Causes: Animal Protection & Welfare, Animal-Related, Animals, Protection of Endangered Species
Mission: The Newfoundland Pony Conservancy Center is a not-for-profit 501c3 corporation established to provide safe haven for critically endangered Newfoundland Ponies, in the hopes of saving the breed from impending extinction through careful breeding and education of the general public to the pony’s plight.
Results: We developed a relationship/alliance with the Carl E Dahl House, a therapy farm for men with substance disorders. Some of our ponies are kept and cared for there. We are greatly involved with the Dahl House farm, teaching residents about the pony and how to care for them, both in classroom and hands on settings. Our equine assisted programs are up and running again, provided for Dahl House residents and the community, the focus being substance disorders. This farm is also part of our breeding network of farms; foals will be bred and born there. We continue to stand against inclusion of the pony in a breed-to-the-market Canadian federal breed "improvement" program quite unsuitable for rare breed conservation. This federal program uses grading up breeding, essentially resetting the breeds genetics with modern genetics of other breeds, and creating a different breed. This inclusion would result in the Newfoundland Pony's extinction as the pony it has been for hundreds of years. We have been involved in the education of many pony owners and potential pony owners, as well as the general horse community, and non-horse people. We teach what a landrace breed is and why it is crucial, to the survival of the species, to preserve and protect this unique animal. We have found permanent homes for Newfoundland ponies in need, and foster homes. We breed and encourage responsible breeding, ensuring the welfare of each pony. None of our ponies are for sale. However, we have a network of foster and adoptive homes. Our criteria for those homes includes promoting the breed and breeding. None of our ponies are for sale. To ensure a safe future, all of our foals remain property of the center for life, but our foster and adoptive homes are granted possession. Resultant purebred foals from our ponies become property of the new breed. In 2014, we were involved in the urgent move of a herd of Newfoundland Ponies in a precarious situation, 4000 miles across the continent to repatriate them to Newfoundland where their numbers and bloodlines were greatly needed. This was done despite controversy, criticisms, and attempts to sabotage the effort. In the end, all of those ponies were saved and remain part of the effort to save the breed. That was the mission of that effort, and that mission was accomplished. We use that same approach with everything we do; the mission is about saving the pony and as is. Our efforts towards that mission are considered and evaluated with every move we make. In every instance, we ask ourselves “How will this best help the breed or the individual pony?” and proceed accordingly.
Target demographics: critically endangered Newfoundland Ponies. There are less than 500 left in the world and less than 50 in the USA.
Direct beneficiaries per year: Seven Newfoundland ponies find new homes, mentored three new conservation breeders, produced 1 foal. That foal was fathered by an injured and disables stallion who has not had a foal in many years. His lines are very important to the overall effort to save the breed. This was his 2nd foal. We provided opportunity for approximately 30 people of all ages and abilities to interact with the ponies through which they learned the importance of healthy species, and also simply enjoyed themselves. We share the story of the Newfoundland Pony to teach people a lesson that is crucial to the health and well-being of all living things, many of which we depend on for food. . Our Equine Assisted Learning program provided life skills development for frontline health care workers during a crucial time in the pandemic We became a part of the Beyond Akeela summer camp program, offering Young Adults on the spectrum the opportunity to experience, explore, and learn as they prepare to enter the work force
Geographic areas served: North America
Programs: ocusing on the education of the public on this landrace breed, mentoring new owners and breeders while promoting breed conservation with an emphasis being the welfare of each pony. We offer interactive programs that showcase the pony's unique, people-friendly disposition, along with their athletic ability and rare nature-honed genetic health. We offer off-site visits to schools, long term care facilities, and other venues. Our professional equine assisted life skills development programs, where our ponies are the teachers, also compliments our mission. Plus it helps the community while it helps the pony. Our emphasis is not on riding. Our emphasis is creating positivity and interest in all of the ponies, including our small ponies and our seniors, or those with physical issues that make them unable to be used for common horse disciplines. We also promote and teach the traditional use of the pony, as a work pony. The residents of the Dahl House are learning how to work with the ponies, hauling brush and sleds, as well as using a pack saddle to carry things such as their tools while working on a farm project. We reevaluate and adapt our programs as needed, all to suit the mission to save this unique breed.
Mission: The Newfoundland Pony Conservancy Center is a not-for-profit 501c3 corporation established to provide safe haven for critically endangered Newfoundland Ponies, in the hopes of saving the breed from impending extinction through careful breeding and education of the general public to the pony’s plight.
Results: We developed a relationship/alliance with the Carl E Dahl House, a therapy farm for men with substance disorders. Some of our ponies are kept and cared for there. We are greatly involved with the Dahl House farm, teaching residents about the pony and how to care for them, both in classroom and hands on settings. Our equine assisted programs are up and running again, provided for Dahl House residents and the community, the focus being substance disorders. This farm is also part of our breeding network of farms; foals will be bred and born there. We continue to stand against inclusion of the pony in a breed-to-the-market Canadian federal breed "improvement" program quite unsuitable for rare breed conservation. This federal program uses grading up breeding, essentially resetting the breeds genetics with modern genetics of other breeds, and creating a different breed. This inclusion would result in the Newfoundland Pony's extinction as the pony it has been for hundreds of years. We have been involved in the education of many pony owners and potential pony owners, as well as the general horse community, and non-horse people. We teach what a landrace breed is and why it is crucial, to the survival of the species, to preserve and protect this unique animal. We have found permanent homes for Newfoundland ponies in need, and foster homes. We breed and encourage responsible breeding, ensuring the welfare of each pony. None of our ponies are for sale. However, we have a network of foster and adoptive homes. Our criteria for those homes includes promoting the breed and breeding. None of our ponies are for sale. To ensure a safe future, all of our foals remain property of the center for life, but our foster and adoptive homes are granted possession. Resultant purebred foals from our ponies become property of the new breed. In 2014, we were involved in the urgent move of a herd of Newfoundland Ponies in a precarious situation, 4000 miles across the continent to repatriate them to Newfoundland where their numbers and bloodlines were greatly needed. This was done despite controversy, criticisms, and attempts to sabotage the effort. In the end, all of those ponies were saved and remain part of the effort to save the breed. That was the mission of that effort, and that mission was accomplished. We use that same approach with everything we do; the mission is about saving the pony and as is. Our efforts towards that mission are considered and evaluated with every move we make. In every instance, we ask ourselves “How will this best help the breed or the individual pony?” and proceed accordingly.
Target demographics: critically endangered Newfoundland Ponies. There are less than 500 left in the world and less than 50 in the USA.
Direct beneficiaries per year: Seven Newfoundland ponies find new homes, mentored three new conservation breeders, produced 1 foal. That foal was fathered by an injured and disables stallion who has not had a foal in many years. His lines are very important to the overall effort to save the breed. This was his 2nd foal. We provided opportunity for approximately 30 people of all ages and abilities to interact with the ponies through which they learned the importance of healthy species, and also simply enjoyed themselves. We share the story of the Newfoundland Pony to teach people a lesson that is crucial to the health and well-being of all living things, many of which we depend on for food. . Our Equine Assisted Learning program provided life skills development for frontline health care workers during a crucial time in the pandemic We became a part of the Beyond Akeela summer camp program, offering Young Adults on the spectrum the opportunity to experience, explore, and learn as they prepare to enter the work force
Geographic areas served: North America
Programs: ocusing on the education of the public on this landrace breed, mentoring new owners and breeders while promoting breed conservation with an emphasis being the welfare of each pony. We offer interactive programs that showcase the pony's unique, people-friendly disposition, along with their athletic ability and rare nature-honed genetic health. We offer off-site visits to schools, long term care facilities, and other venues. Our professional equine assisted life skills development programs, where our ponies are the teachers, also compliments our mission. Plus it helps the community while it helps the pony. Our emphasis is not on riding. Our emphasis is creating positivity and interest in all of the ponies, including our small ponies and our seniors, or those with physical issues that make them unable to be used for common horse disciplines. We also promote and teach the traditional use of the pony, as a work pony. The residents of the Dahl House are learning how to work with the ponies, hauling brush and sleds, as well as using a pack saddle to carry things such as their tools while working on a farm project. We reevaluate and adapt our programs as needed, all to suit the mission to save this unique breed.
PO Box 441 Newfoundland Pony Conservancy Center, Fitzwiliam, NH 03447
603-532-8809
Animals
Fitzwiliam
