or weigh tape alongside body condition scoring.

Temperament: clever, determined and willing

The Welsh pony is intelligent, hardy and determined. The society says Section A has developed a strong constitution, great intelligence and a determined nature; the Rare Breeds Survival Trust describes Section B as kind, willing and intelligent; and the Welsh Cob is known for its courage, tractability and endurance. The American society adds that Welsh ponies have friendly personalities and even temperaments and are easily trained.

That intelligence cuts both ways. A clever pony picks up good habits quickly, and bad ones just as fast, so it needs calm, consistent schooling.

Uses: from first pony to international driving

For the last hundred years, the society notes, the Welsh Mountain Pony has mainly been a riding pony for the youngest riders, yet it also excels in dressage, jumping and showing. The society describes Section B as the ideal family pony for several disciplines, from first ridden classes to eventing and driving. Section C is a dual-purpose pony for jumping, driving, showing and family use, suitable for adults and children alike.

The society calls the Welsh Cob the "best ride and drive animal in the World": it carries adult riders, is popular as a hunter and in harness, and has had great success in international driving in recent years.

Welsh pony vs Shetland pony: what is the difference?

The Welsh Mountain Pony is taller and more refined than the Shetland pony. The Shetland's stud-book standard caps it at 107 cm, whereas the Welsh Mountain Pony may reach 121.9 cm and the other Welsh sections stand taller still. The Shetland is smaller, with a dense double winter coat, and exceptionally strong for its size; the Welsh pony has a finer head and a longer shoulder, with Arabian and Thoroughbred blood introduced in the 19th century, according to the society. A Shetland may be any colour except spotted, a Welsh pony any colour except piebald and skewbald.

Grooming, hooves, teeth and veterinary care

Caring for a Welsh pony is moderately demanding. The coat needs regular brushing, the mane and tail regular combing, and on cobs the feather on the lower legs needs tending too. Under the DEFRA code of practice, hooves are trimmed or re-shod as advised by the farrier, usually every 4 to 8 weeks; ponies working on roads and hard surfaces will generally need shoes.

Teeth should be checked by a vet or qualified equine dental technician at least once a year, and older horses may need more frequent checks. Vaccination and parasite control should follow a programme agreed with a vet, including faecal worm egg counts and wormers when necessary.

Feeding: forage first, grazing under control

The diet should be built on forage: hay or grass available for most of the day, with clean fresh water at all times. The DEFRA code warns that horses prone to weight gain may need their grazing restricted at certain times of year, and that too much concentrate feed contributes to obesity, gastrointestinal upset and laminitis. Vitamins and minerals may be needed when grazing is inadequate.

For a Welsh pony this means feeding on the lean side: concentrates only when work or condition genuinely require them, and regular checks of weight and body condition.

Exercise, turnout and equine company

A Welsh pony needs daily exercise and as much turnout as possible. The DEFRA code notes that some horses, particularly native breeds, can live outdoors all year round provided they have shelter from the prevailing wind, summer sun and flies.

Horses are herd animals. The DEFRA code stresses that they should be able to socialise with their own species and that isolation can have a negative psychological impact; other animals are only second best.

Health: insulin dysregulation, laminitis and lifespan

The best-researched health risk of the Welsh pony is metabolic. A University of Minnesota study treated Welsh ponies and Morgan horses as two high-risk breeds for equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), and an Australian study of 167 Shetland and Welsh ponies found insulin dysregulation in 61 per cent of them, with laminitis associated with insulin dysregulation and PPID. A UK analysis of 21,236 laboratory records from horses tested for insulin found higher basal insulin concentrations in Welsh ponies than in all the other common breeds in the sample except Shetland ponies.

The DEFRA code warns that obesity and over-eating remain major factors in laminitis and that long-term excess weight can lead to hormonal disease such as EMS. The breed society publishes no breed-specific lifespan; the Merck Veterinary Manual gives 25 to 30 years for horses in general, depending on health, care and size.

What a Welsh pony needs

The Welsh pony suits families, children supervised by experienced adults, leisure riders and driving enthusiasts who can offer turnout with shelter, other horses for company and carefully rationed feed. Sections A and B are children's-pony size, while Section C and the cob also carry adults. For beginners it is a conditional choice, as a young or inconsistently schooled pony soon takes the initiative; a calm, experienced pony is best for a small child. It suits people less well if they have no time for schooling, no way of restricting grazing or no other horses. Keeping a record of farrier and dental visits, vaccinations and weight changes is worthwhile.

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