Eriskay Pony Society

The Eriskay Pony Society is delighted to announce that they have recently joined horsescotland as a full member, becoming the first breed society to do so.

Horsescotland is the national organisation for all equestrian sports and activity in Scotland and has the vision of empowering Scotland to be a leading, inclusive nation for horse sports and activities.  Its key outcomes for Scottish equestrianism are to increase the overall levels of participation and equestrian activity in Scotland, enable Scottish riders and equines to excel on the world stage and to support horsescotland member bodies to flourish by working collaboratively.

horsescotland is a partner of sportscotland (the national sports agency) and seeks to enable equestrian sport and the equestrian sector in Scotland to develop and excel through the highest levels of participation in the sport and the highest levels of growth for the country’s equestrian industry.​  horsescotland’s mission is clearly focused upon connecting the Scottish equestrian community, and collaborating with partner organisations and government, to enable people, horses and places to prosper.

Steve McMinn, Chair of the Eriskay Pony Society said ‘’We are delighted to have joined horsescotland and look forward to working with them to increase awareness and appreciation of the Eriskay pony with other equine enthusiasts.  Whilst we have the support of many, including the Scottish Government, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, and BHS Scotland, there are still some who refuse to recognise the Eriskay as a breed and allow it to compete in Native Mountain and Moorland classes, so the additional support from horsescotland is very welcome. horsescotland’s vision of increasing participation in equine activity fits well with our mission to get the Eriskay pony out there and better known, showcasing what an excellent working pony it can be in many disciplines such as dressage, driving, Trec or just hacking out.’’

Earlier this year, British Breeding announced a great opportunity to recognise and celebrate the special contribution of British native breeds to the equestrian community by offering a specially tailored Futurity programme designed to evaluate the diverse community of native breeds for their potential as riding horse and ponies for leisure owners and amateurs. Importantly, the British Breeding definition of native was those registered in a DEFRA approved studbook which meant that Eriskays could enter this 2025 pilot.

The aim of the programme was to highlight the ridden attributes and contribution native breeds make to British equestrianism across a wide range of purposes and the entries were to be graded by using a linear scoring system which would create a detailed profile of conformation and movement. The evaluation and interpretation of these attributes would differ from sports horses and ponies because of the native’s unique characteristics, own phenotypes and movement patterns. 

The programme offered a range of venues that ponies could be taken to but also a virtual evaluation which required several lengthy videos to be submitted following very stringent and clear guidelines.

The Futurity was an evaluation, rather than a sport horse show class, therefore the pony was to be marked using a set of criteria appropriate for that pony’s age and intended discipline.  At the evaluation the pony was considered for longer than at a show and the feedback the owner would receive would be more thorough.

Because this was to be an evaluation for performance potential, owners were cautioned against presenting ponies in “show” condition as this may have meant that they were carrying too much weight, especially for their age.  Ponies carrying excess weight cannot move as well as those with the correct condition score, and can have related problems in later life, so owners were asked to make sure their pony was the appropriate weight when presented for evaluation.

Eriskay Pony Society members took up the challenge and Gillian Clark took her yearling filly, Kerchesters Pebble, to the Futurity event on Teesside where she was awarded silver (& scored very close to gold).  Gillian said ‘’Pebble was immaculately behaved for the vet checks, walk & trot…. then came canter, Pebble thought it would be more fun to hop the pole markers and go see the judges!  However, we did manage canter, although a little off piste. She was amazingly well behaved considering all the hanging around and travelling’’. 

Help improve welfare in foals and be part of protecting their future. Are you a stud owner or manager? Your experience matters! The University of Liverpool is conducting an online survey to explore current husbandry, management and deworming practices on a range of UK stud enterprises to better understand the control and management of ascarid infection in foals and young horses.

Ascarids are among the most common parasites of horses worldwide. These large roundworms primarily infect foals and weanlings, and can lead to poor growth rates, respiratory signs and in rare cases, colic and obstruction of the gut.

In the face of a global rise in resistance to horse deworming products it is now more urgent than ever that we understand what is happening here in the UK. Our survey will help us gain an insight into current management and control strategies and will be used to help make recommendations for the future control of ascarid populations.

Who can take part? Anyone who owns or manages an equine breeding stud for commercial purposes with at least 2 brood mares. Completely anonymous – share your experiences with confidence.

Take the survey by clicking the link in the comments below of for more information about taking part with no obligation please contact Nichola Steel nicsteel@liverpool.ac.uk

https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/liverpool/foal-health-under-the-microscope-surveying-the-control-and-ma-3

In 2022 the Eriskay Pony Society (EPS) set up a project with the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF) at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) to investigate the genomics of the Eriskay Pony population.  This was funded by a generous grant from the Horserace Betting Levy Board along with a contribution from the Society’s own funds.

The project goal was to understand the genetic makeup of the Eriskay pony and establish its relationship, or otherwise, to other native pony breeds.  NTU were also asked to evaluate the current pedigree-based breeding programme (SPARKS) to see whether it was fit for purpose or whether future breeding advice should be based on genomics.

NTU were provided with a set of 103 hair samples from Eriskay Ponies distributed throughout the UK, around 25% of the population, which they used to extract DNA following user-developed guidelines for purifying total DNA from nails, hair, or feathers.   Data from these samples was then gathered using a microarray chip used for genotyping designed to detect and analyse genetic variations across the horse genome.  These variations can be used to gain knowledge about physical traits, diseases, and genetic diversity within horse populations, and which are useful for researchers and breeding organisations alike.

NTU used the data to analyse breed genetic diversity, incorporating data from 31 other equine breeds, and this revealed that the Eriskay Pony is a genetically unique breed with no relationships with any of the other horse and pony breeds it was screened against.

In particular, mitochondrial DNA studies and haplotype determination indicated that the Highland and Eriskay ponies do not share haplotype, and that the Highland Pony does not exhibit the rare da_4E Y chromosome haplotype of the Eriskay Pony.  This evidence points to the fact that the Eriskay and the Highland are genetically different breeds.

The study showed the good correlation between pedigree and genomic metrics providing reassurance that the current breed advisory system is valid and there are signs that using SPARKS is having a positive effect on managing inbreeding and improving the Effective Population Size (Ne).

The study also identified 9 female mtDNA haplotypes, of which 3 are most prevalent, and EPS has been advised to identify the haplotypes of the current female breeding population and ensure that animals representing the less frequent haplotypes are bred from so that their genetics are not lost to the population.

The results of this study will now be used by the Society’s Breed Conservation Committee to form an updated breeding programme and to work on identifying the most appropriate ponies to encourage breeders to use in 2025.

Steve McMinn, Chair of the Eriskay Pony Society said ‘’We are very grateful to HBLB for its support in funding this project, to Dr Robert Reisel, Dr Andy Dell and Daniela Eberl of MTIF at NTU for the investigation and analysis, and to all the owners who submitted hair samples from their ponies which allowed such a significant part of the population to be included.  This study has given us a huge amount of information on which to base our future plans as well as providing us with the genomic data we can use to monitor the effects of our breed advisory scheme’’

NOTE: This work has not been published in a peer-reviewed publication yet but it is currently under review following scientific good publication practice guidelines.

This book, by EPS member Naomi Marie Smith, tells the story of the Eriskay pony — one of Scotland’s most treasured yet endangered native breeds. Through this tale, young readers will embark on a journey to learn about the Eriskay pony’s rich heritage, the challenges it faces, and the incredible efforts of a dedicated organisation working to protect and preserve this remarkable breed for future generations.

Naomi says ”This story is close to my heart, as it not only introduces children to the beauty of Scotland’s natural world but also raises awareness about the importance of conservation and community action”. 

Copies can be ordered through Naomi at the moment (email naomimarie.smith@outlook.com) and soon will be available to purchase through independent bookstores i.e. Waterstones, WHSmith, Amazon etc.  Each book is £7, with 50p from each book being donated to EPS