In defence of the Dartmoor Hill Pony
The Dartmoor Hill Pony is the true indigenous Dartmoor Pony as they live a healthy and free life out on Dartmoor all year long and have been doing so for very many generations. These hardy and loveable ponies have been very important to Dartmoor, along with cattle and sheep, in maintaining the Dartmoor landscape so beloved of both locals and the many visitors to Dartmoor.
The Dartmoor Commoners Council, in conjunction with the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association, run a stallion inspection and approval scheme which ensures only approved stallions run on the open moor thus ensuring the continued hardiness, thriftiness and soundness of the ponies are all maintained.
The DHPA has also recently been leading the way with regard to consultations with DEFRA concerning transportation, pass porting and ensuring that we are still able to brand our ponies for identification purposes. It was the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association that won approval for DEFRA allowing pony keepers on Dartmoor to transport ponies to market without firstly having to microchip and register them before leaving the home farms.
The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association actively promotes the annual Chagford pony sale which is a very important market place for all Dartmoor Ponies. There is also a smaller summer sale of halter broken ponies. The DHPA keeps a list on their website of ponies for sale direct from the home farms.
The Dartmoor Pony Society states that the Dartmoor Hill Pony has no breed standard. This I would strongly take issue with as their most important standard is their hardiness, thriftiness and soundness which allows them to withstand the harsh Dartmoor climate, which to all Dartmoor Hill Pony keepers is extremely important. Their value, as I stated earlier, comes from their use as conservation grazing tools on the moor, the importance of which cannot be overstated.
The Dartmoor Hill Pony has never been bred purely for meat and over the years thousands have found loving homes all over the UK, Europe, Canada and beyond as excellent childrens’ ponies, with classes at many one day and County Shows.
The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association and its members along with the Dartmoor Commoners Council have been working very hard to remove any unmarked ponies from Dartmoor thus reducing the overall numbers and this, in turn, is reducing the number of foals produced each year. We have also been involved with contraception trials for mares out on the moor.
Importantly the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association has introduced an on farm disposal scheme which means any unwanted ponies can be humanely destroyed on the home farm.
The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association would like to point out that it was particular Dartmoor Hill Ponies which were chosen as the basis for the Heritage Pony Scheme, something which we feel, as an Association, gets forgotten and we are pleased and proud that they chose our Hill Ponies for the basis of their project.
Taking all these factors into account, the Dartmoor Hill Pony, its Association and the enormous voluntary effort to ensure the future of ALL ponies on Dartmoor, we feel that these ponies deserve a great deal of respect and support from all those who live, work, value and enjoy the stunning landscape of Dartmoor.
Graham Goddard
Vice Chairman – Dartmoor Hill Pony Association
For further information visit our website: www.dartmoorhillponyassociation.co.uk
You may also like to visit the website of Friends of the Dartmoor Hill Pony, where you will find details on how to support or buy ponies for riding, driving, companion or conservation grazing: www.friendsofthedartmoorhillpony.co.uk
With thanks to Sarah-Jane of Friends of The Dartmoor Hill Pony for supplying all these lovely images.