Breed Registries | History & Origin |Area of Breeding
Population & Evolution | Breed Standards | Registry

Pottock Pony History & Origin

The pottok (Basque: pottoka, "little horse"), is a pony native to the Pyrenees of the Basque Country in France and Spain. The pottok's origins may lie as far back as 10,000 years ago. Ancient cave paintings in the area show pottok-like horses. They are thought to descend from the Magdalenian horses of 14,000 - 7,000 BC.

There are now only a few hundred left and all have owners, rather than freely wandering through the mountains. The pottok has a black or bay brown coat, about 1.25m tall to its withers, with a large head, small ears, short neck, long back and shaggy mane. It has small but sturdy hooves for mountain walking.

Their adaptation to mountain life and dark colour made them ideal for use by smugglers. They were also used in mining work across France in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Pottock Pony Area of Breeding

The home of the Pottoks is based in the Pays-Basque Region. It is situated in the west of France and in the north of Spain. There is not much known about the Basque origin. Their language is not directly related with any other European language. Up until recently, the Basque has kept their own language and culture. In this continent a Pony breed could survive, which origin is also lying in the dark.

In the France and the Spain Region Pays-Basque were found prehistoric cave paintings which show these animals. Today most of the Pottoks are still living free in the bask mountains. They live in the wilderness. The mountains make them tough and hardly. It helped them to survive in the early days and to continue to survive today under hard conditions. The great variety of use of this horse breed is a reverence of the adaptation ability.

Pottock Pony Population & Evolution

Pottok numbers have been severely reduced by habitat loss and crossbreeding. In the 20th century, piebald pottoks were bred, particularly for circus use. Stockier ponies for agricultural work were bred by cross-breeding with draught horses, also often with a large variety of coat colors. They have also been bred with Iberian horses following guidelines of pony clubs.

This cross-breeding has left perhaps no more than 150 pure-bred mares in the French Basque Country. A reserve in Bidarray, Basse-Navarre has been started to protect the pony and its environment. There is much debate about how to increase numbers - whether to focus only on the pure-bred pottoks or to employ selective inter-breeding to build greater numbers of pottok-like ponies.

Pottock Pony Breed Standards

Pottok Group A

Pottok Group B
For breeding a Pottok with an athletic build, it is allowed to cross breed with a stallion of another horse breed. The stallions have to be recognized for Pottok breeding by the French "Association Nationale du Pottok". The B-Pottok has to own at least 50% purebred Pottok.  

Pottock Pony Registry Guidlines

Breeding with a stallion Pottok group A and a Pottok mare group A will be a foal Pottok group A.
Breeding with a stallion Pottok group A and a Pottok mare group B will be a foal Pottok group B.
Breeding with a stallion Pottok group B and a Pottok mare group A will be a foal Pottok group B.
Breeding with a stallion Pottok group B and a Pottok mare group B will be a foal Pottok group B.
Breeding with a recognized stallion of an other breed and a Pottok mare group A will be a foal Pottok group B.
Breeding with a recognized stallion of an other breed and Pottok mare group B will be a Pony foal.