Wednesday 7th July 1819
Wednesday July 7th After breakfast we commenced (mounted our Welsh Ponies, & our own ponies) the arduous undertaking of gaining the summit of Cader Idris the ascent for two miles is very easy but afterwards it becomes very steep and the path which is covered with large stones obliged us to leave our own horses and ride alternatively on the ponies in this
manner we continued almost *** in the *** for several hours when with great difficulty we arrived at the summit. The huge mountains which we before looked up to with astonishment were now far below our feet the view is certainly very grand and extensive but I cannot say I think it recompensed us for the trouble and fatigue we experienced in attaining it we took some refreshment and commenced descending an undertaking if possible
more tedious and difficult than we had just performed at ½ past eight we found ourselves comfortably seated to dinner and happy we were let me assure the reader to find ourselves there after dinner we soon retired to rest.
OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:
Ponies: The Coplands rode “our Welsh ponies and our own ponies”. Whilst they may have taken their own horses with them on the journey, they are unlikely to have taken their own ponies and more likely would have hired them for the occasion.
Evidence suggests that a native pony existed in Wales before 1600 BC. The original Welsh Mountain Pony is thought to have evolved from this prehistoric Celtic pony and their ancestors existed in the British Isles prior to the arrival of the Roman Empire. The Welsh Cob existed as a type as early as the Middle Ages, and mentions of such animals can be found in medieval Welsh literature. During this time, they were known for their speed, jumping ability, and carrying capacity. Before the introduction of large, "coldblood" draught horse breeds, they were used for farm work and timbering. In 1485 the Welsh Militia, riding local animals presumed to be ancestors of the modern Welsh Cob, assisted Henry Tudor in gaining the English throne. During the 15th century, similar small horses were also used as rounceys, leading war horses known as destriers.
The characteristics of the breed as known today are thought to have been established by the late 15th century, after the Crusaders returned to England, with Arab stallions from the Middle East. In the 16th century, King Henry VIII, thinking to improve the breeds of horses, particularly war horses, ordered the destruction of all stallions under 15 hands (60 inches, 152 cm) and all mares under 13 hands (52 inches, 132 cm) in the Breed of Horses Act 1535. The laws for swingeing culls of 'under-height' horses were partially repealed by a decree by Queen Elizabeth I in 1566 on the basis that the poor lands could not support the weight of the horses desired by Henry VIII because of "their rottenness ... [they] are not able to breed beare and bring forth such great breeds of stoned horses as by the statute of 32 Henry VIII is expressed, without peril of miring and perishing of them", and (fortunately for the future of Britain's mountain and moorland pony breeds) many ponies in their native environments, including the Welsh breeds, therefore escaped the slaughter.
On the upland farms of Wales, Welsh ponies and cobs would often have to do everything from ploughing a field to carrying a farmer to market or driving a family to services on Sunday. When coal mining became important to the economy of Wales, many Welsh ponies were harnessed for use in mines, above and below ground.
In the 18th century and 19th century, more Arab blood was added by stallions who were turned out in the Welsh hills. Other breeds have also been added, including the Thoroughbred, Hackney, Norfolk Roadster, and the Yorkshire Coach Horse. Before the car was developed, the quickest mode of transport in Wales was the Welsh Cob. Tradesmen, doctors, and other businessmen often selected ponies by trotting them the 35 uphill miles from Cardiff to Dowlais. The best ponies could complete this feat in under three hours, never breaking gait. In 1901 English and Welsh breeders established a breeders' association, the Welsh Pony and Cob Society, and the first stud book was published in 1902. Formal breeding stock licensing was introduced in 1918, but before this, breeding stock was selected by trotting tests. Until the mid 20th century, the British War Office considered the Welsh Cob so valuable that they paid premiums to the best stallions. A small semi-feral population of about 120 animals still roams the Carneddau mountains in Snowdonia, Wales.
2008: Wild pony taken in the mountains of Snowdonia by Lawsonstu who has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law (the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication). From https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Welsh_wild_pony.JPG
2005: 3 years old Welsh B "Shangri-La" in pony show in Finland. He was the best young pony of his breed. Photo by Hanna V, the copyright holder of this work, and published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Welshb_shangri-la.JPG
The Welsh ponies ridden by the Coplands were probably something between the Wild pony (on the left) and the 2005 Best of Breed Section B Welsh Pony (riding type) from a show in Finland.
The other ponies mentioned by Lucy could have come from a variety of ponies common in Britain in the early 19th century and may have been selected by local tourist businesses to hire to persons less familiar with the shape and size of the Welsh pony.
Can you help us?
Ponies: It seems strange that Lucy should have differentiated between “our” Welsh ponies and “our” ponies but we have suggested they may have been hired out to tourists unfamiliar with the local breed. Clarification from someone knowledgeable in this field would be welcome.
Transcription problems: As untrained transcribers we sometimes experience problems interpreting some of Lucy’s writing.
Help please with we continued almost * in the ** for several hours . Could * be “marched” and ** be sun (although this looks more like Inn)?
Old Regency Prints, Pictures an Coaching maps: Do you have access to any prints or pictures showing what town and country would have looked like when Lucy travelled through? Any illustrations of what she would have seen in 1819 will enliven our research.
New Pictures: Do you have any modern pictures of the streets, buildings, gardens and views that would enable us to see the changes that two centuries have wrought?