The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association welcomes Natural England’s recognition that the situation which has led to signifi cant media coverage in recent weeks is ‘real’. It also welcome’s Natural England’s recognition that the semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Ponies are ‘iconic’, ‘native’, an ‘integral part of (the moor’s) grazing system’ and ‘have shaped the moor for’ millennia. The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association also welcomes the recognition of a need for viable farming to be sustained, and that encroaching Molinia is caused by under-grazing.
Whereas Natural England states that ‘there is no quick fi x’, the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association proposes that a commitment by Natural England to implement Recommendation 27 of the Fursdon Review (see below) would be an immediate and meaningful assurance that semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony numbers will not be further reduced by Natural England’s actions.
The complexity of balancing the rights of commoners, the economics of traditional upland farming, wildfi re risks and the ecological needs of protected habitats was investigated by the Fursdon Review in 2023. Subsequently the Dartmoor Land Use Management Group has been set up to consider the implementation of Review recommendations and is due to report in 2027. The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association suggests that this is the correct process in which those complexities should be considered. Until such time as the LUMG completes its work, the DHPA suggests it would be inappropriate to implement new ELM scheme contracts on Dartmoor commons and proposes that, as before, the terms of the current contracts are extended.
The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association notes that Natural England has not included the Association as a stakeholder in its investigative meetings. Given that the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association represents Dartmoor commoners keeping the semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony herds alongside their cattle and sheep on the commons of Dartmoor, important knowledge will be missed as a result.
The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association welcomes Natural England’s stated aim to safeguard the future for these numerically Endangered and genetically Rare, semi-wild ponies and therefore hopes Natural England will commit to the swift Recommendation 27 of the Fursdon Review:
"Dartmoor’ s pony population is genetically important and invaluable for conservation grazing. Ponies & cattle should not be linked for the calculation of A-E agreement stocking rates and NE should not take actions likely to result in a decline in pony numbers."