This blog was updated on 16th June
Recent media coverage has suggested that Natural England has recommended a cull of ponies on Dartmoor. This is categorically not true, nor is it true to suggest any scheme has been designed with the aim of achieving this.
We are actively encouraging the continued presence of ponies as part of a balanced, well‑managed landscape. Dartmoor ponies play a vital role for nature on the moor due to the way they graze, in addition to their huge cultural value.
Our role is to provide independent, evidence‑based advice on how to protect and restore Dartmoor’s internationally important habitats and wildlife.
Much of Dartmoor’s moorland is currently in poor condition with wildlife and biodiversity continuing to decline. This also has implications for people with degraded moorland increasing the risk of flooding alongside worsening the impacts of other risks associated with climate change. Restoring moorland is essential for wildlife and for the communities who depend on it. Our advice to landowners and farmers on how the moors can be grazed supports this goal. It is based on evidence and developed in discussion with those who manage the land and government who fund the various land management schemes.
Ponies are an important conservation grazer on Dartmoor and it is vital their role is maintained. They are a key part of the wider system to maintain the mix of habitats on the moor and to prevent overdominance of coarser grasses like Molinia.
We are working in partnership with commoners, landowners and organisations such as the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association and Dartmoor Land Use Management Group to support both nature recovery and the long‑term future of Dartmoor ponies, and to ensure a much more certain future for those that farm on the moor
Natural England South West Regional Director David Slater said:
“The notion that Natural England is advocating a cull is simply untrue. Dartmoor's unique habitats are in a poor state and grazing by ponies is vital for their recovery.
“Our role is to advise farmers who wish to enter the publicly funded schemes available for grazing regimes. These government schemes have been designed to restore nature - some areas will require less grazing and some more, dependent on local conditions, but ponies are and should always be part of the mix on Dartmoor.
“We work very closely with partners on Dartmoor to find a way forward that protects livelihoods and the special character of Dartmoor, including its ponies."
Below we set the record straight on some of the inaccurate claims made in the media in recent days:
Claim: "Natural England has recommended that 90% of ponies on Dartmoor are culled."
Our position: This is not true. Natural England has not recommended a cull of Dartmoor ponies. We do not have the power to order a cull, and we have not advised one.
Claim: A cull could begin “as soon as this autumn”.
Our position: There is no date for any cull as we do not recommend one. This statement conflates Natural England’s advice with the annual Dartmoor pony round‑up (“drift”), which is a long‑established, routine management practice carried out by commoners each year. These round‑ups are used to check welfare, identify and sort ponies, and manage numbers through sales or rehousing. It is not a cull directed or required by Natural England. As we’ve made clear, we have not proposed or recommended a cull, and decisions about what happens to ponies during and after the drift remain with their owners; suggestions of an imminent cull misrepresent both this traditional process and Natural England’s role.
Claim: "Natural England is trying to remove ponies from Dartmoor."
Our position: This is not true. Natural England wants to see ponies remain a central part of Dartmoor's grazing system.
Claim: Natural England’s position is not aligned with the outcomes of the Fursdon review.
Our position: Natural England’s position is consistent with the broad conclusions of the independent Fursdon Review: that Dartmoor’s ecosystems are in decline and require whole-system, collaborative management of grazing to recover nature while sustaining farming. Claims that Natural England is acting against the review rely on selective quotations about pony numbers, but the review itself emphasises balanced, evidence-based grazing across all livestock and the need for urgent change, not exemption for any one species. Natural England fully recognises Dartmoor ponies as culturally and ecologically valuable and supports their continued presence; however, decisions on livestock mix remain with commoners, and our role is to provide advice to achieve sustainable overall grazing levels. Assertions that our approach will force a cull or contradict the review misrepresent both the review’s intent and our statutory responsibilities.
Claim: Natural England has demanded a 75% reduction of livestock grazing on Dartmoor
Position: This oversimplifies a more nuanced, site‑specific process. Natural England does not set blanket cuts across Dartmoor; grazing levels are agreed locally with farmers and commoners based on the condition of individual habitats and the need to restore nature. The reality is that well managed grazing is essential to protect Dartmoor’s wildlife, landscapes and long-term farming future, and that requires tailored, evidence-based agreements and not blanket reductions.
Claim: "Natural England's stocking restrictions will force commoners to get rid of their ponies."
Our position: Decisions about which animals are grazed on Dartmoor commons rest with individual landowners and commoners, not with Natural England. Our role is to provide evidence-based advice on how to protect and restore the habitats that are legally designated for protection.
We are aware of concerns that including ponies in livestock unit calculations could lead to some land managers favouring more commercially profitable cattle or sheep.
Including ponies in calculations of grazing animals means that ponies will be properly recognised within agri-environment payment schemes.
Claim: "Natural England is ignoring the importance of Dartmoor ponies to the landscape and local communities."
Our position: Dartmoor ponies and hill ponies are part of the cultural and ecological identity of Dartmoor, and Natural England’s advice recognises this fully.
Claim: "Natural England's advice is harming an already endangered breed."
Our position: Natural England shares the concern about the future of Dartmoor ponies as a breed. Semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Ponies have been included on the Rare Breed Survival Trust watchlist. We are working with Defra on whether the rare breed supplement available under agri-environment agreements should be extended to hill ponies as well as registered Dartmoor ponies.
We are committed to working with the Dartmoor Land Use Management Group to develop a collaborative plan that supports both nature recovery and the sustainable future of the Dartmoor pony.
Claim: “Why are Natural England giving advice when the Dartmoor Land Use Management Group are still working on a landscape scale approach?”
Our position: For many landowners their existing stewardship agreements and associated permissions are due to expire before the conclusion of Dartmoor Land Use Management Group’s two-year review. To avoid gaps in stewardship funding and management advice, we are engaging in preliminary conversations to help prepare for future agreements. These will be complemented by the outputs from Dartmoor Land Use Management group, which we are actively shaping.
45 comments
Comment by Joss Hibbs posted on
NE's statement does not deal with the actual threat: numbers. That the stocking calendars they want to pull ponies into demand 56-89% total stock reduction compared to now. Nor does it mention that, by moving ponies into those stocking calendars where they have run outside them til now, the competition with cattle means the actual pony reduction will be 67-92%.
Neither does this statement explain that any supplements such as NBAR (for which the semiwild Dartmoor Hill Pony already qualifies, even though this statement suggests NE is working towards making that happen) only come into play AFTER the 67-92% are cleared.
The old trick of trying to say the decision is the farmers' when NE designs the stocking density is just a lack of accountability by NE for the impact of its actions.
I've seen the science behind those stocking densities to which NE refers - it clearly states that some moorland under HLS will produce rank molinia, but their new approach is to kill off the best tool for the job of correcting that biodiversity error on Dartmoor.
No news in this statement. No accountability. No reduction in the threat to the semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony.
Comment by Gina Blundell posted on
Yes Natural England has done a very good job of limiting numbers of Fell ponies grazing on the fells in Cumbria, gradually the stewardship of this other rare breed, is now in the custody of a few dedicated breeders who are mainly small scale breeders around the country who can not mimick the natural upland habitats that these ponies have evolved to thrive on, they become prone to diseases like laminitis, brought on by lush low land Grazing. Gradually, they will loose their hardines And their Numbers will reduce. The problem is compouned by the Riding costs of supplementary feeds that these ponies on restricted grazing need in winter. Result being, fewer and fewer ponies are kept go breeding, which will narrow the bloodlines further and cause even more inbreeding which will weaken these breeds. All very short sighted I feel.
Comment by Elaine posted on
I agree that the ponies should stay out of the numbers and the numbers of sheep and cattle should be reduced, with stricter guidance on which land should be grazed. Let the heritage of the Dartmoor Ponies and the survival of the moor be paramount in whatever plans need to go ahead.
Plus, greater regulation and enforcement should also be introduced to safeguard their welfare.
Comment by Richard Crocker posted on
This statement is not very helpful in that it is a complete denial that Natural England's position on stocking rates is a threat to Dartmoor ponies.
In reality, the stocking rates being imposed by Natural England for future Dartmoor land management schemes are (a) Based on a weak evidence base (b) Will definitely result in a reduction of Dartmoor pony numbers below a critical threshold (c) lacking in proper risk assessments for unintended consequences like the extinction of Dartmoor Ponies.
While Natural England's position is not designed to result in the culling of ponies, that will be the unintended consequence. It is disingenuous and even dishonest for Natural England to deny that.
The Fursdon Review recommended the setting up of a Dartmoor Land Use Management Group to recommend stocking rates and undertake trials on Dartmoor to provide better evidence and follow a science based approach to grazing and other actions.
Natural England only have narrow statutory objectives regarding Dartmoor's ecological outcomes. Other important objectives such as preventing wild fires, suppressing tick born diseases, the safety of visitors, the viability of the Dartmoor Pony and the financial viability of commons management are not their concern.
Natural Englands objectives need to be balanced with others. This means them working collaboratively, accepting evidence from others and finding solutions which work holistically.
Unfortunately the high level of leadership needed to bring all the agencies of Dartmoor together is not functioning, partly because Natural England appear to consider genuine partnership working un-necessary. The Dartmoor Land Use Management Group was intended to provide leadership. Natural England are part of that group, but instead of issuing a statement regarding ponies through that body have done so directly.
Statements like this only serve to further undermine trust in Natural England.
Comment by Mrs Sandria shah posted on
I agree, Natural England are a law unto themselves, motivated by their own narrow views, and finsncial gains. They operate totally regardless of the effect they have on others. In this case if they are allowed to carry out their threats, the Dartmoor Hill Ponies will be exterminated, as they will be if no value to the commoners who own them. The current price for an unbroken hill pony at the sales is about £5. So other than the sterling work they do on The Moor where is the motive to keep them? Come on Natural England you are going to show your true colours and lose z lot of support over this. Get some local advice and think again.
Comment by Armstrong posted on
Farming is generally in such a poor state, and especially fears who use their commoners rights from the edge of the moor, who do not get the upland premiums. It would seem obvious that reducing stocking rates of which ponies are only a part will push commoners to use those rights on more profitable animals( cattle and sheep).
Comment by Melvyn Davies posted on
Why should natural England comment on anything to do with Dartmoor. You have zero input absolutely no control in any capacity and suggest you keep your opinions to your own website.
Comment by JOE CRABTREE posted on
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THE PONIES WERE THERE,AND WE FOR ONE HOPE THEY ARE THERE,IT'S PART OF THE BRITISH HERITAGE+CULTURE!!! THE PONIES SHOULD BE A PROTECTED SPECIES!!! NEVER EVER TO BE CULLED!!! AND TO DO WHAT THEY HAVE ALWAYS DONE!!! ENJOY THEIR FREEDOM TO ROAM!!! ,LIKE THEY HAVE DONE FOR 100'S OF YEARS!!! JOE CRABTREE SOUTH LAKES CUMBRIA ENGLAND.
Comment by Richard Watson posted on
Have you actually read the article? It's perfectly clear no cull is going to take place.
Comment by Mrs Sandria shah posted on
Every word absolutely true. Natural England indeed. They wouldn't know nature if it bit them on the bum. Sitting on sn office in London ot wherever does not qualify you to claim to know anything about the countryside and now they have made their ignorance obvious. Go back to your desk Natural England
Comment by andrew Mr kelland posted on
Thank s for making this clear
Comment by Mrs Sandria shah posted on
Natural England is well known for its ignorance of all things equine. Therefore you should stay well out of discussions on the Moor ponies.For your information equines are not livestock. They are treated for all government purposes as leisure animals, and as an owner I have to pay VAT on everything related to my horse, unlike farmers with cattle and sheep. This 'flexibility ' on the part of so called charities and the government really makes me angry.
There a bit of info for you!!
S Shah
Comment by S izzard posted on
I cannot see the justification for this, they are part of our heritage etc etc, a terrible ill thought out policy, classifying equines as livestock when they are not classified as such. Naturel England you should feel ashamed of yourselves.
Comment by Felix Gardiner posted on
Why not exclude ponies from stocking counts and then just reduce those even further to account for the extra grazing from ponies? This would disincentivise commoners from getting rid of them in favour of more profitable livestock. Or have a separate quota for each type of livestock which would then protect the ponies which you are saying you want to keep. Currently you are risking them and acknowledge that you are doing so when you are turning them into an economic burden for the commoners. Remove that incentive as people will be driven by economics. I’m afraid it isn’t good enough to just say ‘well it’s up to commoners what they keep’ when you are in fact changing the rules which then include the ponies in the livestock counts.
Comment by Ann Louise Rawling posted on
Sadly Natural England have lost the confidence of the farming community throughout England
Comment by Lindy Stacey posted on
What about Northam Burrows country park in North Devon, the same thing is happening here!
Comment by A Harris posted on
The inevitable consequence of NE's decision to include ponies in the stocking density calculations is that they will be culled to enable farmers to meet their reduced headage limit and receive grant aid. I would like NE to explain what has led them to believe that farmers could choose to reduce cattle and sheep numbers (on which their businesses) rely rather than reducing pony numbers. To include all livestock under the same SD calculator does not recognise the positive grazing attributes of Dartmoor ponies and their contribution to increasing biodiversity. I would like NE to explain why they have not used an evidence based approach in prioritising the positive benefits of pony grazing compared to sheep.
Comment by Jack Wonnacott posted on
I am a commoner on Dartmoor we graze cattle sheep and pony’s. You say your role is to provide evidence-based advice on to protect and restore designated habitats. In my lifetime there had been a decline in biodiversity and the whole ecosystem on Dartmoor with one common factor. Natural England and environmental schemes. Commoners have done as they are told for 30 years and still we have seen species of flora and fauna disappear. In conjunction stocking levels over the last 30 years have fallen in some places ten fold. There is not a direct correlation between removing livestock and increasing biodiversity. Both need each other and the evidence you work with is all over ten years old and out dated. All on other moorland around the country and not Dartmoor and most of all none of your evidence is boots on the ground looking at what it was like in the past before agri environment schemes and how the environment has changed over the last generation. There are thousand of hectares in modern Dartmoor where livestock simply don’t go. Whether it be from waste high gorse or knee high molinia. Yet biodiversity is moor depleted in these areas. Ask yourself why and quickly because both Dartmoor it’s Commoners and landowners are all at breaking point.
Comment by Dianne Godfrey posted on
Are Natural England planting trees on Exmoor? And are Sycamore trees in that mix of trees?
Comment by Helen Hawkins posted on
Do you really think there is any trust? The allegations have not been plucked out of thin air.
There was no reason to change the ponies status at all.
Where has your evidence come from?
What heathland species are you trying to protect? If Exmoor is anything to go by the heath is being destroy by Bracken, bramble and gorse because of the “rewilding” and this drive to return everyone to forest which will ultimately lead to the extinction of a whole eco system. And lastly why no mention of the deer population, again speaking for Exmoor has exploded become riddled with btb and ticks
Comment by Lyndsay Cochrane posted on
These ponies have been here for many many years they eat the grass in a better way than sheep, because they don’t crop too close to the ground and pull up the roots. They are a natural & necessary part of the Ecosystem. Removing them is not practical and will have a long term damaging effect on Dartmoor
Comment by Michael lovemore posted on
....the claims in your statement at the end are largely false. This is just blatant spin. It appears that you've made up some
Your approach is not evidence based and in fact goes against the advice you've been given from recent Dartmoor Review.
There is no evidence of you attempting dialogue with Dartmoor Hill Pony Association.
You cannot describe this as a partnership..
It is obvious from all of your research and evidence that the Ponies benefit the biodiversity of Dartmoor and your approach will result in the collapse of the Pony population. You have to take into account the commercial incentive for the already struggling farmers when you include the Ponies in the livestock quotas. Obviously the farmers/commoners will reduce their pony numbers before the more commercially viable livestock. If there is no other way to keep Ponies on the moor they will be the first to go. You would be ignorant to suggest that that would not be the case.
You cannot claim that your actions will not affect the Pony population. Any reduction in the current population will be disastrous for the breed. You cannot implement your change to livestock quotas and then monitor the effects of this on the pony numbers.. it will be too late for monitoring. Any reduction from the current numbers will guarantee their collapse.
Your actions in ignoring the research, advice and changing your own previous strategy are actively encouraging this collapse
Comment by David Tall posted on
Glad to hear this as someone living close to both moors I want to see the pony’s there. They are also a big part of why people visit the moors.
Comment by Marcia colley posted on
So where is the directive of a massive pony cull coming from.?
Comment by Richard Watson posted on
There isn't one, and never was.
Comment by Mrs Sandria shah posted on
Simple economics. Why should struggling farms use their quota.to keep ponies when cattle and sheep are more profitable?
Comment by Marg Paice posted on
Given that the current economic climate is extremely challenging, it would not be good if you were to make it more difficult for those who have stewardship of the Land that everybody wants to To See thrive
You will no doubt be aware that ponies are not ruminant and this means that they actually benefit the environment from the ground up supporting other species, particularly birds, insects, and invertebrates
This means that they should not be included
Calculations for the amount of animals that are grazed by any particular individuals who hold a holding and have the right to graze
It’s extremely important that you do this because people need to be able to live and that means they are affected by your decisions which could put them into a position where they might lose their home
You cannot absolve yourself of this responsibility you have to take into account the current economic climate which is in freefall! Obviously there are a lot of people who are going to be watching this extremely closely including the Prince of Wales. Let’s hope he doesn’t have to step in.
Comment by Vipul Patel posted on
This would be useful if you used plain English instead of technical jargon.
It doesn't answer, to a lay person, the accusations in petitions like this one:
https://www.change.org/p/dartmoor-s-hill-ponies-face-extinction-they-need-your-help-now
Comment by catherine mcdonagh posted on
So everyone else is wrong and you are right! If you are so right, go and talk meaningfully, to those people and stop hiding behind anonymous online q&a's.
Comment by Mrs Sandria shah posted on
This a bad case of ignorant London based pen pushers making dictates about something which they know nothing about. For sensible decisions ask the farmers and local people who actually have the necessary knowledge and have to live with the outcome.
Comment by Kim Ellis posted on
Natural England are being disingenuous. The result of their stance that stock counts should be reduced without excluding Dartmoor ponies, will result in sheep and cattle being preferentially retained. It is the presence of sheep and cattle at current levels that has resulted in environmental damage, not the semi-wild ponies.
Natural England may not have ordered a pony cull, but their action will surely result in one.
Comment by Roger Nunns posted on
Absolute tosh. Read other comments they tell the true story.
Comment by Robin H posted on
These supposed “responses” from Natural England are disingenuous and completely fail to deal with the impact of the proposals. I would urge anybody who finds this superficial response reassuring to read the detailed response to these responses, which has been provided by the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association (available as reply to Natural England’s pinned tweet).
It is not acceptable for Natural England to be so disingenuous with the public. You never recommend culling ponies, however you just tried to put in place limits that would have no other possible outcomes than mass pony culls! So own what you were actually proposing doing, rather than try to hide behind bureaucratic language. Natural England obfuscates because it knows that its proposals are disgusting and will be rejected by the population.
This should be a real moment of soul searching for a quango that so often acts contrary to the interests of this country.
Comment by Pauline Stott posted on
Leave Dartmoor and Exmoor alone animals have been grazing there for hundreds of years. Go back to your towns and leave us country folk to enjoy all animals on the moors
Comment by Richard Watson posted on
An astonishing set of prejudices and assumptions! Wild open spaces are a national asset and belong to all of us, regardless of where we were born or live.
Comment by M Powet posted on
The replies sound like dissembling. Why include the ponies in the livestock count.
Also the way the replies are framed is designed to push all the blame onto commoners while NE pretend they don’t know what is going on and it’s nothing to do with their recommendations.
Comment by Bill Humble posted on
Just as an aside, did you know that Dartmoor ponies have right of way on the roads ??
Comment by Jenny Wellby posted on
You do have a history of culling animals against scientific evidence and advice, eg: badgers. Its understandable that no-one trusts you to make reasonable decisions, or believes you when you deny allegations of plans for another cull.
Comment by Richard Watson posted on
It is DEFRA who have culled badgers, usually at the behest of cattle farmers who believe that it helps to prevent bovine TB.
Comment by Tara Leader posted on
You state repeatedly that Natural England is not proposing a cull. The question the public is asking is different:
Will Natural England guarantee that its advice, grazing agreements and livestock calculations will not result in a reduction in Dartmoor Hill Pony numbers before the Dartmoor Land Use Management Group completes its evidence-based review in 2027?
A simple yes or no would provide far more clarity than another discussion about terminology.
Comment by Richard Watson posted on
Thank you for the clarification. The real problem on Dartmoor is pretty obvious: overgrazing by sheep which nibble away all flowering plants before they have a chance to flower and set seed. As with other parts of the British uplands, the dominance of intensive sheep farming has destroyed eco-systems resulting in degraded soils, damaged peat, depletion of wildlife, increased flood risk, loss of tree and scrub cover and loss of amenity and landscape value.
Comment by Marco posted on
It seems like your response is disingenuous at best. I have read the comments to your blog and they reveal a catastrophic arrogance that typifies government departments. I am not sure if the mass slaughter of a national treasure is a crime, but I fail to see how it can not be. if your actions cause it, then the culpability is yours. If the ponies disappear from that moor I am sure your actions will be subject to legal scrutiny, driven by an angry public. particularly as you have been warned clearly and with erudition of the consequences of your actions.
Comment by Richard Watson posted on
There are no plans for a mass slaughter. Its quite simple.
Comment by Emily Putnam posted on
A disingenuous response. Relying on a single report issued by the same (government) organisation that pays your salaries is not impartial. You are marking your own homework.
One study and you want to 'micro manage' the pony population on Dartmoor. How long was this study carried out over, by whom, how was it funded? What will be the consequences for Dartmoor of manhandling the landscape?
We do not believe your intentions, your wording is carefully managed and open to interpretation.
Comment by Aaron posted on
Emotive content:
Natural England are very aware that their policies will have catastrophic consequences for the ancient and much loved semi-wild pony population on Dartmoor. Those beautiful creatures which inspire visitors of all ages, with their wild-and-free ways symbolic of the purpose of the National Park. Yet for the sake of bureaucratic convenience, more like wilful ignorance, Natural England will preside over the Godless destruction of a National Treasure and the shame, disgust and anger will leave a permanent black mark on British history. Dartmoor National Park will need a new logo minus the pony (suggestions, Natural England?) and an explanatory board at their visitor centre to inform the bus-loads of school children how the ponies were turned into pet food to protect biodiversity. It could also feature a dispenser for disposable pony-print plastic leggings which will be required to protect them from the thriving tick population in the untrampled and rampant bracken. Wild Stock, Natural England, not livestock. Hands off!