Mountain and moorland pony breeds modern mountain and moorland ponies have been regarded as including nine breeds (the four Welsh types being counted as one). However, in recent decades at least two further types have been recognised: the Eriskay and the Kerry bog pony. Larger native British Isles horses (such as the various large draught breeds) are not regarded as belonging to the mountain and moorland group. Mountain and moorland ponies are generally stocky in build, with flowing mane and tail. They are very hardy and are "good doers", needing relatively little food to live on. They are prone to obesity and if allowed to
Animal genetic resources for food and agriculture to wild. They differ in terms of animal management, animal treatment, environmental impact, and market infrastructure. For some breeds, opportunities for sustainable use are limited. For such breeds, to ensure that their critical genetic diversity is not lost, conservation programs are required. Several approaches for conservation can be applied, including in situ conservation with live animal populations, and ex situ conservation or cryoconservation involving the freezing of genetic materials. In many instances, both of these approached are used in a complementary manner. In order to establish and strengthen these programs, more research on methods and technologies must be undertaken, especially