What is a Highland?

A familiar feature of the Highland landscape, the Highland pony was established in Scotland well before the country became inhabited by humans. Fossil remains which date back to 60,000 B.C. indicate that a smaller type of pony similar to the Highland flourished in Scotland then, but this disappeared during the last ice age. Today's Highland pony characteristics of temperament, behaviour, colour and physique are essentially Nordic in origin and can be traced back to a primitive race of plateau pony that recolonised the northern latitudes after the retreat of the ice.

Periods of cross breeding with other early types of pony have introduced new bloodlines, and changes in use through the centuries have resulted in minor changes to the breed, but in most respects the modern Highland pony shows a strong resemblance to its ancient ancestors.

The earliest documentation comes from Roman times when Caledonii tribes were described as being mounted on ponies of a "small, swift and spirited description" in battle. Carvings and archaeological findings show that these ponies were distant relatives of today's Highlands.

The ponies of these early times were general purpose animals used by all members of a family for travelling, warfare, trading and agricultural activities. Desired characteristics included strength, stockiness and an even, placid temperament - all of which were bred in by selection of suitable individuals.

In the 16th century, landowners made some local changes to the breed by introducing new blood - such as Arab stallions used on Highland mares on the islands of Barra and Mull, and Clydesdales used in various locations on the Scottish mainland. Spanish stallions which allegedly swam ashore after galleons from the Armada were sunk off the west coast of Scotland in 1588, are also thought to have exerted an influence on the breed. However, over the last 300 years the main evolutionary influence has been the changing uses that Highland ponies have fulfilled which have helped to select varying characteristics.

USES THROUGH THE AGES

Highland ponies have had a close relationship with man throughout Scottish history. From the beginnings of early agriculture, the indigenous, native pony was domesticated to enable the settlers to work the land and to travel, trade and defend themselves.

DRAUGHT WORK

As settled communities and agriculture developed, with small areas of land to be worked, farmers required a small, compact but powerful animal to cope with difficult terrain which was often steep and rocky. The Highland pony had all of those features and they became a vital component of the clan system, being used extensively for ploughing, harrowing, carting seaweed for fertilizer, peat for the fire, and harvested hay and corn back to the homesteads. They were also used for transport, particularly by the male members of the clans during the numerous conflicts in which they found themselves involved.

IN BATTLE

The Highland pony became famous for it's ability in battle in Jacobite times. During the 1745 uprising, Bonnie Prince Charlie was mounted on a Highland stallion bred on Uist. Being swift and sure-footed, the ponies were ideally suited to the ambush tactics used by the clansmen and were instrumental to the Highland victories in battles such as Bannockburn (1314), and closer to home, Glenlivet (1594).

DROVING

In contrast to the heavier type of pony bred for draught work, the cattle drovers of the 17th and 18th centuries selected lighter boned and longer striding, riding type ponies to cover comfortably the vast distances involved in driving cattle from the hills to trysts at Falkirk and Crieff, or further south into England.