Of the breeds we have covered in the podcast, this has to be one of the most endangered ones yet, in terms of population size. With 400 individuals but only 250 breeding animals, the Newfoundland Pony is at a crisis point, if they are to be saved from extinction. They came to Newfoundland over the last four centuries and numbered 9,000 in the 1930's, but the exports to France for horse meat in the 1970's and the rise of the machine age took the numbers down to the very, very low spot they are in today.
It's more horse than pony, just of a smaller size. These horses are as much a representation of the melting pot concept as the average American or Canadian. They are smart, often change colors with the seasons, can withstand harsh summers and winters, can be used as sturdy little draft animals, and you can get back on them in the middle of a field without a stepping block.
And how many other horses can you think of offhand that became known for hauling seaweed down the beach (while no doubt watching the icebergs moving down the Atlantic coast as a backdrop while they did it)?