Mountain and moorland pony breeds Mountain and moorland pony breeds Mountain and moorland or M&M ponies form a group of several breeds of ponies and small horses native to the British Isles. Many of these breeds are derived from semi-feral ponies kept on moorland or heathland, and some of them still live in this way, as well as being kept as fully domesticated horses for riding, driving and other draught work, or for horse showing. Mountain and moorland classes at horse shows in the British Isles cover most of the breeds; however, the four closely related Welsh breeds often form their own classes. Traditionally the
Animal genetic resources for food and agriculture sustainability of a breed and therefore to the potential for successful conservation activities." The Pantaneiro cattle of Brazil are only one example of many at risk of extinction. Despite the importance of animal genetic resources, their diversity has been continually decreasing over time. "Factors as causes of genetic erosion: One of the greatest threats to livestock diversity is pressure from large-scale commercial production systems to maintain only high-output breeds. Recent molecular studies have revealed that the diversity of today's indigenous livestock populations greatly exceeds that found in their commercial counterparts. Climate change and its impact on livestock is being studied.