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How DID the American Draft Pony Association Start?Do You Remember? That old pony your grandfather told you about? The one that the kids used to drive to that little one room schoolhouse down the road. The pony so well broke, that once the kids got to school, they would turn it around smack it on the rump, and it would make its way home. And when time came to pick up those same children, someone from home would harness that pony up, smack it on the rump, and send it on its return trip.
Or what about the pony your dad had as a child, that the family used to cultivate the garden? The one that made the perfect baby-sitter? The little mare you had as a child, that you bred to your father's old draft horse, just so you could have a colt of your own to play with? Draft ponies have been around for as many years as people have had those little cross bred ponies. They bred them to the neighbor's horse or bought them from a sale. There were no idle animals when it came to farming, they always had to help pull their own share of the load. So it was no wonder that eventually someone would begin to see their potential as a true breed, instead of just a byproduct of an age gone by.  This
association was established to promote and maintain the Draft Pony in Iowa.
The Iowa Draft Pony Hitch association was founded by a group of pony enthusiasts
who wanted to ensure that the Draft Pony would be a permanent fixture in the
state. The Association has established shows, meetings, and fun drives
through the year to conduct business matters of the organization, and to exhibit
the Draft Pony breeds to the public. Every year, members from the
organization travel many miles for shows all around the state. The true
highlight of the club is the Association show at the Iowa State Fair, where for
three days, the best Draft Ponies from across the state compete for the top
honors.
So What Are Draft Ponies? The
American Draft Pony Association defines a draft pony is essentially a miniature of one of the established draft breeds (Belgian, Percheron, Clydesdale, Shire, Suffolk, American Cream, or Spotted Draft.) They must show the conformation character of a draft horse. In form, the ideal Draft Pony must be broad, deep, heavily and smoothly muscled, neatly balanced, sound, have ample style and quality,
all combined with good action. A quiet disposition, sound wind, and good eyes are utility points worthy of much emphasis.
A draft pony is more useful and attractive, and handles himself more easily when he has more moderate length in his legs than when the legs are very short. The entire rear quarters must be suggestive of power. A broad and long croup that is carried fairly level from the hips to the setting of the tail is preferred. The thighs must be heavily muscled. The gaskins likewise should indicate strength. Draft ponies with deep and well-sprung ribs usually have a good useful middle, a drafty top and a neatly carried bottom line. Deep, muscular shoulders that are neatly laid throughout and have adequate slope, are usually associated with a free and determined stride. While body length in a draft pony is desirable, it is noticeable in the good drafters that nicely sloping shoulders and a long, fairly level croup tend to be associated with a strong back and a moderately long and neatly carried underline. A full, deep chest when combined with smoothly laid and nicely sloping shoulders insures a desirable placing of the forelegs. But a long and reasonably level croup makes it possible for the rear legs to be set back where they belong. A draft pony with a neck at least medium in length, handles much more easily than one with a short, thick neck. The neck should fit smoothly into the shoulder, be neat and lean at the throttle and taper gracefully toward the head. Well-bred, active, high quality ponies which carry their head and neck moderately high are, as a rule, sure-footed and travel with a good stride.  The pony's head should be in proportion to the size of the body and show distinctly the features that indicate quality, vigor, character, good breeding and intelligence. They should have large, prominent and clear eyes, which insure good vision. Their ears should be of medium length with fine texture, well placed up towards the poll, gracefully carried, and suggest alertness. A wide full forehead is suggestive of intelligence. The jaws should be wide at the angles underneath and show at least moderate depth. A broad nose and muzzle characterize a good feeder and large, though not greatly distended, nostrils are essential for easy breathing. A straight profile adds to the lean, clean-cut appearance of the head.
The feet and legs of the draft pony influence in part, the action, and ability to wear. The size of the bones and feet should be adequate for the weight they support. The feet and legs should be shapely so they will wear well. The joints must be large enough to indicate strength and be lean, clean-cut, well-defined and free from meatiness. Both knees and hocks should be well supported below, with a flat cannon bone, which indicates that the tendon is set well back from the cannon. The pasterns must have at least moderate length and slope, be clean cut and free from unnecessary fullness. Feet that wear well and stay sound the longest, are invariably large, not only on the ground surface but also at the hoof head. The heels are wide, fairly high and the sole concave. The bars in a good foot must be well-defined to prevent contraction of the heel. The hoof should be dense and show good wearing qualities. The frog should also show fullness. If the feet are well balanced and the legs straight and properly balanced, the pony usually moves straight. Draft Ponies that are selected for show purpose do not differ from the best quality commercial drafters. Indeed, the very object of the show ring is to develop a common understanding of the merits that specifically concern the usefulness for which the different types of equine are produced. Every show prospect, however, should be carefully examined for action, as this receives a great deal of attention in the show ring. The action of a draft pony must be energetic, elastic, balanced and well coordinated. A long stride, when it is natural for a pony, contributes an element of boldness or determination to the gait, which suggests a natural willingness. The hocks should be kept together and under control at both the walk and trot. The movement of all feet and legs should always be under control and properly coordinated with a straight and smooth forward movement of the body. The general appearance of the Draft Pony must be representative in every detail of the maximum efficiency of those characteristics which experience has designated as desirable in commercial service, and it is upon these characteristics that the judge places his greatest emphasis in making the awards. For more information about the draft pony visit the American Draft Pony Association at www.americandraftpony.org.
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