What is "pit pony"

A pit pony was a type of pony commonly used underground in coal mines from the mid-18th until the mid-20th century.

Ponies began to be used underground. The first known recorded use in Great Britain was in the Durham coalfield in 1750. The use of ponies was never common in the United States, though ponies were used in Appalachian coal fields in the mid-20th century. The last pony mine in the United States closed in 1971.

At the peak of this practice in 1913, there were 70,000 ponies underground in Britain. In later years, mechanical haulage was quickly introduced on the main underground roads replacing the pony hauls, and ponies tended to be confined to the shorter runs from coal face to main road (known in North East England as "putting") which were more difficult to mechanise. As of 1984, 55 ponies were still in use with the National Coal Board in Britain, chiefly at the modern pit in Ellington, Northumberland. When Ellington closed for the first time in 1994, four pit ponies were brought out (no ponies were used there during the RJB era). Of the four, two went to the National Coal Mining Museum for England at Caphouse. The last surviving pony was Tony who died in 2011 aged 40. Probably the last colliery horse to work underground in a British coal mine, "Robbie", was retired from Pant y Gasseg, near Pontypool, in May 1999.

Pit Pony is a 1999 CBC television series which tells the story of small-town life in Glace Bay, on the island of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1904. The plot line revolves around the lives of the families of the men and boys who work in the coal mines.

Pit Pony is a children's historical novel written by Joyce Barkhouse. It was published in 1990 and won the first Ann Connor Brimer Award. Pit Pony was adapted for television in 1997 and 1999.

Pit Pony is a 1997 television film directed by Eric Till and is also Ellen Page's debut role. It was nominated for numerous Gemini Awards in 1997.

A pit pony was a pony used in underground coal mines until the late 19th century. Other uses may include:

• Pit Pony (film), a Canadian TV film
• Pit Pony (TV series), a Canadian TV series
• Pit Pony (novel), a novel by Joyce Barkhouse