Page 5 - Submission: Public Payment for Public Goods, Semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony herds

the semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony herds, and the Dartmoor Pony breed which

was developed by the then Prince of Wales (Edward VII) in the 1860s.
iii) Dartmoor Hill Pony semi-wild herds roam freely on the upland commons of

Dartmoor, year round: as a rule, the pedigree Dartmoor Ponies graze the

commons in the summer months only.
iv) The majority of ponies seen on Dartmoor commons are semi-wild Dartmoor Hill

Ponies.

4 e) Conservation Grazing

Click here: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Ababb9e58-754a-456e-aaa4-
1fdf0dc69d1e
i) This paper is written by Fraser, Stanley and Hegarty outlining the value of semi-
wild pony-grazing on the biodiversity of UK uplands. It is peer-reviewed and is

due to be published after the deadline date for submission to the Agriculture bill

committee. Please read a minimum of Abstract and sections 1-3. It concludes

that:-

ii) There is high ecological overlap between pony and cattle grazing reported in a
range of studies; that semi-wild ponies should be considered as an alternative

tool for conservation management.

iii) Semi-wild ponies are useful grazers where there is a need to reduce the
dominance of plant species avoided by small ruminants such as sheep.

iv) Semi-wild ponies are particularly suited to conservation grazing because their

genomes have been shaped by natural not artificial selection (such as a chosen

height/shape/colour).
v) Furthermore, it argues that as agricultural policy plans to deliver public goods

rather than primary production, recognising the value of native ponies, and

semi-wild ponies in particular, as grazers, achieves biodiversity whilst

simultaneously supporting at risk equine genotypes.
vi) Please click here:

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A2f9c997c-6793-49f0-a3f1-5b29a3371dbc

and here:

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A38768662-c800-4873-941a-8af4a36b3cc8
to see statements by Natural England and Butterfly Conservation (pony grazing

is essential to supporting the rare Marsh Fritillary Butterfly: Dartmoor is

consequently a stronghold for this butterfly).
4 f) Value to Tourism