The ponies' future still hangs in the balance!

The future of Dartmoor's endangered Hill Ponies, now numbering fewer than 1,000, still hangs in the balance. Despite widespread media coverage and support from politicians across several parties, promises have yet to become action.

As current Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreements end, commoners face livestock grazing cuts of up to 89% under new Countryside Stewardship Tier 3 contracts. With ponies now included in overall stocking limits alongside cattle and sheep, they risk being pushed off the moor in favour of more commercially viable livestock.

We are urging  Kier Starmer to act before this window of opportunity closes. No changes have yet been made to Natural England's new grazing contracts, despite the 2023 Dartmoor Review clearly recommending that ponies should not be included in stocking limit calculations with cattle and sheep, and warning against policies that would reduce pony numbers.

Labour MPs Steve Race and Luke Pollard continue to press for change. As Steve Race stated: "It's not good enough for Natural England to say 'we're not ordering a cull', when their policies would lead to that outcome."

While Natural England says it values the ponies and will offer native breed supplements, these payments would only apply after the major reductions in grazing numbers have already taken place.

We will fight on until we see the changes in legislation that will secure the future of Dartmoor’s semi-wild pony herds on the moor where they belong!

Please keep sharing the petition and speaking up for the ponies to put pressure on Natural England to act!