PSXVI-14 The Basotho Pony. A Breed Improvement Program in the highlands of Lesotho.

Abstract

This paper outlines key elements of the breed improvement program carried out in the 1980’s. The Basotho Pony of Lesotho, Southern Africa, made famous by the Anglo Boer war between 1899–1902 saw 30,000 Basotho Ponies used as remounts for the British army. It provides an essential means of transport and beast of burden and it was estimated that at the time of King Moshoeshoe I in the 1800’s the entire population was mounted. With the best stock leaving the country, the breed rapidly deteriorated, population diversity and genetic stock went into decline and numbers dwindled. By the 1950’s the breed was facing severe decline. It has been the subject of a number of breed improvements programs over the past century, firstly by the British and most recently in the 1980’s by the Irish Government as part of its Bilateral Program of support to Lesotho by the Irish Aid program and which continues to this day under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Lesotho. In 1978 Ireland and Lesotho established the Basotho Pony Project (breed improvement program,) it developed, 1) the 5,000-acre National Stud Farm in Thaba-Tseka, 2) marketing & trekking center in Molimo Nthuse and 3) several “mare camps” i.e. satellite breeding centers at community level in strategic locations around the country and 4) Extension services. The program proved successful in the development of a core nucleus breeding herd, a selective breeding program, coupled with strict culling of inferior breeding stock, introduction of line breeding, cross breeding and back crossing, providing improved and selected breeding stock for satellite breeding herds at community level around the country and the entry of the Basotho Pony into the Southern Africa regional endurance racing circuit, proving its worth in the endurance competition and sports field.