PIT PONIES

We have gathered together a few interesting facts about the use of ponies in the mining industry.

Pit ponies came in all shapes and sizes. The smallest recorded height of a pit pony we can find is 9 hands 2 inches - which is just 38 inches or 96.5cm tall at the shoulder.

Pit ponies were not only sourced for the collieries from within Great Britain. Records show imports from Russia coming into Newcastle and others from North America landing at Liverpool. Before going to a colliery to work they were sent to "Pit Pony Schools" for training.

The photo shows pit ponies arriving at Liverpool from the USA in 1930.

This is Mr George Nicholson at the Berry Hill Miners Show with one of the Bestwood Colliery pit pony. We think the pony's name was Steve. Read more about him and his fellow Bestwood Ponies here.

There was a pub called "The Pit Pony" in Ashton in Markfield. It was opened in April 1979 by Joe Gormley (later Lord Gormley), President of the National Union of Mineworkers, with a little help from a friend.

A Nottingham Journal reporter visited Bestwood Colliery on Feb 4 1930 and recorded that Mr Atherton, the colliery manager told him that he had 94 pit ponies working underground at that time.

There were pit ponies working underground at Bestwood Colliery after its closure on July 2 1967 and records show that an un-named pony was injured in an accident on July 11 while working in the High Hazles seam when a Mr William Hazzledine was killed.

If you want to find out more about the actual ponies that worked at Bestwood Colliery you need to click here.  If you want to hear Keith Stone talk about his memories of the Bestwood ponies you can click here.