The Ojibwe Pony
The Ojibwe Pony, also known as the Lac LaCroix Pony or Indian Pony, is a breed developed by Indigenous people in the Boreal Forest regions of Canada and the northern U.S. It is a spirit animal for Indigenous people and it is listed as a critically endangered breed in Canada.
Elders remember thousands of ponies running through the forests. Their stories tell of the spiritual and working relationship with the Ojibwe horse throughout time, and date back to pre-European settlement. DNA evidence has also demonstrated that the Ojibwe breed is distinctive to European breeds, strengthening these stories and challenging the theory that horses were first introduced to North America by European settlers.
There were only four Ojibwe pony mares left in the wild in 1977, when they were rescued from the Lac LaCroix area. They were later bred to a registered Spanish Mustang and this started the breeding effort that continues today. There are approximately 170 Ojibwe horses registered with the Ojibwe Horse society today.
Ojibwe ponies are small and strong, and have many characteristics different from our domesticated horses that allowed them to survive in the dense underbrush of the forests. Generally they are around 13 hands, have small, strong hard hooves and short fuzzy ears. They are also known for being kind and willing ponies, and have kind eyes.
Read more about the breed, breeding efforts and history of horses in North America here:
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lac-la-croix-indigenous-pony
https://ojibwehorse.ca/about-the-breed/
https://ojibwehorse.ca/become-a-caretaker/
Elders remember thousands of ponies running through the forests. Their stories tell of the spiritual and working relationship with the Ojibwe horse throughout time, and date back to pre-European settlement. DNA evidence has also demonstrated that the Ojibwe breed is distinctive to European breeds, strengthening these stories and challenging the theory that horses were first introduced to North America by European settlers.
There were only four Ojibwe pony mares left in the wild in 1977, when they were rescued from the Lac LaCroix area. They were later bred to a registered Spanish Mustang and this started the breeding effort that continues today. There are approximately 170 Ojibwe horses registered with the Ojibwe Horse society today.
Ojibwe ponies are small and strong, and have many characteristics different from our domesticated horses that allowed them to survive in the dense underbrush of the forests. Generally they are around 13 hands, have small, strong hard hooves and short fuzzy ears. They are also known for being kind and willing ponies, and have kind eyes.
Read more about the breed, breeding efforts and history of horses in North America here:
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lac-la-croix-indigenous-pony
https://ojibwehorse.ca/about-the-breed/
https://ojibwehorse.ca/become-a-caretaker/
The Spirit Horse Project: Chase
Sagehill Stables wants to help with the breeding efforts to re-establish this spirit horse for Indigenous peoples.
One of the biggest challenges with growing the breed is the breeding process itself. Many individuals have offered to help re-home and care for Ojibwe horses across Canada. It is much easier to re-home mares than it is stallions, and often young male Ojibwe horses are gelded because it just isn't practical or feasible for their owners to keep stallions or find homes for them. Those that have mares often don't have the financial or physical means to bring in a stallion and have their mares bred. Only recently has the first semen from an Ojibwe stallion been drawn, and artificial insemination is still a costly process that requires special veterinary expertise. On top of these challenges is the challenge with inbreeding. Often stallions in a local area are not compatible to be bred with local mares, so there is the added cost of transporting stallions long distances to avoid inbreeding.
Sagehill Stables has offered to become a caretaker for Chase, a 15 year old black stallion, registration number 150, to help with breeding efforts in Manitoba. Chase is short for Babaaminizhikawaad which means "he chases them around". Chase is owned by Darcy Whitecrow and Kimberlee Campbell who own Grey Raven Ranch located on the Seine River First Nation near Fort Frances Ontario. Bringing Chase to Manitoba has also allowed Grey Raven Ranch to bring home their other stallion, Waaskode. It is challenging enough keeping one stallion on a property with mares, nevermind two. Having Waaskode back on the Grey Raven Ranch gives everyone in the area a stallion from a different genetic line available for breeding, and allows Grey Raven to start outcrossing their own mares to these different genetics.
Chase's sire was a very well known stallion, Sagineshkawa, whose foals were known for their long thick mane, forelock and tail which are very helpful for flies and cold. Chase's Dam was named Nova. Nova had one other offspring, and out of the two of them, Chase is the only one that has reproduced and helped to continue the breed. This is a common challenge with the breed as Ojibwe ponies make great children's horses and riding horses, and often the owners focus is not on breeding, resulting in the breed numbers remaining perilously low.
Chase has a proven track record as a stallion with a wonderful, kind personality. He is 13.2 hands, now in his prime. He has several offspring on the ground, most recently the two foals at Aspen Ojibwe Horse Sanctuary this year! As you see from the pictures of the two new foals, he's not homozygous for black. There are also two geldings in Manitoba and a mare Lucy in Ontario, who has now had many foals herself, that are Chase's offspring.
As a large facility we have the space, community and resources to help. We also have a large reach through social media and are ideally located in Winnipeg, giving us an opportunity to help educate others about the breed. We are hoping to use our community and connections to help with the breeding efforts for these spirit animals as part of our commitment to reconciliation. Welcome Chase!
One of the biggest challenges with growing the breed is the breeding process itself. Many individuals have offered to help re-home and care for Ojibwe horses across Canada. It is much easier to re-home mares than it is stallions, and often young male Ojibwe horses are gelded because it just isn't practical or feasible for their owners to keep stallions or find homes for them. Those that have mares often don't have the financial or physical means to bring in a stallion and have their mares bred. Only recently has the first semen from an Ojibwe stallion been drawn, and artificial insemination is still a costly process that requires special veterinary expertise. On top of these challenges is the challenge with inbreeding. Often stallions in a local area are not compatible to be bred with local mares, so there is the added cost of transporting stallions long distances to avoid inbreeding.
Sagehill Stables has offered to become a caretaker for Chase, a 15 year old black stallion, registration number 150, to help with breeding efforts in Manitoba. Chase is short for Babaaminizhikawaad which means "he chases them around". Chase is owned by Darcy Whitecrow and Kimberlee Campbell who own Grey Raven Ranch located on the Seine River First Nation near Fort Frances Ontario. Bringing Chase to Manitoba has also allowed Grey Raven Ranch to bring home their other stallion, Waaskode. It is challenging enough keeping one stallion on a property with mares, nevermind two. Having Waaskode back on the Grey Raven Ranch gives everyone in the area a stallion from a different genetic line available for breeding, and allows Grey Raven to start outcrossing their own mares to these different genetics.
Chase's sire was a very well known stallion, Sagineshkawa, whose foals were known for their long thick mane, forelock and tail which are very helpful for flies and cold. Chase's Dam was named Nova. Nova had one other offspring, and out of the two of them, Chase is the only one that has reproduced and helped to continue the breed. This is a common challenge with the breed as Ojibwe ponies make great children's horses and riding horses, and often the owners focus is not on breeding, resulting in the breed numbers remaining perilously low.
Chase has a proven track record as a stallion with a wonderful, kind personality. He is 13.2 hands, now in his prime. He has several offspring on the ground, most recently the two foals at Aspen Ojibwe Horse Sanctuary this year! As you see from the pictures of the two new foals, he's not homozygous for black. There are also two geldings in Manitoba and a mare Lucy in Ontario, who has now had many foals herself, that are Chase's offspring.
As a large facility we have the space, community and resources to help. We also have a large reach through social media and are ideally located in Winnipeg, giving us an opportunity to help educate others about the breed. We are hoping to use our community and connections to help with the breeding efforts for these spirit animals as part of our commitment to reconciliation. Welcome Chase!
Featured News
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How Can You Help?
Become a Monthly SponsorWe are looking for monthly sponsors to cover Chase's costs while he is here, as Sagehill is boarding him free of charge to help promote the Ojibwe Pony breed. Our goal is $500/month to cover Chase's feed, fencing/shelter requirements, labour, veterinarian and farrier costs.
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Educational Events & Group ToursSee will be having some educational events and fundraisers and hosting group tours to help cover Chase's board and vet/farrier expenses.
Click here for poster on group educational tours. |
Support Ojibwe Breeders & the Ojibwe Horse SocietySupport the Ojibwe Horse Society via donation or become a member!
Chase's owner Darcy Whitecrow has written a great children's book, Run with the Stars, to help continue the story of the Ojibwe pony. You can get yours off Amazon! They make great gifts for the children in your lives! |
Meet Chase's Sponsors & the Volunteers!
Chase has a team of volunteers and sponsors to care for him while he's at Sagehill! Volunteers generously give their time to come out daily to groom, handle and spend time with Chase, ensure he is healthy and getting everything he needs. These are people with horse experience that can handle the dynamic between the stallion, people and his pen mates. Sponsors are generous donors who help us to cover Chase's board, as well as vet and farrier expenses. We couldn't do this project without the volunteers and sponsors! Thank you so much!! ❤️
Spirit Horse Volunteers:
- Michelle McConnomy
- Bob McConnomy
- Michaela Haslbeck
- Shannon and Katie Mathews
Spirit Horse Monthly Sponsors:
Spirit Horse Volunteers:
- Michelle McConnomy
- Bob McConnomy
- Michaela Haslbeck
- Shannon and Katie Mathews
Spirit Horse Monthly Sponsors:
- Recycling 4 Animals, Ron and Gwen Breland: ⭐Platinum⭐ Monthly Sponsor
- Michelle McConnomy: ⭐Silver⭐ Monthly Sponsor
Help us spread the word about the Ojibwe Pony! If you are interested in monthly sponsorship or volunteering for the Spirit Horse Project, please contact us at [email protected] or phone/txt 204-803-5940.
If you are interested in a one-time sponsorship, you can donate by clicking below.
If you are interested in a one-time sponsorship, you can donate by clicking below.