The Rare Eriskay Ponies
The Eriskay Pony is the last remnant of the Western Isles type pony and are now categorised as “Priority” on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist as there are fewer than 300 left in the world with fewer than 50 pure bred mares. They roam freely across the island during the winter months and spends the summer months on Ben Scrien which has always been the tradition and now a crofting regulation. This allowed crofters the chance to grow crops without the risk of ponies, sheep and cows sabotaging their hard work. Traditionally, the Eriskay Pony was a very much needed part of island survival as they helped the islanders with a lot of the heavy manual work such as taking home seaweed from the shores to be used as fertiliser; taking home the peat from the hill…. Comann Each nan Eilean- The Original Eriskay Pony Society
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Known in Gaelic as ‘Each Beag nan Eilean’ (Small Island Horse), the Eriskay Ponies, the last surviving native Hebridean pony breed, are generally grey in colour, with dense waterproof coats to protect them from the harsh island weather. The ponies played a cruical role in 1941 when the SS Politician ran aground off the Eriskay coast, to help the islanders “rescue” the cargo of 250,000 bottles of whisky. With ancient Celtic and Norse roots, they are akin to other northern breeds, such as the Faroe pony and the Icelandic horse. They are also similar to drawings and sketches of ponies on the ancient Pictish stones which can be found in north and west Scotland.
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Until the mid 19th century, the ponies had quite a large population and were used for general crofting work and light draught but with increased intensification of farming numbers began to fall due to crossbreeding with larger breeds such as Arabs and Clydesdales to produce ponies that could cope with heavier tasks. By the early 1970’s, the population had declined to around 20, and although their status remains critical, work by the Eriskay Pony Society and others, involving preservation of the original genetic material and careful breeding programmes, mean there are around 300 breeding females registered in the world. At the dawn of the millennium Eriskay entered a new era, when a causeway connecting it to South Uist by road was finally opened – making it easier than ever to discover the delights of this island.
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In 2024 The Eriskay ponies featured in an advert for "Guinness Zero" helping the island become even more famous and getting a starring role on the Eriskay football pitch!
