Adding to the already established seven Exmoor and eight Dartmoor ponies grazing on Studland heathland in Dorset, are five new Exmoor ponies.
These hardy ponies have been introduced to help preserve the habitat on Godlingston and Newton Heaths by nibbling vegetation, trampling the gorse and spreading seeds.
The new Exmoor ponies were kept separate when they first arrived
“Quarantined in a paddock”
The new arrivals are young geldings (castrated males) which were held in a quarantine paddock before they could join the other 15 ponies.
Although on National Trust land, the ponies are owned by a grazing tenant who is also responsible for the cattle on the heath, allowing them to check on both herds at once.
Rebecca Eddy, National Trust area ranger, said:
“The new ponies are under a year old and came straight from Exmoor. They had to be introduced to the rest of the herd carefully, firstly being quarantined in a paddock for about 14 days to ensure they had no diseases.
“Then they were put in a field next to the existing herd for five days so they could get used to each other.”
The new ponies will be joining these established Dartmoor ponies whose pasture overlooks Poole Harbour
“Plenty of space to roam”
Familiarising the current ponies with the new arrivals meant there was no friction between them, when they were all released into the same field.
Rebecca added:
“At the moment, the youngsters have stayed together but have been joined by one of the original Exmoors – maybe the older one is acting as a mentor?!
“It’s natural for ponies to form separate herds, and they have plenty of space to roam across different parts of the heath.”
A rare Dartmoor pony breed
Rare native breeds
The Exmoor and Dartmoor ponies at Studland are extremely rare native breeds, bred on the moors and largely unhandled by people. They are chosen because they have the right metabolism to survive the harsh conditions of the moors.
All of the foals on the Studland heaths are registered with the Exmoor Pony Society or Dartmoor Pony Society, which exist to preserve and promote these pure breeds.
The Exmoor breed standard requires them to be a shade of brown with lighter patches on the muzzle, around the eyes and on the belly.
Dartmoor ponies can be a variety of colours, including bay, brown, black, grey, chestnut and roan, which is a colour mixed with white hairs.
Rebecca said:
“Using these ponies for conservation grazing helps protect the breed by creating a demand for the foals.
“We only have geldings on our land because they are the least problematic when it comes to interactions with walkers and horse riders. Mares in season can be a distraction for passing horses.”
Two of the established Exmoor ponies nibbling the Studland heathland
“Tame enough to come to a bucket”
The grazier doesn’t feed the ponies, as there is enough food for them in the wild.
Feeding them would also undermine the reason for them being on the heath which is to control the growth of vegetation.
The grazier will only feed them in certain circumstances as Rebecca explained:
“Every now and then, the ponies are fed with a few mouthfuls of grass pellets which are the closest thing to their natural diet.
“This is to keep them tame enough to come to a bucket, so that they can be moved between areas – and crucially so they can be retrieved if they escape through gates that have been left open or damaged fences.”
Exmoor ponies are hardy enough to survive the fresh easterly winds on Studland
Preserving the heathland
According to the National Trust, along with cattle and pigs, ponies are a vital part of keeping the heaths open and preserving heathland wildlife.
- Ponies nibble grass to the ground, rather than pull up vegetation like cattle. Both animals create different habitats which in turn suit different wildlife species
- The trampling of ponies creates bare areas where insects and reptiles can bask
- Like cattle, ponies carry and spread seeds over large areas (on their coats or in dung)
- Their dung heaps are places where insects can feed and burrow
- Our modern-day ponies are doing the same job that their ancestors, tarpans, did in prehistoric times
Please don’t feed the ponies
The National Trust asks that people don’t feed the ponies as they have plenty of natural food in the wild, and to give the ponies plenty of space when passing them.
Dogs should be kept on leads where the ponies are grazing, although the exception is if the ponies approach, then let the dog off the lead so both the dog and people can move to safety if necessary.
Further information
- Reintroducing ponies, pigs and cattle to Studland
