a 501(c)(3)
Breed Standards & Sections
New Forest Ponies registered with the NFPSNA must meet standards as per the New Forest Pony Breeding & Cattle Society (NFPB & CS) of England
New Forest Ponies originated in England and have been grazing in the New Forest since rights of common pasture were granted to the areas inhabitants in the 11th Century. (People running their New Forest Ponies on the Forest are, to this day, referred to as “Commoners”.) In 1079, William the Conqueror designated the New Forest as a royal hunting ground. There is a select group of knowledgeable people known as Agisters, who are responsible for the oversight and health of the Forest and the animals living inside its boundaries.
The level and quality of New Forest Ponies was declining over the years, so much so that in 2014, the New Forest Pony breed hit the watchlist of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, with less than 3,000 breeding females in the Forest. This decline in population was also leading to a lack of diversity in the gene pool, and so a breeding scheme was created in England to bring back diversity as well as improve the quality.
The New Forest Pony is an exceptional breed, one that excels in multiple disciplines - from dressage to driving, endurance to eventing, hunters to hacking - making it the perfect all around equine for show or pleasure.
New Forests are noted for their more horse-like movement, friendly, easy-to-train temperaments and a great sense of humor. Suitable for children and adults alike, the New Forest is a hardy breed that can bring decades of happiness to entire families.
The NFPSNA registers purebred and part-bred New Forest Ponies for the United States and Canada, with annual entries into the studbook as Purebred, Part-Bred, and Section-X. New Forest Ponies registered with the NFPSNA must meet standards as per the New Forest Pony Breeding & Cattle Society (NFPB & CS) of England. The NFPSNA is the only studbook in North America granted daughter studbook status with England.
To download, please click on the image.
Breed Standards
The following are the standards to which purebred ponies must adhere for entry into the NFPSNA studbook as a purebred New Forest Pony:
Color
-
Purebred New Forest Ponies may be any color except piebald, skewbald, spotted or blue-eyed cream.
-
Single dilute chestnut stallions (commonly referred to as palomino or very light chestnut in color)
with dark eyes are eligible as licensed stallions. -
Double dilute chestnut stallions (commonly referred to as cream or perlino in color) are not
eligible as licensed stallions, nor are they eligible for full registration into the main section of the
studbook.. -
Completely blue eyes are not permitted.
-
Partially blue eyes/eyes with missing pigment/heterochromia, where the non-dark portion does not exceed one-half of a single eye, are eligible to be registered as mares and geldings, but not licensed stallions.
-
White markings other than on the head and lower limbs, loss of, or absence of, pigment in hair or skin that is not known to have been associated solely with skin trauma is not acceptable.
-
For the purposes of entry into the purebred section of the studbook, a pony shall not have any white markings behind the head, above a horizontal line level with the bony protuberance of the accessory carpal bone at the back of the knee in the forelimb, and the point of the hock in the hind limb, unless proven to be due to trauma/injury.
Height
-
The pony must not exceed the maximum height for the breed of 148 cms or 14.2 1/8 hands at the withers.
Type
-
New Forest Ponies should be of working type with substance.
-
They should have sloping shoulders, strong quarters, plenty of flat bone, good depth of body, straight limbs and good hard round feet.
-
The ponies are quite capable of carrying adults, while narrow enough for small children.
Action
-
This should be free, active and straight, but not exaggerated.
Temperament
-
The New Forest Pony has an ideal temperament and should be very easy to train.
Note
-
Purebred ponies that do not adhere to the Breed Standards may be registered in the X Section of the studbook.
-
Offspring of Section X ponies crossed with purebred ponies will continue to be registered in Section X.
-
While these ponies may compete in certain show programs, they are not permitted to compete as purebred ponies in Registered Purebred New Forest Pony classes
Sections of the Studbook
The NFPSNA registers purebred and part-bred New Forest Ponies for the United States and Canada, with annual entries into the studbook as Purebred, Part-Bred, and Section-X.​
Purebred
-
Both sire and dam of the pony requested to be registered must be registered purebred New Forest Ponies documenting parentage for at least three (3) generations with a studbook recognized by the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society of England.
-
DNA of both the sire and dam of the applicant must be on file with the University of Kentucky Equine Parentage Testing & Research Lab for the purposes of parentage verification.
-
The sire of the pony requested to be registered must have been licensed by a studbook recognized by the NFPB&CS of England at the time of conception.
-
No foal can be entered unless the sire has been entered and licensed in a recognized and authorized daughter stud book of the NFPB&CS of England with DNA on file with the University of Kentucky, USA.
​
Part-bred
-
Encompassing both first-cross and second-cross ponies.
-
One parent or grandparent of the pony requested to be registered must be registered as a purebred New Forest Pony documenting parentage for at least three (3) generations with a studbook recognized by the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society of England.
-
DNA of the New Forest parent or grandparent of the applicant must be on file with the University of Kentucky Equine Parentage Testing & Research Lab for the purposes of parentage/grand-parentage verification.
-
Part-bred stallions are not licensed by the New Forest Pony Society of North America, but the offspring of first-cross (one parent being purebred) New Forest Ponies may enter the studbook as part-bred New Forest Ponies.
​
Section X
-
Purebred ponies that do not adhere to the Breed Standards may be registered in the X Section of the studbook.
-
This includes things such as ponies over 148cms or of incorrect coloring and/or markings.
-
Ponies initially registered as purebred, but later determined to not meet breed standards (i.e. over height), will be moved to Section X.
-
Offspring of Section X ponies crossed with purebred ponies will continue to be registered in Section X.
-
While these ponies may compete in NFPSNA’s show programs, they are not permitted to compete as purebred ponies in Registered Purebred New Forest Pony classes
Stallion Licensing
The NFPSNA, as a recognized daughter studbook of England, processes registrations of New Forest Ponies (purebred and part-bred) and grants licenses to qualified purebred stallions. Registry requirements, and, more specifically, stallion licensing requirements, vary greatly between all breeds of horses and ponies. The NFPSNA stallion licensing requirements have been devised in accordance with the mother studbook (New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society of England).
There are two types of licenses granted to purebred New Forest Pony stallions by the NFPSNA: Provisional and Permanent.
Provisional Licenses are issued when a purebred stallion is between two and five years of age, after the completion and submission of an official NFPSNA Veterinary Inspection Form.
-
This form is completed based on a physical exam which includes identification, height and bone measurements, and conformation evaluation according to breed standards.
-
If not already completed, a DNA test for parentage and myotonia (must be a non-carrier) is required and must be on file with the University of Kentucky Equine Parentage Testing & Research Lab.
-
A Provisional License expires once the stallion reaches five years old.
Permanent Licenses are issued when a purebred stallion is no younger than five years old, after the completion and submission of an official NFPSNA Veterinary Inspection Form (where final height and bone measurements are recorded).
-
148 centimeters (14.2-1/8 hands) is the maximum height; there is no minimum height.
-
A DNA test for parentage and myotonia (must be a non-carrier) must be on file with the University of Kentucky Equine Parentage Testing & Research Lab.
-
The NFPSNA honors stallion licenses granted by other studbooks recognized by the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society of England.
-
The original VC (Vet Certificate) number must be provided for verification and a DNA test must be is on file at the University of Kentucky Equine Parentage Testing & Research Lab.
The NFPSNA does not require performance testing for stallions, nor does the mother studbook in England. Historically, England has had a semi-feral herd, as well as stud-bred stallions. The semi-feral ponies would be at a disadvantage during performance tests, so these tests remain voluntary. In North America, the sheer vastness of our geography restricts the practical implementation of mandatory performance testing, but the development of a voluntary testing system will be a consideration in the future.
Registration Note:
No purebred foal can be registered unless the sire is registered and licensed (the NFPSNA also requires the dam to have a DNA test on file with the University of Kentucky Equine Parentage Testing & Research Lab).
Stud stallion owners must make a return of all mares serviced by December 31st of the breeding year.
No purebred foal may be entered into the studbook until this return or a covering certificate is received.
Part-bred Note:
Part-breds are defined as having one parent or grandparent that is registered as a purebred New Forest Pony, documenting parentage for at least three generations with a studbook recognized by the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society of England. DNA testing is mandatory for all new part-bred registrations.
A DNA test of the New Forest parent or grandparent must be on file with the University of Kentucky Equine Parentage Testing & Research Lab. Part-bred ponies over one year of age will be eligible for new registration as long as the DNA of the New Forest parent or grandparent is on file with the University of Kentucky Equine Parentage Testing & Research lab.
Part-breds may not be licensed as stallions with the NFPSNA.
![NFPSNA-circle_04[2].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1a31d3_75ce3136e6bb4b76af488b81c35bcc25~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_97,h_99,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/NFPSNA-circle_04%5B2%5D.jpg)