Yonaguni: Japanese Rare Breed of Pony

The Yonaguni is a rare breed of Pony which originated from Japan; there are not many of their species still found and around nowadays although there has been a lot of effort in preserving the population. It is not a common find although it has been known for its gentle personality. They are generally smaller than the average horse although they have been known to have incredible strength which is why they are used for many work purposes.

The Yonaguni is known for their extremely small size, and stands at around 11 hands or in other words 44 inches. They have a long back, and also lovely straight shoulders with a beautiful coat of chestnut brown. They are rather adorable, and have a big head with a compact neck. While they are rather small, they are a sturdy species of pony, and have been known to have marvelous strength compared to the size proportion.

There are not many Yonaguni ponies around anymore, and the Japanese work hard to preserve this species and keep it going. There are only about 108 free-ranging ponies, and 75 ponies that are living on ranches in Japan. The Yonaguni lost popularity and had their population decreased hugely during World War II; however, nowadays, they are treasured, and there are many attempts to keep their species alive and well. The wild ponies that roam free on the island are annually given a routine checkup, have pests on them removed, and also given vaccines to prevent diseases that they may have and pick up. All of this is to preserve the species of this precious pony, and hopefully have their population numbers rise up once again.

The Yonaguni is not generally kept as a pet although they are strong and gentle in nature. They are, however, used as a way of transportation and as a plow horse because of their marvelous strength. For many years, the Japanese farmers used the Yonaguni as a work animal in a variety of tasks. There is a special bridle which uses only one rein which has been invented particularly for this species of pony.

The Yonaguni does not have a very evident and strong past; however, we do know that it was introduced to the southern islands of Japan nearly 2000 years ago. There is not much history known about the Yonaguni ponies. According to some of the professors and researchers who have been observing and studying the Yonaguni ponies, the Yonaguni ponies are similar to the ponies found in Korea, and there might be a connection between the two.