Can I Buy An Exmoor Pony?

Young Exmoor ponies may be bought from their breeder, from either a ‘free living’ or an ‘in-ground’ herd. Breeders usually have the current year’s foals for sale from October onwards. To bring up a pony from this age is the most rewarding, but it requires time, patience, suitable facilities and experience.

Does anyone own the Exmoor ponies?

The ponies are only ‘wild’ in the sense that the herds roam freely on the moor, for all the ponies belong to someone. There are around twenty different herds that run on the various commons of Exmoor, two of which are owned by the National Park.

Can Exmoor ponies be ridden?

If you wish to ride an Exmoor pony, the Centre offers various options from novice sessions to trekking the moor. They cater for all standards of riders from 4 years of age. Please note that there is a weight limit of 12 stone/76 kg for riding the Exmoor ponies.

Are Exmoor ponies still branded?

From 2012 onwards, only those ponies remaining as part of the free-living breeding herds on Exmoor have been identified through branding all other ponies are micro-chipped only. It is a legal requirement that every pony that in born in-ground or leaves their home farm on Exmoor must have a passport.

How many Exmoor ponies are left?

By 2021, 100 years on from the formation of the Exmoor Pony Society, approximately 600 ponies roam Exmoor and a further 4,000 (some free-living but most as domestic ponies) are in locations across the UK and in several other countries.

How long do Exmoor ponies live for?

25 years
These older mares might be 30 plus years old, the oldest was known to be 40; the average lifespan is 25 years. Every autumn herd owners round up the ponies and new foals are registered in the society’s stud book. Some ponies will be sold or move to conservation grazing sites.

Do they cull Exmoor ponies?

This has led to difficulties with registering some perfectly good, purebred Exmoor ponies in the stud book and difficulty in obtaining the necessary paperwork to satisfactorily sell foals coming off the moor in the autumn. This can result in culling of ponies and frustrations for the farmers.

Where is the best place for Exmoor ponies?

Where can I see an Exmoor Pony? Take a drive or a walk across the moors of Exmoor and you may well encounter Exmoor ponies living free. As the ponies are free-roaming it is hard to predict exactly where you will find them, although Porlock Hill, Winsford Hill and Molland Moor are a few likely spots.

What is the difference between Exmoor and Dartmoor ponies?

The main difference between Exmoor and Dartmoor ponies is that the Exmoor breed is sturdier, and has a characteristic ‘mealy’, ie pale or white, muzzle. Dartmoor ponies are commonly thought of as brown or bay, but other colours are ‘permitted’ – black, grey, chestnut or roan.

How heavy is an Exmoor pony?

700-800 pounds
The preferred height range is 11.3 to 12.3 hands for stallions and geldings, and 11.2 to 12.2 hands for mares. Ponies weigh on average 700-800 pounds. The general appearance is that of balance, strength and definite pony character.

Are Exmoor ponies Hardy?

Well, Exmoor ponies are sturdy and very hardy, they are literally built for outdoor living on the unpredictable moorland. Exmoor Ponies have developed an extra fleshiness on their brows, something that is called a “toad eye” and this helps them in windy and rainy conditions.

Is branding horses illegal in the UK?

Due to the painfulness of the process as well as the medical consequences for the animal, hot-iron branding of all other types of animals has been prohibited in the UK, and hot-iron branding of horses has been prohibited in Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Why is the Exmoor pony endangered?

By the 1930s, nearly 500 ponies lived on Exmoor. But the looming Second World War threatened the demise of the popular breed. Owners left for the battlefield, and the moor became a training ground for troops. Soldiers used the herds for target practice, and starving citizens stole the ponies as a source of meat.

Who owns Exmoor?

The largest landowners are the National Trust, which owns over 10% of the land, and the National Park Authority, which owns about 7%. Other areas are owned by the Forestry Commission, Crown Estate and Water Companies.

What do Exmoor ponies eat?

The Exmoor pony is an ideal breed to use for conservation. The ponies are intelligent and resourceful. They will not only graze grass but will also browse hawthorn berries, young trees and thistle buds. They’ll even strip off bark.

Do Lundy ponies still exist?

The Lundy Pony is a British breed of pony bred on Lundy Island in the twentieth century.
Lundy Pony.

Do ponies get lonely?

Horses are known to be social creatures – herd animals by nature that thrive on a group dynamic. While there are varying degrees of friendship needs, from a large field with several herd members to a trio or even just a pair, horses that are on their own, by contrast, can get lonely.

How big do Exmoor ponies get?

12 – 12.2 hands
There is little variation between adult Exmoor Ponies although they naturally range from about 11½ hands to 13½ hands, the majority are 12 – 12.2 hands. The ponies are very stocky and strong, with deep chests and large girths.

How long can ponies go without water?

A horse deprived of water may only live up to 3 or 6 days. After not consuming water for two days a horse may refuse to eat and exhibit signs of colic and other life-threatening ailments.

What happens to New Forest ponies when they are sold?

Animals surplus to their owner’s requirements often are sold at the Beaulieu Road Pony Sales, run by the New Forest Livestock Society. Tail hair of the ponies is trimmed, and cut into a recognisable pattern to show that the pony’s grazing fees have been paid for the year.

Are ponies aggressive?

While ponies might demonstrate aggressive behavior when wanting to assert their dominance or feeling threatened, they aren’t dangerous. However, like horses, they will bite. In most cases, they demonstrate their aggressiveness through nipping. While this might be a shock, it won’t cause any severe harm.