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The Australian Saddle Pony is an active pony often showing some of the characteristics that were the foundation of the Australian Pony. It will have good conformation, being free moving, graceful, producing length of stride and always a pleasure to ride. The pony must be sound and, above all, versatile. It is not necessarily a show pony but would be equally adaptable as a station, harness, endurance pr all round sporting pony. Registered Australian Saddle Ponies may vary in height between 11 hands and 14.2 hands, the colouring ranging from black, grey, brown through to palomino, buckskin, palouse, and pinto colourations with no bias towards any particular colour.
Standard Of Excellence
HEAD: should be refined, quality, short in length, displaying intelligence and character with alert, active, well proportioned ears placed close together over a broad forehead. Eyes should be large, dark, round and well-filled, displaying kindness and intelligence. Fine tapered muzzle with large, open, thin-walled nostrils. Teeth should mesh firmly together. Head should be set onto well-defined gullet and have a long arch of throat where head is attached to the spinal column.
NECK: Should be long, sweeping upwards in a graceful curvegiving elegant appearance, lightly muscled and slightly crested in stallions. Neck should flow cleanly into shoulders and withers with no signs of coarseness of thickness, especially in the trachea area.
SHOULDERS: Should be long and sloping (45 to 47 deg.) back into well defined and clearly visible withers which are placed well back giving the back a short appearance. Shoulders should move freely and be free from heaviness and coarseness.
BACK: Should be short and well muscled and the loins short and strongly coupled. Ribs should be well sprung and girth deep, giving generous heart and lung room.
HNDQUARTERS: Should be rounded with proportionate length of croup, good length from point of hip to point of buttock. Quarters must be well muscled and gently sloping, conveying features of power and strength without coarseness.
TAIL: Should be well set on and gaily carried. Hair should be fine and soft.
LEGS: Straight alignment of bones and joints. Knee, hock and fetlock joints must be well defined and free of fluid. Elbows set free from the body. Gaskin and forearm well muscled. Forearm should be long and cannon short (2/3 forearm to 1/3 cannon). Cannon bones should be flat boned and tendons well defined. Pasterns of moderate slope (45 to 47 deg. Front and 50 to 52 deg. Hind).
HOOF: Should be strong, neat, well shaped and sound.
ACTION: Should be smooth, light and graceful, showing free flexion of joints, free movement of shoulders and elbows and stifles moving well forward to produce long flowing stride should be straight and true and without limb deviation.
GENERAL: Pony should be well balanced and symmetrical, showing refinement of quality and elegant in appearance. Light and graceful in movement producing great length of stride giving overall appearance at all times of being a beautiful saddle pony and a great pleasure to ride.
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Australian Saddle Pony Association PO Box 150 PEAK HILL, NSW 2869 Ph: 02 6869 1627 Fax: 02 6869 1997 info@australiansaddlepony.com.au
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