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The Basuto (also 'Basotho', 'Basuto Pony') is a South African pony breed originating in Lesotho. The story of this breed would make a good fairytale, except that it is not a fictional legend but a very real tale.
The Mountain Kingdom:
Once upon a time in the 19th century, in the faraway colony of Basutoland, there were horses of many breeds; Cape horses, Arabians, Thoroughbreds, and Java ponies (which back then were mainly of Mongolian blood). They were brought there to create a new breed that could withstand the harsh environment of Basutoland.
And Harsh it was, for Basutoland--today known as 'Lesotho' or 'The Mountain Kingdom'--is nestled among South Africa's tallest mountains: Thabana Ntlenyana and Mafadi. Summers bring rainy thunderstorms, while winters bring freezing snow, but difficult the most is surviving on the thin air while climbing the elevated terrain.
The birth of a special pony:
Arriving at The Mountain Kingdom was a great shock for the new horses. Many lacked the balance and strength required for climbing the mountains in search of vegetation, and quickly perished. Others failed to survive on the sparse pasture that the mountains had to offer during wintertime, and shared the same grim fate.
But those who survived were crossed with each other, one generation after the other. Eventually, a new breed was born. A breed that not only survived on the mountains, but thrived on them.
That breed was the Basuto.
The legendary mountain pony
The Basuto had everything one could wish in a mountain horse. It was frugal and could thrive on very little vegetation. It was surefooted and could climb up and down the mountains with ease. It was even gaited and provided a smooth ride over long distances.
It is no wonder why the Basuto soared to fame. It roamed Basutoland and South Africa in tens of thousands, and was exported to other African countries as well as to the Indian cavalry. It even served as a loyal mount for British forces who bought around 30,000 of the best Basuto specimens during the Second Boer War.
The shadow of over-exportation began to loom over the otherwise bright future of the Basuto.
Then, disaster struck.
From rich to ruin
It happened in 1901, when many mares were imported from the Cape Colony to Basutoland as part of efforts to breed enough Basuto ponies to keep up with the demand. They could have made good stock had they not brought with them a myriad of diseases to which the Basuto was never exposed before. This resulted in many deaths among the Basuto.
Over the decade-and-a-half that followed, Thoroughbreds were crossed with some of the Basuto stock in an attempt to easily breed more Basuto ponies while also improving them even further.
Unfortunately, this only diluted the qualities that made the Basuto so unique. The crossbreds, just like the original Thoroughbreds brought to Basutoland, quickly perished in the mountains, and the few who survived proved unfit to serve as mountain ponies.
All this happened while more and more Basuto ponies were still removed from the already shrinking stock to serve as cavalry horses, including during World War I. By the 1950s, only a bit over a century since it was originally developed, the Basuto faced extinction.
The Basuto Pony Project
The first official attempt to save the Basuto took place at the Nooitgedacht Veterinary Research Station. Since the breeding stock was small, it quickly put the Basuto at risk of excessive inbreeding that would ruin its qualities. The staff had to resort to crossbreeding, and the result was the Nooitgedacht breed.
It was clear by that point that while the Basuto bloodlines will survive within the new Nooitgedacht breed, the Basuto as a breed won't be saved in Nooitgedacht Stud.
(See 'Nooitgedacht' for more info.)
The Basuto Pony Project 2.0
It seemed that all was lost when help came from a continent on the opposite side of the Globe. In 1973, following a conference, it was Ireland that decided to take the financial reins and fund a new Basuto Pony Project to save the Basuto once and for all.
This time, breeders successfully gathered enough pure Basuto ponies from nearby countries to have sufficient stock. They carefully managed the breeding program in a brand new National Stud, while also promoting the breed in South Africa.
The project was a grand success and the Basuto was saved.
The Basuto today:
The Basuto had one of the most impressive comebacks in equine history. From a breed that teetered on the brink of extinction, it is now popular in South Africa as pack pony and riding pony for those who live in the mountains or wish to travel them. It is also popular in tourism.
Conformation:
The Basuto is a very elongated-looking pony of a very light build. Its head is deep and has a straight profile and small eyes. Its neck is long and thin, its withers are prominent, the back is long, the legs are thin, and the hooves are extremely hard.
The mane is straight and either short or medium in length, and the tail, although growing long, is thin.
Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Basuto horses in Horse Isle (not bred ones). In rare cases,horses might have metrics outside of the range. Breeders can produce horses that are beyond this range.
Speed: 14.3-15.7, 15.1 (0.3), 0.06.
Sprint: 33-45, 39 (3), 0.49.
Accel: 0.74-0.94, 0.83 (0.04), 0.01.
Decel: 0.70-0.86, 0.77 (0.03), 0.01.
Jump: 4.89-5.18, 5.02 (0.06), 0.01.
Pull: 1.12-1.70, 1.41 (0.11), 0.02.
Turning: 40.62-53.55, 47.08 (2.88), 0.56.
Reverse: 2.2-2.7, 2.5 (0.1), 0.02.
Stamina: 42.88-47.33, 45.03 (1.00), 0.20.
Reaction: 0.74-0.84, 0.81 (0.02), 0.00.
Coats & Height:
Colors: bay, brown, chestnut, grey. More rarely, black.
Additionals: flaxen, minimal-mealy, sooty, dark mane & tail.
Height: 13hh to 14hh.
* Basuto ponies are 14hh in height. However, due to technical issues, the Basuto in Horse Isle has a wider height range and can be as short as 13hh.
The Mountain Kingdom:
Once upon a time in the 19th century, in the faraway colony of Basutoland, there were horses of many breeds; Cape horses, Arabians, Thoroughbreds, and Java ponies (which back then were mainly of Mongolian blood). They were brought there to create a new breed that could withstand the harsh environment of Basutoland.
And Harsh it was, for Basutoland--today known as 'Lesotho' or 'The Mountain Kingdom'--is nestled among South Africa's tallest mountains: Thabana Ntlenyana and Mafadi. Summers bring rainy thunderstorms, while winters bring freezing snow, but difficult the most is surviving on the thin air while climbing the elevated terrain.
The birth of a special pony:
Arriving at The Mountain Kingdom was a great shock for the new horses. Many lacked the balance and strength required for climbing the mountains in search of vegetation, and quickly perished. Others failed to survive on the sparse pasture that the mountains had to offer during wintertime, and shared the same grim fate.
But those who survived were crossed with each other, one generation after the other. Eventually, a new breed was born. A breed that not only survived on the mountains, but thrived on them.
That breed was the Basuto.
The legendary mountain pony
The Basuto had everything one could wish in a mountain horse. It was frugal and could thrive on very little vegetation. It was surefooted and could climb up and down the mountains with ease. It was even gaited and provided a smooth ride over long distances.
It is no wonder why the Basuto soared to fame. It roamed Basutoland and South Africa in tens of thousands, and was exported to other African countries as well as to the Indian cavalry. It even served as a loyal mount for British forces who bought around 30,000 of the best Basuto specimens during the Second Boer War.
The shadow of over-exportation began to loom over the otherwise bright future of the Basuto.
Then, disaster struck.
From rich to ruin
It happened in 1901, when many mares were imported from the Cape Colony to Basutoland as part of efforts to breed enough Basuto ponies to keep up with the demand. They could have made good stock had they not brought with them a myriad of diseases to which the Basuto was never exposed before. This resulted in many deaths among the Basuto.
Over the decade-and-a-half that followed, Thoroughbreds were crossed with some of the Basuto stock in an attempt to easily breed more Basuto ponies while also improving them even further.
Unfortunately, this only diluted the qualities that made the Basuto so unique. The crossbreds, just like the original Thoroughbreds brought to Basutoland, quickly perished in the mountains, and the few who survived proved unfit to serve as mountain ponies.
All this happened while more and more Basuto ponies were still removed from the already shrinking stock to serve as cavalry horses, including during World War I. By the 1950s, only a bit over a century since it was originally developed, the Basuto faced extinction.
The Basuto Pony Project
The first official attempt to save the Basuto took place at the Nooitgedacht Veterinary Research Station. Since the breeding stock was small, it quickly put the Basuto at risk of excessive inbreeding that would ruin its qualities. The staff had to resort to crossbreeding, and the result was the Nooitgedacht breed.
It was clear by that point that while the Basuto bloodlines will survive within the new Nooitgedacht breed, the Basuto as a breed won't be saved in Nooitgedacht Stud.
(See 'Nooitgedacht' for more info.)
The Basuto Pony Project 2.0
It seemed that all was lost when help came from a continent on the opposite side of the Globe. In 1973, following a conference, it was Ireland that decided to take the financial reins and fund a new Basuto Pony Project to save the Basuto once and for all.
This time, breeders successfully gathered enough pure Basuto ponies from nearby countries to have sufficient stock. They carefully managed the breeding program in a brand new National Stud, while also promoting the breed in South Africa.
The project was a grand success and the Basuto was saved.
The Basuto today:
The Basuto had one of the most impressive comebacks in equine history. From a breed that teetered on the brink of extinction, it is now popular in South Africa as pack pony and riding pony for those who live in the mountains or wish to travel them. It is also popular in tourism.
Conformation:
The Basuto is a very elongated-looking pony of a very light build. Its head is deep and has a straight profile and small eyes. Its neck is long and thin, its withers are prominent, the back is long, the legs are thin, and the hooves are extremely hard.
The mane is straight and either short or medium in length, and the tail, although growing long, is thin.
Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Basuto horses in Horse Isle (not bred ones). In rare cases,
Speed: 14.3-15.7, 15.1 (0.3), 0.06.
Sprint: 33-45, 39 (3), 0.49.
Accel: 0.74-0.94, 0.83 (0.04), 0.01.
Decel: 0.70-0.86, 0.77 (0.03), 0.01.
Jump: 4.89-5.18, 5.02 (0.06), 0.01.
Pull: 1.12-1.70, 1.41 (0.11), 0.02.
Turning: 40.62-53.55, 47.08 (2.88), 0.56.
Reverse: 2.2-2.7, 2.5 (0.1), 0.02.
Stamina: 42.88-47.33, 45.03 (1.00), 0.20.
Reaction: 0.74-0.84, 0.81 (0.02), 0.00.
Coats & Height:
Colors: bay, brown, chestnut, grey. More rarely, black.
Additionals: flaxen, minimal-mealy, sooty, dark mane & tail.
Height: 13hh to 14hh.
* Basuto ponies are 14hh in height. However, due to technical issues, the Basuto in Horse Isle has a wider height range and can be as short as 13hh.
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