A Rare Breed Taking Over the Equine Demos!

In today’s demo highlight the members may be smaller, but don’t let their size fool you. These ponies can do just about everything! Meet the Gotland Pony! The Gotland is a delightful medium pony breed beloved for its exceptional, mellow disposition and kind manner. They are talented jumpers, trotting racers, all-around athletes, and perfect family ponies.  Gotland ponies are from the island of Gotland off the coast of Sweden. For centuries, they’ve been the national pony of Sweden, used as kids riding, driving, and trotting racing ponies. 

The Gotland is of a light-horse type, though very sturdy, with a nice sloping shoulder, compact body, primitive head and large eyes, straight legs, and wonderful hooves. Their size, between 12 and 13.1 hands and very sturdy, makes them perfect to carry a variety of riders, and for trainers to be able to step in when needed. They are not at all flighty, and don’t have many typical horse bad habits like biting or kicking. Very intelligent ponies, they are easily trained and respond well to gentle and kind handling. They are bold and adventurous, and not afraid of much of anything. They love water, trails, and partnering with their human for a fun adventure. That’s why this group calls them “The Best Pony on the Planet.”

 In 1957, a breeding herd was imported to the US, and thrived for a number of years. The ponies excelled at everything they did, and one of the major breeders in the 80s created a therapeutic riding program with them, one of the first in the country. The ponies’ kind and unflappable disposition made them naturals for this work. Unfortunately, the ponies were later victims of human circumstances which left their population decimated. In 1989, the last remaining breeding herd traveled to Kentucky to begin a resurgence of the breed at Kokovoko Breeding Farm. 

The Swedish Gotland Breeders’ Society (SGBS) was established in Kentucky 1990 in an effort to publicize this wonderful breed, of which there were only eight at the time in the United States. Efforts were made to find ponies “lost” to the registry, and to re-establish the registry itself. A breeding program was begun, originally with just two remaining stallions. Eventually two more importations were made, and numbers climbed to about 200. The central herd remained at Kokovoko Breeding Farm, where ponies were also trained for riding and combined driving and traveled to promotions nationally to increase awareness of the breed. 

In 2020, SGBS was contacted by some breeders in Sweden and informed that they had genetics here in the US that had been lost to Sweden.  They were offered a stallion of the older lines in exchange for colts carrying the mare genetics from Kentucky! Kokovoko Farm is excited to show off all their ponies and what they can do. Catch them daily in the Covered Arena or stop by their stalls to learn more about the breed!