08/12/2026
🐴✨Wisdom Wednesday✨🐴
A Harsh Chapter in the Newfoundland Pony History
In the 1930s, there were approximately 9,025 ponies in Newfoundland. But over the next 30–40 years, advanced machinery and modern ways of living began to change communities across the province.
Ponies were no longer needed to haul seaweed, firewood, and other necessities. Where vegetable gardens once had to be fenced to keep the animals out, new laws meant animals now had to be fenced in. This also meant that the already-scarce hay land had to be used for pasture.
The ponies had lost the important role they once played and, seemingly, had no place in modern communities. Their numbers continued to decline until, by the late 1970s, there were fewer than 100 breeding animals left.
Sadly, as their numbers declined, many Newfoundland Ponies were shipped away to slaughterhouses, contributing to the devastating loss of the breed.
It’s a harsh and heartbreaking part of the Newfoundland Pony’s history, but it’s an important one to remember. These ponies played a huge role in the lives of Newfoundland families, and their story is one of survival, resilience, and the importance of preserving our heritage.
To this day, the fight continues. We are working to protect the Newfoundland Pony, preserve its history, and help bring their numbers back up so this incredible piece of Newfoundland’s heritage can be here for generations to come ❤️🐴
