Basotho pony, noun phrase

/bəˈsuːtu ˈpəʊni/
Origin:
See Mosotho.
A hardy mountain pony bred in Lesotho from the Cape horse. See also Cape horse (Cape sense 2 a), Nooitgedacht pony (Nooitgedacht).
1877 Lady Barker Yr’s Hsekeeping 75G— has become possessed,..of an aged and long-suffering Basuto pony.
1882 Lady F.C. Dixie In Land of Misfortune 187Most of them (sc. the horses) were little more than ponies, the biggest standing about 14.2, and the smallest 13 hands. This last was a Basuto pony...a tough little specimen, who could stand any amount of hard work and long distances.
1896 R. Wallace Farming Indust. of Cape Col. 313Basuto ponies stand about 14 to 14½ hands at the withers, and are extremely hardy, active and sure-footed. They are reared in a hilly rugged country.
1910 A.B. Lamont Rural Reader 66The chief breeds of riding horses in South Africa are the English thoroughbred, the Arab horse, the Cape horse, and the Basuto pony.
1940 V. Pohl Bushveld Adventures 18His horse was a wonderful swimmer, like most Basuto ponies.
1955 W. Illsley Wagon on Fire 47A horseman, mounted on a Basuto pony, threaded his way over the mountain path that was almost obliterated by long dry grass.
1977 Fighting Forces of Rhodesia No.4, 27Over generations, the Basuto pony has acquired a resistance to most common diseases in Southern Africa and this, combined with its ability to survive on the indigenous grasses while on trek or on operations, makes it the ideal type for days in the bush.
1988 Personality 29 Feb. 32Known as one of the toughest, yet most mild-mannered of horses anywhere, the Basuto pony can be traced back to the Arab and barb horses brought to the Cape by missionaries and explorers. Today this animal is the number one form of transport in Lesotho.
1989 J. Hobbs Thoughts in Makeshift Mortuary 166Basotho ponies..have a good percentage of Arab blood in their veins.
1990 J. Theron in Farmer’s Weekly 22 June (Sporting Horse) 14In 1830, Moshoeshoe, the King of the Basuto nation, came in contact with the Cape Horse and began assembling hundreds of them in Basutoland. By 1860 almost every Basuto was mounted and it was from there the Basuto pony was developed.
A hardy mountain pony bred in Lesotho from the Cape horse.
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18771990

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