Pony Centre

SPRINGFIELDS FUN PARK & PONY CENTRE has more than 30 adorable ponies. The ponies can be ridden, groomed and our daily pony show is not to be missed.

Enjoy one of our three different pony rides. Take a short ride around the paddock, or a longer ride around Drake Lake, or mount up for our long Woodland Trek which takes you around the Park and through our own ancient Woodland.

(Although we have a limited number of bigger ponies we cannot guarantee pony rides for bigger children. Do call first if you have children that need a big pony.)

Take a step back in time to an age when transport was at a more leisurely pace - sit back and enjoy a pony carriage ride around the park.

All the ponies come from different parts of the British Isles apart from Maestro who comes from Austria.

Shetland ponies come from the Shetland Islands in the very north of Scotland. They may be little but they are very strong for their size they can easily carry the weight of a full grown man.

In the past Shetland ponies were used as pack ponies carrying seaweed in huge panniers to spread on the land as fertiliser or peat for kitchen fires. In the 19th century many of these ponies were used in coal mines hauling coal along tunnels deep underground.

Today they are popular children's ponies although they are also often found in the top racing stables. They are not kept for their speed but as companions to the excitable racing horses.

The Shetlands with their strong character keep the racing Thoroughbreds in their place without resorting to violence and have a quietening influence on their excitable companions.

Welsh ponies are grouped into one of 4 sections A, B, C, or D. The original wild Welsh Mountain pony is registered in Section A. The ponies then get bigger and chunkier through Sections B, C, and D.

Wales is one of the oldest horse breeding countries in the world and the Welsh pony fan club goes back many years having Julius Cesar as one of its earliest members. He liked the breed so much he founded a stud in Wales in around 50 years BC.

Dartmoor ponies come from Dartmoor in Devon. They make great children’s riding ponies being sure footed, kind, and sensible. Dartmoor ponies are always brown or bay.

The breed almost disappeared when Dartmoor was closed and used for Army Training in World War II – at the end of the War only two stallions and 12 mares were left – but happily the breed survived and today Dartmoor ponies kept and loved by children all over the world.

Gypsy ponies For years gypsies have travelled around the countryside in horse drawn caravans.  Whilst Gypsy Ponies are not an officially recognised breed they are a very distinctive type of pony.  They are bred for their strength and placid nature.  Gypsy Ponies are chunky with extremely long, thick, wavy manes and tails, big feet and hairy legs.

Haflinger Ponies At Springfields we have one pony not from the British Isles.  Maestro is a Haflinger Pony from Austria. Haflinger ponies are known as the "talking pony" because they make a happy noise when they see people. They are often used for driving and in their home country of Austria they pull sleighs as well as carriages.