Hokkaido for sale

The Hokkaido pony is an ancient breed of horses, which were brought to Hokkaido, Japan. The first mention of the Hokkaido horses is seen as early as the Edo era, and according to history Japanese fishermen brought these horses here, from Honshu, as early as the 1600s. The fishermen mainly brought the horses along with them for transportation, and once the herring season was over, they went back to Honshu, leaving the horses behind in Hokkaido. The horses survived in the harsh and arid conditions of this place, which has ever since become a testimony of strength and endurance of their breed.

The Hokkaido horse is descendants of the Nanbu breed of horses, which belong to the northern regions of Honshu. No trace of the Nanbu can be found today, but it is said that the Nanbu was bred for military purposes, in Japan, and were supposedly a very strong and enigmatic breed. The Hokkaido breed, though a descendant of this regal breed, is not so illustrious. This is very evident from the fact that they were used by fishermen, for transportation mainly. But anyway, the traits of strength and endurance are definitely very evident in the Hokkaidos, for which they are famous, worldwide.

This breed is mostly found on the Pacific coast and is one of the most commonly found breeds of Japanese ponies. These horses are mainly used for heavy transportation, especially to those parts of the mountains where automobiles cannot go. These horses are very strong, compared to their size, and are of pleasant disposition, making it easy to work with them.

Some ranchers, to this date, continue to harness the breed’s survival traits, by leaving them in the mountains, during the freezing winters. The horses, true to their nature, not only survive the harsh season, but also come back to the ranches, unassisted, at the beginning of spring.