“Another theory is that a French
ship loaded with fine horses for the American forces in the Revolutionary War had been wrecked and the horses swam ashore. Their
amazing adaptability is one of their most striking characteristics.”
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Banks Ponies |
“The
horses on the Outer Banks
did not all descend from the original two or three. They were added to accidentally or deliberately over the years, but the first
ones seem to have been of the Spanish breed. The new ones whish could adjust to the new environment lived and reproduced.
The larger horses could not adapt and died.”
“The horses multiplied and
spread to cover the barrier islands and even swam over to the mainland. An article in the “National Geographic,” May 1926
estimated there were between 5,000 and 6,000 wild ponies roaming North Carolina’s barrier islands. This didn’t include those
off the coasts of Georgia, Virginia, or Maryland.”
“The horses found on the Outer
Banks are generally believed to be descended from Spanish Mustangs.”
“The Tarpan, a small grey horse
with upright mane and dorsal stripe cane form the lowlands of Europe. They had disappeared by 1851. Two other old breeds were
the Arabian and the close kin, the African Barb, developed along North Africa’s Barbary Coast. Both were noted for spend and
endurance, attributes needed by soldiers. But they were small, incapable of carrying the heavy armor used in Northern Europe.”
“The time came when, in an effort
to prevent the destruction of the horse herds, it became important to establish the identity of the ancestors of the horses. Usually
detailed documents record centuries of breeding, but such records do not exist for the mustang ponies of the Outer Banks.”
“The world mustang is the English
pronunciation of the Spanish word “mesteno,” meaning stray and wild.”
“The American Mustang Association
decided to use the physical characteristics to identify the horses eligible to be registered as American Mustangs.”
“To establish their description,
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Banks Ponies |
they studied records made by the Conquistadors and descriptions by early American writers. The studied pictures and woodcuts
of the Spanish horses made by artists during that period.”
“This was compared with material
from South American countries who were working on programs to preserve feral horses.”
“Although the Registry has more
detailed specifications, these are the general characteristics of the American Mustangs:
1) Height: 13 to 14 ½ hands.
2) Weight: 1000 pounds or less.
3) Back: short, narrow with well-spring rigs, some have 5 or 5 ½ lumbar vertebrae, belly is trim.
4) Neck: Short but longer and lighter than the heavy type horse.
5) Eyes: Broadly set, alert.
6) Legs: Straight with strong hindquarters.
7) Tail: Usually long and flowing set medium low.
8) Disposition: Intelligent, adaptable, pleasant tempered.”
“The Spanish Mustang Registry is
now satisfied that many of the Banker ponies are descended from the horses brought to the coast during the 1500’s and 1600’s.
Their appearance is all consistent with this breed.”
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Banks Ponies |
“Experts define the Marsh Pony as
a small horse, larger that a Shetland Pony, but not what we think of as a full-sized horse. They are commonly known as banker ponies,
marsh ponies, or island horses. They have been found in many places in the world, having either deliberately or accidentally placed there.”
“The horses on the Outer Banks all seem
to have been pretty much alike in the beginning, but now direr somewhat in the various locations. They are Pintos, Bays, and Sorrels:
all a definite relationship to the Spanish horse.”
“The Banker ponies are an endangered
species. The land they dwell is also an endangered land.”
“The ponies on Carrot Island, across from
Beaufort, North Carolina have undergone traumatic changes, many deaths from starvation and parasites, and then by the state, who manages
the herd. Because of the small number of horses remaining and the use of birth control, this herd will take close monitoring by the people of
Beaufort to insure that the indiscriminate use of birth control does not destroy the herd.”
References
1) Banker Ponies an endangered species
by Jean Day
Golden Age Press
2) "Hatteras Monitor News Magazine"
June 2003, Volume 18, Number 168
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