Highland Pony
calm, powerful, level-headed
Origin
Scottish Highlands
Withers height
132–148 cm
LeisureTrail ridingDrivingWork (trekking, stalking)
Traits & strengths
- ✦carries exceptional weight for its size
- ✦extremely weatherproof — outdoor keeping through winter is the norm
- ✦very sure-footed in the hills, historically a pack pony for stalking
- ✦calm, dependable nature
Breed-typical predispositions
Insulin dysregulation / laminitis
Disease →one of the most efficient keepers of all — on fertilised pasture the laminitis risk is high; energy management is the central lever
Excess weight
Disease →the feed efficiency that makes outdoor wintering possible builds fat deposits quickly under leisure conditions
Sweet itch
Disease →described in individual lines — insect protection during the grazing season
Latest findings
Hardy breeds and insulin dysregulation
ongoingWork on easy-keeping pony breeds shows a pronounced insulin response to sugar and fructan — the laminitis risk arises via the insulin pathway, not through movement.
Source · ECEIM EMS Consensus