All registered breeds of animals are biologically far less valuable than those that are not. This is because registered breeds have been bred and controlled by humans. Dartmoor Hill Ponies are not a recognised pony breed, which means their genetics are incredibly valuable because humans have not interfered with them.
Apart from being wonderful companions and workers for humans, Dartmoor Hill Ponies have a genetic code that gives them a double-layered winter coat, complete with a moustache, a metabolism that helps them build lifesaving fat reserves on sparse grazing through the winter.
And these precious genetics are all the more precious for what we still do not know about Dartmoor Hill Ponies, and how they have survived and thrived for so long and with so little interference from humans.
