We will post some pictures of the ponies' journey here soon

The Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust (DPHT) has co-ordinated the sale of 16 Dartmoor Heritage Ponies* to the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. They contacted the DPHT to establish if our ponies would be suitable for their grazing requirements. A visit to Dartmoor was arranged for the Norfolk team to talk to relevant farmers and; look at different habitats that are grazed by the ponies. After a two day visit, several miles walked and a number of miles accumulated on the clock, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust agreed to purchase five mares along with this years foals, a yearling colt and five three year old geldings.

Mel Slote, NWT's Grazing Officer, said "I'm pleased to say that the ponies have arrived fit and well and are swiftly settling in. The structural diversity that pony grazing will bring to the reserves will benefit a range of heath and mire species. Not only is this a wonderful opportunity for us to protect important wildlife sites but to also help in the conservation of this vulnerable native pony."

The wild Dartmoor Ponies are critical to the survival of the breed, and although these ponies do not have papers to prove their parentage, it is clear that there ancestors were the foundation stock from which the Dartmoor Pony breed evolved. The DPHT was created earlier this year to ensure we do not lose this precious gene pool. The trust has formed a partnership with the Dartmoor National Park ecology department and English Nature, several pieces of research regarding Dartmoor Pony grazing have been written over the last few years and we look forward to continuing this project.

The findings to date have highlighted several points:

Dartmoor ponies are generally selective grazers, they have the ability to switch to less palatable forage when necessary and with the season. They appear to have a particularly important role in the grazing of purple moor grass in the spring and western gorse in the late winter. Dartmoor's valley mires are internationally important and pony grazing is critical for the maintenance of open, tussocky vegetation on which so many rare species depend.

Dartmoor ponies also help to control the spread of bracken by trampling and weakening the young fronds. This trampling is beneficial in bracken stands on south-facing slopes where rare fritillary butterflies thrive. These butterflies need open bracken stands with a good density of violets and Dartmoor ponies help to create and then maintain this habitat. There is a very strong cultural association between the Dartmoor pony and the moor. They are a potential source of revenue for farmers.

The ponies are used as a conservation tools to manage the moorland. Recent changes in legislation have encouraged Dartmoor farmers to breed different types of ponies as fashion has driven the demand for Shetland and coloured ponies. This has put the future of the Dartmoor Heritage Pony in jeopardy. By establishing new outlets for the annual foal crop we will keep the pony in its natural environment.

If you are interested in purchasing Dartmoor Heritage Ponies for conservation grazing please write to:

Mrs. Dru Butterfield, Chittleford Farm, Widecombe-In-The-Moor, TQ13 7TF, or visit our website www.dpht.co.uk to find out more or to make a donation. Thank you.

*This is the name given to the indigenous unregistered Dartmoor Ponies grazing wild on the commons of Dartmoor.