The Welsh cob has existed as a separate breed of pony since before the Middle Ages. Traditionally used to haul carts loaded with timber or for general farm work, their gentle disposition and compact size make them ideally suited to drawing small, private carriages, such as this stick-back gig at the Tregony Horse Show in Cornwall.

Shetland ponies, Cornwall. The Shetland pony is a small but hardy breed, about 10.5 hands, or 70 cm/27 in high. Traditionally, the Shetland Islanders used these strong animals to carry seaweed from the shore up to the fields, where it was spread as a fertilizer. Shetland ponies can still be found at country fairs competing in weight-pulling competitions.

Dartmoor ponies. The first known reference to the Dartmoor pony appears in the will of a Saxon bishop, dated 1012. Their use as a working pony peaked during the heyday of tin mining on Dartmoor, when they carried tin to the stannary towns in Cornwall. Although the breed is now domesticated, and popular with young riders, wild ponies can still be seen roaming freely on Dartmoor.