The New Forest Ponies are always a welcome sight for anyone visiting the area and are probably the first thing you associate with the New Forest. There are around 5,000 ponies which inhabit the National Park and it is very unlikely you will not see them whilst taking a holiday or short break here. They are indeed long term residents and their presence is known to date back over 2,000 years.

The ponies found in the forest are in a sense wild and are allowed to roam free. However, they are owned by New Forest Commoners which is a fact largely unknown to people who come to visit the area.

The ponies and cattle that the commoners own are legally permitted to graze on the open forest throughout the year and these rights go back hundreds of years. The ancient tradition of commoning goes back to the days when William the Conqueror made this area his private hunting ground and imposed strict laws on the locals. As a gesture, he gave the locals the right to graze their animals on the ‘common’, this being the land which is today known as the New Forest.

It is thanks to our ponies and cows that the grass is so neat and tidy here in the New Forest. In fact, it is their continuing roaming and grazing around the forest which supports rare plant species, including wild gladiolus and chamomile. This in turn aids the wider ecosystem and encourages other species to thrive here, including the Southern Damselfly and the Dartford Warbler. The Southern Damselfly actually lays its eggs in the water filled hoofprints of ponies and cattle who come to drink in the streams that pass through the New Forest.

As mentioned earlier, the ponies are allowed to roam freely but every now and again they are rounded up in what are called drifts. Over thirty of these drifts take place during the summer and autumn each year, this enables the commoners to check on the health of their animals, plus a chance to wean and handle the foals.

Where can I spot the New Forest ponies?

The New Forest ponies can be found grazing all around our National Park. Seeing as there are around 5,000 of them, it doesn`t take too long to encounter one. There is an abundance of nutritious food on offer for the ponies and you frequently find them grazing across the open heathlands in small groups.

You may wonder why some of the ponies have silver collars on them. This is because when the ponies are rounded up as part of the drift, some of them have reflective collars put on them to help make them more visible at night. However, not all of the ponies are caught and some lose them anyway whilst out and about living their daily lives. If driving at night and you spot a reflective collar in the distance then it is likely that there are animals about. Please drive safely and carefully if approaching animals both in the day and at night.

What Does A New Forest Pony Look Like?

Each pony has certain markings to make it recognisable. The owner usually brands his own pony and with their markings they can be easily identified to a trained eye. They are predominantly brown or chestnut in colour but some are of varying colours including grey, black and mixed markings. The feral New Forest pony is on the native breeds “at risk” register.

The upper height for a New Forest pony averages around 148 cm, but there is no lower limit on height.

When the New Forest mares become pregnant, the gestation period is approximately 11 months. Stallions are presently introduced out into the forest for 6 weeks in Spring and early Summer to breed with the mares. The Verderers decide which registered stallions are allowed on to the forest to breed. To keep the forest-bred stock healthy, stallions are moved every three to four years. The subsequent foals are born in the later spring and summer months and its a joy to watch the forest come to life during these times.

Are The Ponies Well Looked After?

All the animals which graze on the Forest are owned by commoners, so ultimately it is their responsibility to make sure that their ponies are well looked after. In addition, there are 5 “Agisters” who the Verderers employ and they watch over the forest stock. They also ensure that their owners meet the requirements of the Verderers in respect of stock welfare. The Agisters attend road accidents and other incidents involving Commoners’ animals. They also deal with injured animals at the scene and humanely destroy the animal if necessary.

Agisters organise the construction and ongoing maintenance of stock pounds within their area and they arrange and manage the rounding up of ponies.

New Forest Friendly Visitor

The New Forest National Park is a fantastic place to visit for everyone and becoming a Forest friendly visitor will ensure it stays that way.

For the animals safety and your own please leave the animals alone. Even though they are owned and cared for by the local people called commoners, they can be unpredictable and still possess a wild instinct. It is advisable not to feed or stroke them as there is already plenty of natural food for the animals. They may also look friendly but they can bite and kick, especially protective mares with new foals.

Keep your distance! Remember that these animals are not tame and the gentlest looking pony can also kick and bite. Children are particularly vulnerable so please be vigilant at all times when your child is close to the ponies.

Its worth noting that many animals are killed or injured by car drivers each year. Sadly, ponies and cattle for that matter do not have any road sense and are likely to cross in front of traffic at any time. The resident animals have the right of way on all the roads in the New Forest. There is a maximum speed limit of 40 mph on unfenced Forest roads. The use of reflective collars on ponies is a measure some Commoners use to attempt to reduce the number of accidents involving ponies. However, not all of the ponies and very few cows have these collars so drive with extreme care at night.

If you are involved in a road traffic accident with a pony it is an offence not to report it. Make sure you carry an animal emergency hotline card which gives you all the contacts you may need if you happen to be in collision with a New Forest animal.