Let's give… Jan-Minze Zomer a call

Each week, Dieke Slingerland tries to take a few moments to call a Welsh breeder, user and/or enthusiast for the ‘Just a call with ...’ with whom she calls depends on what is current at the time.

For a quick chat with… I called Jan-Minze Zomer this week. Jan-Minze runs a KWPN horse breeding farm. Jan-Minze and his wife Imre also have three children, two of whom have caught the “horse bug.” Their eldest daughter is an avid Bixie rider with a Welsh A pony, and they’ve even recently added a second Welsh A pony to the family. Why did you choose a Welsh A, and what’s the best trait of your ponies? Read about it below!

You have KWPN horses and, for the past few years, Welsh A ponies as well. What differences do you notice between these two breeds?

In addition to their height at the withers, these ponies tend to gain weight more quickly.
The kids can already manage on their own.
They really are child-friendly ponies—our 4-year-old daughter already enjoys grooming them and taking them for walks. That’s very important, of course.

Why did you choose a Welsh A?

Welsh ponies have a lovely appearance and are often a bit livelier than Shetland ponies. Our daughter already had some experience at the riding school, so we started looking for a nice pony of our own. We went to look at several, but above all, we wanted a reliable pony. Luckily, we were able to try out Roos (Enkzicht’s Rosita) for a while, which worked out perfectly for us.

How did you first come into contact with the Welsh?

Our stable rider, Jantine Slingerland, has several Welsh ponies. They’re all very beautiful ponies that perform well in competition. And that’s how we fell in love with this breed.

Would you guys also start breeding your pony if Feline gets too big for it?

If we come across a really nice stallion, we might put that on the agenda again sometime.

Is the Welsh pony suitable as a children's or Bixie pony?

Yes, I'm sure there are ponies that are more challenging, but they're sweet to handle, and we really like the Welsh A. You see them a lot at Bixie competitions, too.

After Section A, might there also be an NWR or WPBR in the future?

Maybe so, and then, of course, it will be our KWPN horses' turn.