The Galloway pony was a popular horse breed native to Scotland and northern England. They went extinct in the mid-1800s, although not through population loss; the Galloway had so many desirable traits that it was crossbred out of existence.
These ponies had a wide, deep chest, would pace (rather than trot), took a saddle well, and were hardy and energetic. They were larger than many ponies (12-14 hands), and bred well with larger horses. They were generally light bay or brown, with black legs. Many of these traits are still visible in their descendants, perhaps most particularly in the Fell pony and the Dales pony, but also in the Newfoundland pony and the Highland pony.
The Galloway was a well known breed since at least the late 1500s, and language has changed significantly over the years. Many references are in fact to "Galloway nags", as "pony" is a comparatively modern term for a small horse (further reading). In the 1800s the term Galloway was also used to refer to a horse that was borderline in size between a pony and a horse. As the influence of the pony breed has faded, the term Galloway now usually refers to a breed of cattle from the same area.
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