Pony Riding

About Hmong Horses

The Hmong Horses seem to breed true to type and have very little outside influences due to the isolation of mountain areas in Vietnam and Northern Laos. It is possible that this group of horses represents the world’s largest repository of naturally kept domestic horses as they have never known modern veterinary vaccination practices.

Very little is known of the exact origins of these horses except that they were likely derived from the smaller Mongolian ponies or other Asian ponies. As research continues on these small horses, we may better understand from whence they came and the impact they have had on the Hmong culture.

However they have been relatively untouched due to their physical isolation so their lineage tends to be pure.

Characteristics

The Hmong Horses are believed to have originated from horses of Mongolian, Sichuan or Timorean descent with a later inclusion of Arab blood from the late nineteenth century French colonization of the region. They are diminutive in size and in average standing between 1,0m and 1,2m high. They have a broad forehead, intelligent eyes with a slightly dished face. Their manes are thick and are kept cropped making them stand up to form a crest. Their temperament is good-natured and malleable and they are especially sure-footed in the mountains.

Although the Hmong Horses are small, they have no problem bearing the weight of a full-grown Hmong man.