Dartmoor could lose up to 90% of its Hill Ponies, the last semi-wild pony herds remaining in England, as a result of new contracts drawn up by Natural England that require livestock grazing numbers to be significantly reduced on Dartmoor.
The contracts - a shift away from Higher Level Stewardship to Countryside Stewardship agri-environment schemes, could come into force as early as the end of this year, meaning that the majority of ponies rounded up in the annual ‘drifts’ in October would not be returned to the moor, with the most likely outcome being a cull.
Pony numbers on Dartmoor have dwindled from approximately six thousand 25 years ago to fewer than 1000 today, as a result of historical policy changes. The Dartmoor Hill Pony was classed as ‘Endangered’ by the United Nations in 2023, and in the same year, was listed on Defra’s ‘Native At Risk’ list.
A Devon charity, ‘Friends of the Dartmoor Hill Pony’, is calling for long-term, legal protection of the remaining Hill Pony herds in recognition of their rare status.
Charlotte Faulkner, Chair of the charity, says, “The remaining population of fewer than 1000 ponies represent an unbroken lineage that stretches back thousands of years. Hill ponies have shaped the landscape and ecology of Dartmoor and continue to play a crucial role in sustaining and restoring moorland biodiversity.”
The new grazing contracts negotiated by Natural England propose an overall reduction of grazing livestock, with ponies included alongside cattle and sheep in the total quotas across all areas of Dartmoor. Until now, many parts of Dartmoor have been allowed to exclude Dartmoor Hill Ponies from grazing quotas, affording the ponies some protection.
Under the new contracts, Dartmoor’s pony-keepers - commoners with grazing rights - will soon be forced into favouring the stocking of more commercially viable livestock, cattle and sheep, over ponies. Within the proposed quotas, the outcome of this would be a reduction of overall pony numbers of at least 60%, and up to 90%.
Responses so far received from Natural England and Defra about these concerns sound positive in tone, citing payments that will support commoners to keep ponies within the contracts. However, these support payments will only come into play after the required reductions in overall stocking numbers have taken place.
Charlotte Faulkner continues, “Each time grazing contracts on Dartmoor are renewed, the future of the Hill Ponies hangs in the balance. With under 1000 breeding mares remaining, losing even a few more would push them into a genetic bottleneck and closer to extinction. Losing 60% - the best case scenario under these new contacts - would be catastrophic.”
She adds, “We are calling for legal protection for the remaining Dartmoor Hill Pony herds, so that the continued existence of a thriving population on the Moor is guaranteed into the future. We also want a separate, agreed moor-wide herd size, as was in place with previous contracts.”
A Defra-commissioned independent review in 2023 found that much of Dartmoor is now undergrazed and covered by dominant and invasive species such as Molinia grass. Studies show that ponies eat Molinia and are a keystone species to the moorland ecology. The unique way that they graze clears spaces to allow native plant species to recover and thrive, bringing a wealth of invertebrate species with them. The 2023 review states that:
“Dartmoor’s pony population is invaluable for conservation grazing and genetically important…. Ponies and cattle should not be linked for the calculation of stocking rates and NE should not take actions likely to result in a reduction in their numbers.”
Joss Hibbs, Secretary of The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association, the membership organisation for pony-keepers on Dartmoor, says “We would welcome the opportunity to meet with Natural England to discuss concerns and solutions to safeguard the future of Dartmoor's semi-wild pony herds.”
Charlotte Faulkner concludes, “While Hill Pony populations are in peril, Dartmoor stands to lose not only a vital component of its ecosystem, but also an integral part of its cultural identity. Ponies have roamed Dartmoor for millennia, passing on through generations a deep knowledge of how to survive on the moor, and rare genes that enable them to thrive in an unforgiving environment. Once that link to the past is lost, it is gone forever. We must not let England’s last remaining semi-wild native ponies die out on our watch.”