Help Save the Newfoundland Pony from Extinction!

​​ Project Hoof Prints

Project Hoof Prints is a new page on our website dedicated to the Newfoundland Pony.  Sadly, the breed is facing extinction. It is now listed as critically endangered.  By sharing our presentation called "Rory's Journey", we hope to help draw attention to the plight of the Newfoundland Pony.  First a little history . . .

The Newfoundland Pony is a breed originating in Newfoundland, Canada.  The breed developed from a mix of English, Irish, and Scottish ponies brought to Newfoundland by settlers over a period of four centuries.  They were used as draft and multi-purpose ponies until the mid-20th century at which point their numbers started to decline dramatically.  Mechanization played a big part in this.  Also, stricter regulations with the enactment of anti-roaming laws meant that the ponies could no longer roam freely and forage for themselves.  Unable to afford to feed their animals year round, owners were forced to sell their ponies, sadly many of them ending up on meat trucks bound for slaughter.  Once numbering in the thousands, by 1980 the Newfoundland Pony had plummeted in population to only a few hundred remaining today.

​In an effort to save this breed of pony from extinction, some dedicated groups and individuals have worked tirelessly to increase their numbers and to ensure that every foal born today is given the chance to survive.  The following story best describes the lengths taken to save the Newfoundland Pony . . . one foal at a time. 

Rory was born in February 2021.  His start in life began on shaky ground largely due

to the background history of his mother​ before she was rescued.  But Rory survived

thanks to the tremendous amount of time, work and effort put in by so many.

This is Rory's Journey . . .

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