European wild horse

04november2009
Bron: natuurbericht.nl, foto Hans Hovens (Faunaconsult)
There are clear indications that the Exmoor pony is a direct descendant of the original wild horse of Europe. This pony lived during the Pleistocene era in North-West Europe. It was long assumed that the Przewalski horse is the only live descendant of the wild horse.
The name of the Exmoor pony comes from the South English Exmoor, where the ponies have been living in the wild for years. There is a physical resemblance between the Exmoor pony, the Przewalski horse and pictures of wild horses found in Southern French and Spanish caves, made between 19,000 and 39,000 years ago.
The horses have black lower legs, a sturdy lower jaw, a light belly, a dark stripe on the back, a ‘mealy’ snout (a flour-coloured spot around the nostrils) and a heavy winter coat. In contrast with other wild horses such as the Przewalski horse and the zebra, the Exmoor pony has hanging manes. But also this appears to occur in the Late Pleistocene. In an extensive DNA study the mitochondrial DNA of over 700 contemporary and Pleistocene horses was compared. Mitochondrial DNA is passed on directly from mother to child. It changes very slowly (through mutation only) and is therefore very suitable for descent research. It appeared that the Przewalski horse and the Exmoor pony probably descended from the same wild horse.

Previous research into blood proteins had also indicated that the Exmoor pony is not mixed with Arabic horses. The ancestors of the Exmoor pony also walked around in The Netherlands. The Dutch Samenwerkingsverband Exmoorpony wants the Exmoor pony to be used more often as a big grazer in The Netherlands. This wild European pony (perhaps a better name than Exmoor pony) then stands a bigger chance at surviving.