Just a Pony?

Say the word Pony and what comes to mind?  Cheeky adorableness  loved by children.  The Newfoundland Pony is all that but it is also a Heritage Breed.  And quite uniquely, it is the only indigenous North American pony breed that has not had its genetics purposely altered or “improved.”  

Many of the pony's ancestral breeds have been intentionally changed over time to meet specific purpose(s), becoming different from what they were  years ago. One of their ancestors, the Galloway, a breed with a desirable way of moving, was used extensively to improve other breeds. However efforts weren't made to keep that breed going and it is now extinct. 
 
This history makes the Newfoundland Pony, having not been purposely altered/improved, essentially a walking time capsule of old genetics. 

Honed by nature to survive, the pony's healthy, diverse, and adaptable genetics also give it a better chance of facing biologic and environmental challenges successfully. Noting the severe changes in weather of late, and outbreaks of stronger and more deadly pathogens  in our world today, preserving healthy genetics that can adapt and survive is so important. 

This importance of promoting and preserving health and genetic diversity applies to other breeds, species of animals, and plants, many of which make up our food supply and we depend on to survive.

Just a pony?  Hardly.  The story of the pony is one that we as people need to listen to and heed it's warning. Think about that for a minute. If we are not careful, it may be us who end up on the endangered list.