Dartmoor hill ponies

 Dartmoor hill pony and foal

Apparently, over two thousand years ago, Phoenician traders introduced ponies to the West Country. These original ponies evolved into two distinct breeds, the Exmoor and the Dartmoor.

The ponies now native to Dartmoor have adapted to suit whichever part of the Moor they live on. The colours are mainly bay, grey, chestnut and black, with some coloured ponies and even some spotted ponies.

Just over one hundred years ago, the pony breeders showed a split into two categories. One group began to concentrate on selectively breeding for the show ring with strict breed standards.  The other group bred more for usefulness and suitability for various kinds of work.

 Dartmoor hill pony

The mining industry found the native Dartmoors very useful, and crossed them with Shetland ponies for working underground. The farming industry required a sturdy weight-carrying pony, so ponies who were strong and had good depth of bone were chosen as breeding stock.  And when they were needed to be more sporty, for example as polo ponies, they were bred with arabs and thoroughbreds.  They have been used as riding ponies and driving ponies.

Dartmoor hill pony

So with all these different bloodlines that have been introduced it means there is a great variety of ponies on the moors today.  The common characteristics hardiness and good temperament. have remained the same though.

Dartmoor hill pony

Only a pony that has been bred on the commons of Dartmoor, by a registered Commoner, and whose sire and dam run on the Commons, is a Dartmoor Hill Pony.

Dartmoor hill pony

These are all photos I took on Dartmoor, showing the variety of different types and colours of Dartmoor hill pony.  Please click on the photos to see them larger.

More info on Dartmoor hill ponies here:

Dartmoor hill ponies 

Different types of ponies on Dartmoor

I have had a lot to learn about the ponies living on Dartmoor - I thought, probably like many people that there was just one type living feral there, but there are actually several different types.  Here is an overview:

 A coloured Dartmoor hill pony

Dartmoor was designated a National Park in 1951, but there have been ponies there a lot longer.   Ponies help to give Dartmoor its unique character and are one of the attractions for visitors to the area. They are an integral part of the moorland landscape and are a part of the area’s cultural heritage. Ponies are also important for conservation grazing particularly on certain habitats such as wet permanent pasture.

There are many ponies living feral on the moors, but there are several different types - it's quite confusing !

Firstly, there is the pedigree Dartmoor pony - this is the true to type Dartmoor Pony with known breeding and is recognised as a vulnerable breed by the Rare breeds society .  These are the Dartmoor pony breed that you will see being shown at pony shows.  They are represented by the Dartmoor pony society, have a strict breed standard, and are bred selectively, so that they have become more refined !  You will not see many of these running free on the moors.

The Dartmoor pony society

Dartmoor hill ponies

Secondly, are the ones you will see most often - these are known as Dartmoor hill ponies.  Only a pony that has been bred on the commons of Dartmoor, by a registered Commoner, and whose sire and dam run on the Commons, is a Dartmoor Hill Pony.

There are many variations of colour and type of Dartmoor hill pony, but they are all hardy and can survive on the moors all year round.  There are some that are Small and round like Shetland types, there is the coloured type, spotty type and the classic Dartmoor type.
 

Dartmoor Hill Pony Association

Classic Dartmoor type hill pony

Third, there is the Heritage Dartmoor pony.  This is where certain unregistered, but true to type Hill Ponies are given Heritage Trust List (HTL) status.  HTL status was granted several years ago to The Dartmoor Heritage Trust, a charity not connected with the Dartmoor Pony Society, to allow farmers on Dartmoor to obtain payments to assist them to retain their unregistered but true to type herds on the Moor.

They remain unregistered, but can if approved and they meet certain criteria enter the Dartmoor Pony Society/Duchy of Cornwall Upgrading Scheme.  This is where several generations of Heritage pony are bred with a pure bred stallion, and if they pass inspection they can become registered as a pedigree Dartmoor !

Dartmoor pony heritage trust

After scrabbling through lots of gorse and bracken I found these two young ponies, along with a mare and foal - they belong to Lowertown farm.  The one on the right is a pedigree Dartmoor, and the one on the left is a pedigree X heritage pony.

More to come about the lovely Dartmoor and Hill ponies in the next few blogs, so be sure to check back.

Please click on the photos to see them larger.

Get an Exmoor pony !!

 

Shy Exmoor pony

What is the future like for these wonderful British native ponies that are classed as a rare breed?  Hopefully, they have a positive future, along with all other British native breeds of ponies and other animals.  We need people to realise how wonderful these little ponies are.

 

Exmoor pony in sepia

They make lovely children's ponies, but can also be ridden by small adults as they are very strong.   They are very hardy and can live out all year round, so they are easy to care for. They are very intelligent and fun to ride.  Exmoor ponies are also very adaptable to most disciplines, ridden and non ridden.

One thing these ponies are excelling at is horse agility, which is a very fun thing to do with your pony.  Last year Bear - a most gorgeous Exmoor stallion won the horse agility world championship.  Take a look at this amazing video of him at play, with his owner Dawn Westcott.

Bear at liberty agility

Exmoor pony

Thankfully people are realising their worth for another job, which hopefully will help secure their future too.  They are being used for conservation grazing.  What is conservation grazing?  Whole herds of varying numbers are used for managing interesting landscapes in a low intensive way to encourage the wildlife and plants that these areas support. Sites need grazing to remove the scrub and rough grasses.  More info here from the Moorland Mousie trust that have ponies available for this job.

Conservation grazing

There are quite a few sites around Britain that are using Exmoors for this as they are an excellent choice for the job.  Read about one of the sites in the South Downs where they are using Exmoor ponies for conservation grazing.

Conservation grazing on the South Downs

If you are loving the Exmoor ponies and would like to read more about them there is a really good blog you can follow:

Exmoor pony blog

And there is a particularly heartwarming story about the rescue of an orphaned foal on Exmoor here:

Monsieur Chapeau

Please click on the photos to see them larger.

Next blog will be about the lovely little Dartmoor ponies !

Moorland Exmoor foal project

Exmoor foal

As I mentioned in the last blog, the Exmoor pony is an endangered breed, which is really sad, as they are so beautiful and adaptable, and make wonderful riding ponies.

It would be easy to think that they are endangered because there are not enough of them left to breed in significant numbers, but this is not the case.  Unfortunately, quite a few of those born each year are culled.  How could such a terrible situation arise ?

 

 

Quote from equinetourism.com

 

"Because of strict grazing quotas and the breeding programmes, most foals, especially colts, must leave the moors each year and find good homes. Sadly, those that do not manage to find good homes are often sent for meat"

 

Quote from Exmoor Pony Club facebook page

 

"Up until now, there has been a communication gap between the moorland farmers and potential homes that has resulted in a significant number of foals being culled, when there may well have been better opportunities for them. It is clear that more help is needed to promote and market the availability of the foals and the moorland herds - in addition to all the good work that is already being done.

There is also the fact that more good homes may be available if some of the foals can be socialised and handled to make them more appealing to potential owners. When the existing pony organisations are up to capacity, there are still plenty of foals that need a helping hand to make the successful transition from the moor to domestic life."

Foal running back to his mum

 

Is there anything being done about this ?  Thankfully, yes.

This year Holtball Exmoor Pony Stud / Exmoor Pony Club is running the Moorland Exmoor Foal Project to help support and promote the moorland farmers of Exmoor and their ponies.  Here is how Nick and Dawn Westcott are helping (taken from their Facebook page)

WHAT WE ARE DOING ABOUT IT
So this year, we are buying some moorland foals and giving them their initial socialisation and training, after which we will be looking for good homes for them. The ponies will come to Holt Ball after inspection and be socialised using positive, trust based training.

HOW IS THIS PROJECT FUNDED?
In our first year of running this scheme, there is no funding or support and the price we will be able to achieve for the ponies after their initial training will not even begin to cover the project costs. So we are welcoming sponsorship, support, donations - large or small, in whatever form - to help fund this project.

THIS IS NOT A 'RESCUE' PROJECT
We do not want to pitch this as a 'rescue project'. This is a project run by Exmoor farmers for Exmoor farmers to support, promote and manage the moorland foals who need to come off the moor and try to find them good jobs and good homes, rather than culling them. The Exmoor pony is an Endangered Breed and too many of our genuine moorbred ponies are being wasted through lack of viable opportunities. We want to help change that.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
If you'd like to get involved to help with the care and management of the ponies, visit us to observe some of their training, generally lend a hand, or become a sponsor, or make a donation - then please get in touch with us.

Beautiful Exmoor foal

If there is anything you feel you can do to help these beautiful Exmoor ponies please get in touch with Nick and Dawn Westcott Here .  Please help secure the future of this wonderful British native breed, and help save these lovely foals.

 

 Few months old foal

 

Camo ponies

 When we first arrived at the Exmoor National park we drove through some pretty villages, and then we went over a cattle grid, so we knew we were into the open part of the park and that the Exmoor ponies would be somewhere - but it's a huge area and there are only small numbers of ponies, so we had to drive really slowly and look very carefully.  The Exmoor ponies are very camouflaged amongst the colours of the moor.

Thankfully, due to my well tuned 'pony radar' I spotted something moving in the bracken.  We slowed down and spotted a few more dotted around.  It was a herd of ponies.  I was so pleased as we had come a long way for these ponies !

 Exmoor ponies

As you can see from the photos the Exmoor pony is well fitting for their environment.  Their colouring falls within a limited range of bay, brown or dun, with black points (with no white markings) and as such they blend in very well against their native background of heather, grass and bracken.  They should have mealy markings on the muzzle and around the eyes.

Exmoor pony

It's not just their colouring that is suited to the environment - they are very well adapted to survive out on the open and sometimes very bleak moors.  The ponies are very stocky and strong, with deep chests and large girths, the large capacity of the digestive system is important in winter as they consume large quantities of rough material which provides them with internal warmth.

The prominent flesh around the eye provides a defence system against harsh weather, and is known as a "toad eye" .

The ponies have neat, hard feet, and their legs are short.   They have well laid back shoulders and a deep chest. The ribs should be long, deep, well-sprung and wide apart, with a broad back and level across the loins.

In summer their coat is close, hard and bright, but in winter they grow a coat in two layers - the hairs next to the skin are quite fine in texture and form a layer of insulation; the outer hairs are coarser and greasy giving waterproof protection.

The tail is neatly set in and the fan of short hairs near the root of the tail is called a snow chute . The mane, forelock and tail are thick and full, and also shed water efficiently.

Exmoor pony

It's sad to think that these amazing British native ponies, who are so adapted to our environment, are so rare and are on the rare breeds list as endangered.  And what's even more tragic, is that many of the foals born on Exmoor are unwanted - no one wants to buy them and many end up as zoo food !  Thank fully many of the breeders and a charity called moorland mousie trust are working hard to change this.  More about that in my next blog, so be sure to check back soon.

Please click on the photos to see them larger.

An ancient breed

Last month we took a really long drive down to the South of England, to the county of Devon. In Devon are the large areas of wild and bleak moors called Exmoor and Dartmoor.  Both of these areas are home to large numbers of wild roaming ponies - the Dartmoor pony and the Exmoor pony - both completely separate breeds.

First I will write about the Exmoor ponies, as they are the oldest of the two breeds.  They are actually a very ancient breed - they have descended from the indigenous British Hill type pony, without too much inter breeding with other breeds.  You can see they have a very ancient look about them:

 Exmoor pony

They were first domesticated by the Celts when they came to Britain, and they trained them to pull their chariots. The first written records of ponies on Exmoor are in the Doomsday book, when Exmoor was designated a royal forest.  From the Doomsday Book onwards there is little written evidence of the Exmoor Pony but records from the 1500s onwards reveal that the equine population of the moor varied in numbers rising to as many as a thousand at times. The moors, as part of the Royal Forest, were controlled by wardens who ran native stallions there but it is known that non-Exmoor mares were sometimes allowed to roam with these herds.

Wild Exmoor pony

In 1818 the forest was sold and one of the wardens, Sir Thomas Acland took 30 ponies and founded the Acland herd (now known as the Anchor herd running on Winsford hill - which is where I spent the day photographing).  A few other farmers also took a few ponies and founded herds, some of which also still exist.

In 1921 the Exmoor pony society was founded to keep the breed pure and promote them.  For a while the ponies did really well, and were used as children's ponies, helping with shepherding, ploughing and grazing the commons, but during and after the war years the ponies had a rough time due to absent owners, moorland gates left open, trigger happy troops and butchers using them for a meat source during rationing.  In 1946 only about 50 ponies remained and only 6 pure-bred filly foals were registered for the whole of Exmoor.

Exmoor pony society website 

Exmoor mum and baby

Thankfully Mary Etherington, a keen supporter of the breed, and a few other dedicated breeders saved the breed - cattle grids gradually replaced the gates and the boundaries to the commons were secured and the numbers gradually grew.  The numbers are still increasing,  now stand at around 3000 ponies worldwide.  This might sound a lot, but they are still on the Rare breeds survival trust's watch list as 'endangered' - only one up from 'critical'.  

RBST watch list

Shy Exmoor yearling

Please click on any of the photos to see them larger.

And please go here to see prints for sale:

My shop with lots of lovely pony prints for sale

The Queen's favourite

Highland ponies

The Highland pony is an ancient breed, although there have at times been other breeds introduced into their breeding - including Arab, Clydesdale and Percheron to make them larger and stronger.  They have had many roles throughout history, including logging, carrying stags for the shooting parties and going to war.  

Yellow dun Highland pony

They have also been favoured by the Royal families down through the years: 

Queen Victoria talks about riding Highland ponies.  In "Life in the Highlands" the Queen describes a September day in 1842 when she and Prince Albert were the guests of the Duke of Atholl at Blair Castle: "We set off on ponies to go up one of the hills, Albert riding the dun pony and I the grey, attended only by Sandy McAra in the Highland dress. We went out the back way across the ford, Sandy leading my pony and Albert following closely, the water reaching above Sandy's knees" 

Queen Elizabeth II is patron of the Highland pony society and In 2007 she opened a full-time Highland pony stud at Balmoral.  One of her ponies won its class at the Royal Highland show in 2010.  She is also often seen riding Highland ponies around the estate.

 Mouse dun Highland pony

However even after all their popularity and hard work they are still on the watch list of British native pony breeds - they are listed as 'at risk'

List of breeds on the equine watch list

 Dark grey Highland pony

Hopefully their popularity may come back and people will realise how adaptable and fun to ride they are, even for adults, and they will be able to come off the rare breeds watch list.

White Highland pony

 Scottish Highland pony

*Please click on the photos to see them larger

Go here to purchase prints