by Emme Setter

Created on: November 08, 2009

The Cayuse Indian Pony is a rare breed and only a handful still exist today. Adopted by the Cayuse Indians, the pony is originally thought to be a descendant of the French horses imported to Canada in the seventeenth century. At that time, many of the horses the French brought over where Percherons and it's not a stretch to visualize the role the Percheron may have played in the creation of the Cayuse. Easily mistaken for a Spanish Barb or Mustang by description, this pony's unique confirmation sets it apart.

Standing at around 14 hands high, the Cayuse is a true pony and like most Native American mounts, it is built sturdy and very stocky giving it the ability to do long, hard work. Unlike other Native American ponies, it has an unusually high whither and cannon bone giving it a very smooth gait but an interesting profile due to it's noticeably sloping pastern. As described by the famed Wild West artist Frederic Remington, the Cayuse is typically a roan horse and almost every Cayuse shows some expression of the roaning gene, another unique feature to this different breed. Remington also described the horse as being immensely powerful despite its short stature.

The Cayuse Indian Pony has received little attention as a children's mount mostly because so few are in existence today. Because of it's unique gait which is often described as a broken walking gait the Cayuse can carry the most beginner of children- they can easily ride it and tend to like it much more than the movement of a more typical pony. The temperment of the Cayuse also makes it a good childs mount, they are very intelligent and level headed with a forgiving nature that makes them a good teacher. The Cayuse also has a good amount of speed and a lot of strength making them a good pony for any age or level rider, especially those looking to trail ride or ride in gymkhanas.

Recently the effort to preserve the Cayuse Indian Pony has been stepped up with the donation of a pony to the Kensington Horse Park in Kentucky. This donation was made with the hope that people would be learn about this hardy and versatile pony. Currently there are a handful of breeding stock Cayuse ponies in California, the breeding of which is being over seen by Jeff Edwards of The Wild Horse Research Center in Porterville California.

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