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A registered charity, the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust was formed in 2005 in response to the risk of approaching extinction of the ‘true’ Dartmoor pony.

Since its formation, the DPHT has become an invaluable resource for conservation grazing, providing a fully comprehensive service for land managers who have, or who are hoping to use, Dartmoor ponies.

The changes in legislation regarding the exportation of equines, together with changing agricultural policies led to the collapse in the (already poor) market of the ponies. Many moorland farmers found it financially unviable to own them and sold their herds. Many of those remaining were producing cross-bred coloured foals and as a consequence the numbers of ponies with true bloodlines fell.
 

The DPHT identified that by handling and training foals and young ponies from the moor significantly increased their value as pets, ride and drive ponies and indeed, conservation grazers.

Working in partnership with Dartmoor National Park Authority, Natural England and GAP, the DPHT began to promote the ponies for conservation grazing.
Charity Manager Dru Butterfield ensures that training is offered as a key component of their work. Staff and volunteers who work with the ponies, whether on loan or purchased, attain an acceptable level of competency in their management and husbandry.

In conservation grazing terms, it is preferred that a pony has ‘manageable wariness’, which means that it is calm and trusts its keeper enough to say follow a bucket, but will not approach strangers. This will allow essential husbandry to be carried out without causing unnecessary stress to both pony and handler. The DPHT runs as a charity, all sales received for the handled ponies go directly to the original owner. The increase in value of these ponies is reviving farmers’ interest in keeping their herds on the moor; a pure Dartmoor pony which once were sold for less than £1, now can reach in excess of £350. The number of keepers has now reached 26 and there are 400 breeding mares on Dartmoor which comprise the traditional gene pool.

The DPHT helps managers to source ponies for conservation grazing, ensuring that the ponies selected are compatible with the habitat and property in question. For example, mature animals are ‘assigned’ to the harsher conditions such as tight rocky ground. Younger animals go to softer grazing. The presence of the Dartmoor pony can yield financial rewards for grazing managers, as properties eligible for HLS agreements may apply for Native Breeds at risk supplement.

Coastal marginal sites are particularly assessed - it is acknowledged that there is a risk of cliff falls and so measures such as good signage, provision of calm ponies and the avoidance of pinch points are taken to mitigate the risk.

The DPHT is working closely with agencies and partner organisations such as The National Trust to promote and share best practise for ponies in conservation grazing. Dru is working closely with The National Trust Devon and Cornwall Region to produce a pony grazing protocol for owners and managers, to benefit the conservation grazing project and in particular the pony itself.

Dartmoor Ponies browsing on gorse

Dartmoor ponies are excellent grazers and have the ability to switch to less palatable forage when necessary and with the season. On Dartmoor they play a particularly important role in the grazing of purple moor grass in the spring and western gorse in the late winter. The Dartmoor pony excels in both wet marsh and dry heathland environments.

Natural England chooses Dartmoor Ponies for conservation grazing

The Norfolk Wildlife Trust recently bought a herd of Dartmoors to graze a 120 hectare heathland site. Please click here for details of their arrival and progress.

Norfolk Wildlife Trust Testimonial written by Melissa Slote Grazing Officer NWT

We have 160 hectares of wet and dry heath and valley mire that will benefit enormously from the structural diversity that the pony grazing will bring. The reserve is currently grazed with our own Flying Flock of sheep and intermittently by a grazier's cattle but having the ponies resident on the site will help secure the grazing management for the habitat and a range of heath and mire species.

Dru, DPHT Charity Manager, has been extremely helpful in finding exactly what we were looking for in terms of the number, age range and gender of the ponies. It could've been quite a daunting prospect without her local knowledge. Having discussed the grazing with Dru, local keepers and seen the grazing that has been taking place firsthand in Dartmoor we are confident that our new employees will do a fantastic job on the reserve.