Dartmoor Ponies

This Christmas and New Year, the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Group is putting traditional dartmoor ponies back to work on the moors. Dartmoor ponies are a small, hardy breed that have been bred for centuries and used for many purposes. They make ideas ponies for children as they generally have a calm temperament. Because they have a stocky build with strong legs and bone structure, they can easily carry a small adult, and are good for beginner riders.

The recent credit crunch has had an impact on all horse dealing, and the price of a dartmoor pony has plummeted at auctions. New legislation and essential horse documentation hasn't helped as traditional dealers from Ireland who might have bought dartmoor ponies to trade on, now tend to by pass near feral herds and go to other sources. This means it's hard to make an income from breeding dartmoor ponies, which in turn puts this heritage breed at risk.

To help save this breed, the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Group has put a small group of these ponies to work over December and the New Year, clearing Christmas trees from their traditional moorland home.

The ponies have over the centuries kept the moorland free of trees, trampling and grazing to allow light for sensitive plants to survive. The demise of the ponies means that larger plants like Christmas trees have taken a hold in parts of the moor. The dartmoor ponies are now being used as an environmentally friendly way of clearing the moorland. Their stocky frame makes them ideal for this job, and a team of volunteers are learning to work ponies in pairs to harrow the land with a chain.

Once more, the dartmoor pony has become part of a working environment, a viable alternative to a quad bike or tractor.

If you want to find out more, visit the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust website at dpht.co.uk