The role of ponies in the agricultural systems of Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia

This study defines the role of ponies in the current agricultural systems of Sumbawa island, NTB Province, Indonesia. A questionnaire and a recording form were used for data collection. One hundred pony farmers were interviewed and 81 adult ponies were assessed in kampung (village) Ngeru, Sumbawa district. The results shows that ponies are mainly used for ninting (trampling grain, ie, soybean and mungbean) and as pack animals to carry agricultural products from farm to home. Some are used for riding and racing. Apart from these, the main priority of raising ponies is to provide an additional source of income and saving. Even though the number of ponies slaughtered in Lombok island has increased, consumption of pony meat in Sumbawa island is not common. The feeding system is mostly grazing-based, with cut-and-carry for racing ponies. August to October is the period when there is limited grass in the grazing area (eg, forest, rainfed land). Because most farmers use grazing-based systems, breeding and health management is not practised due to the difficulty in controlling ponies at distant locations. Results also indicate that there is a strong preference for rearing ponies compared with cattle but buffalo are the most preferred large animal in the area of study. Farmers keep ponies because of their contribution to the farming operation and their ability to find feeds in distant areas. However, the population of ponies is predicted to decrease as a result of economic development and population pressure in the island. The constraints affecting the population will be the competition for grazing with other animals (eg, buffalo and cattle) and limited uses in the future. Research may slow the forecast reduction in numbers