Henry VIII Ordered Ponies Destroyed

In 1540, King Henry VIII approved a law intended to produce larger and stronger English horses. Stallions below 15 hands, mares below 13 hands, and two-year-old colts below 11.2 hands were restricted from common grazing and breeding grounds. Officials conducted annual roundups and destroyed undersized horses, while nobles and wealthy families had to eliminate private stock that failed the standards. Wild Welsh ponies survived by evading the roundups across their rugged native terrain.

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