The unregistered Dartmoor pony is as much a part of the unique Dartmoor landscape as are the granite tors we all love to see. Whether a local to the area or just visiting this beautiful and dramatic scenery; it would seem very strange not to come across a Dartmoor Pony. Watching the newborn foals warming themselves on a sunny Sunday afternoon has kept many of us spellbound, or watching a herd move at breakneck speeds over the Dartmoor terrain during the annual drift. These are sights which form our great heritage and are a living memory of Dartmoor's fascinating history. The earliest mention of the Dartmoor pony was in 1012 in the will of a Saxon Bishop Aelfwold of Crediton. Dartmoor ponies were used in the tin mining industry and on the farm. Sadly, if we don't act now this breed will become extinct.

The Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust is a charity determined to halt the decline in pony numbers on Dartmoor. The Dartmoor Pony is an amazing breed, these tough, hardy animals are capable of living throughout the year on Dartmoor. As a herd animal they learn to Lear ( keep to their own territories) and will know where the nearest shelter is if the weather changes quickly; and we all know how changeable the Dartmoor weather can be.

The Dartmoor Pony has many uses; they make excellent children's riding ponies, with their kind and gentle nature. They are also very efficient grazing animals and keep the growth of vegetation under control, preventing coarse growth from taking over and blocking access to the moor.

Unfortunately, due to ongoing low market prices, the introduction of pony passports (the administration fee is often more than the pony is worth) many Dartmoor farmers have decided to stop keeping this breed and so the decline continues. However, it is not all doom and gloom! The Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust has many plans to increase the importance of this pony, no longer are these ponies going to hide behind a bushel or even a gorse bush. It's time to get the word out that these are the best buys around; after all it was a Dartmoor Pony which won at the Horse of the Year Show last year in the Working Hunter Pony Class.

So if you are interested in owning, adopting, walking a pony foal, or would just like to support this Trust please contact Dru Butterfield Charity Manager on 01626 - 355314. Thank you.

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