Ponies, Grazing and Dartmoor Commons June 2026

 Semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Ponies have been continuously present on Dartmoor for over four millennia.  They have unique and rare genetics shaped by the Dartmoor environment, making them an important part of the UK’s biodiversity and central to the survival of the international equine species in times of climate change.  As a semi-wild population, they are specially adapted to local conditions and play a vital ecological and cultural role in the sustainable management of Dartmoor.  Their survival depends on herd knowledge of the landscape, which mean they cannot be conserved through ex-situ breeding programmes:  they must be protected on the commons of Dartmoor.

The semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony is classed by Defra as numerically Endangered and, as part of United Nation’s COP commitments to Biodiversity, the Government has added the semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony to the UK Native at Risk list.  Preservation of the semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony falls within the UK Government aim, as set out in Commitment 61 of the UK’s Environment Plan 2025 (strengthen the conservation of genetic resources by 2030). Natural England’s decision to cause a significant reduction in semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony numbers directly contravenes these government aims. The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association asks that the work of Defra departments is respected and supported by Natural England.

The conclusions of the independent Fursdon Review, commissioned by DEFRA was scientific and evidence based in its approach and clear in its recommendations. Natural England should implement them.

Paragraph 23.2 stated “Dartmoor’s pony population is invaluable for conservation grazing and genetically important.  We have seen industry estimates of a target population of between 1,000 and 2,500 head. 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.”

Recommendation 27 of Fursdon’s Review which stated: “Dartmoor’ s pony population is genetically important and invaluable for conservation grazing. Ponies and 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.”

The threat to semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Ponies is created by Natural England’s decision to include them in agri-environment scheme stocking calendars, where they have run outside of until now.  This is in clear contravention of the conclusions and recommendations of the Fursdon Review.

Dartmoor’s biodiversity is currently undermined by the presence of vast areas of rank Molinia grass, which is suffocating plant diversity and habitat creation for birds, insects and reptiles. Peer-reviewed and published scientific studies confirm that the Semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony is a central tool in tackling Molinia, as they eat it[1] and their rare survival genetics allow them to do so in the highest and harshest parts of Dartmoor[2]. Every semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony is needed if Dartmoor’s biodiversity is to be enhanced. It is not Ponies Or Biodiversity, it is Ponies For Biodiversity.

One Size Fits All Moorland scheme grazing densities imposed by Natural England across all of England’s uplands have proven ineffective at enhancing Dartmoor’s biodiversity.  Having completed the Freedom Of Information process and taken advice, the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association notes that Natural England has no scientific evidence to support the belief that further reduction in grazing densities will bring Environmental benefits or improvement to the condition of Dartmoor’s SSSIs.

It is, however, certain, if the semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony Population is included in stocking reduction, that the pony population will be decimated, with the loss of rare equine genetics, an essential tool in the management of invading Molinia grass and a key part of Dartmoor tradition and culture. 

It is also certain that further reduction of livestock numbers will bring negative socio-economic impacts.

The Dartmoor Hill Pony will not be protected within agri-environment agreements stocking calendars by supplements aiming to support pony grazing on moorland.  These supplements are only available after the pony population has been reduced to fit agreement scheme overall grazing densities:  scheme negotiations indicate that this would require a reduction in pony numbers of 67%-92%.  This policy amounts to ‘we will induce the irreversible removal of 92% and value the remaining 8%’.

The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association is calling for an agreed and supported grazing density to be available on every Dartmoor Common, outside of any agri-environment scheme stocking calendar, to accommodate the semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony Population. This arrangement has been in place during current and past agri-environment scheme agreements.  And it was the clear recommendation of the Fursdon Review.  Semi-wild ponies should not be put in a position of having to compete with cattle in the calculation of agri-environment agreement stocking rates.

The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association is grateful for the support for Dartmoor’s ponies from Ministers and MPs, and especially to those MPs across Devon  -  and Cornwall  - who have taken the time to visit and to learn about Dartmoor and its ponies, and to raise questions in Parliament.

Semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Ponies are visibly marked, as directed in the Dartmoor Commons Act, identified by microchip and digitally registered with the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association.

The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association is keen to work with Defra and Natural England to design an approach which removes the threat to the semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony population.  Until that work starts and policy is changed, the threat to the Dartmoor Hill Pony population remains. The timeline set by Natural England will mean that a cull is required this autumn in order for Commoners to be in compliance with the contracts.