Saving an endangered pony breed from extinction - the Arenberg-Nordkirchner

There are only two living Arenberg-Nordkirchner stallions (with 50% or more Arenberg-Nordkirchner blood) left, which could save the small remaining population of this sporty and robust pony breed. Both are already around 20 years old - so it is high time to act. The Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen or GEH is a German national association for the conservation of historic and endangered domestic animal breeds is committed to first having the stallion Nautilus inseminated at the stallion station. In this way, an important gene reserve is created for the reconstruction of the breed. Through a broad research, almost 100 mares with gene parts of the Arenbergers could be found. The frozen semen gives us the possibility to offer the mare owners semen to stabilize the breeding of the rare and versatile ponies. With this project the costs for the semen collection should be covered.

The Society for the Conservation of Old and Endangered Domestic Animal Breeds (GEH) has been taking care of the diversity in agricultural livestock farming in Germany since 1981. Currently 176 breeds of farm animals are on the GEH's Red List. From the “Hinterwälder Rind”to the “Bentheimer Landschaf” to the “Schwäbisch Hällisches Schwein” or even the Arenberg-Nordkirchner Pony, they stand for an extensive and diverse agriculture and use adapted to the location. This makes an important contribution to biodiversity and preserves an extensive gene pool for the future.

The office as well as the many volunteer coordinators look after the breeders of the individual breeds and are involved in various committees and research for conservation. In addition, targeted rescue measures, such as here with the Arenberg-Nordkirchner pony, are initiated and carried out time and again. This has prevented the extinction of a farm animal breed in Germany since the foundation of GEH. Help us to ensure that this remains so!

Further information can be found on our website: www.g-e-h.de

The Arenberg-Nordkirchner pony comes from a wild breeding. This was started in 1923 by Duke von Arenberg near Castle Nordkirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia. In the beginning the ponies were considered a curiosity, but soon their value as riding ponies was recognized and even the army asked for these ponies in the small horse type. The animals were extremely robust, good-natured and represented a sporty type. The special nature of the breed soon got around and Westphalian horse breeders used this basis to develop the now widely known and appreciated German Riding Pony - the original breed of the Arenberg-Nordkirchner fell completely into oblivion and is now on the verge of extinction.