Dartmoor ponies to boost conservation at estate

Five Dartmoor ponies have arrived at a National Trust estate where they will help restore the landscape by grazing on thistles and other vigorous plants.

The three mares and two geldings have arrived at Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire, where they will help create the right conditions for wildflowers and grasses to thrive beneath scattered trees planted across the estate.

The National Trust said Dartmoor ponies, a native rare breed, were well suited to the demands of conservation grazing.

Dave Hassall, farm and countryside manager at Wimpole, said: "We've already seen how their grazing helps reduce weeds and encourages a richer mix of grasses and wildflowers."

During the past five years, workers at the estate have planted thousands of trees across areas of former non-productive arable land to re-establish traditional parkland habitats.

Hassle said: "The Dartmoors are here as part of our conservation grazing programme.

"They're hardy, gentle grazers, ideal for this kind of habitat work and within minutes of arriving, one of them was happily munching on a thistle, which is exactly what we were hoping for."

The trust said that cattle could damage young tree guards, and sheep tended to graze too selectively, but ponies could help maintain a balanced vegetation structure.

The Wimpole countryside team will undertake "gentle training" with the ponies, enough to allow for safe handling, veterinary care, and movement between grazing areas, but otherwise, the ponies will be left to live as naturally as possible.

The trust said while visitors "may spot [the ponies] grooming one another or exploring the pastures... they are not domesticated animals and should not be approached or fed".

"They're working animals with a real purpose," added Hassle.

"Our aim is to let them live quietly and naturally while helping us restore this landscape.

"Over time, their presence will help the grassland become more diverse and resilient, better for wildlife and more beautiful for everyone who visits."

Once their work has prepared the ground and they have moved on to another part of the estate, the ponies will be followed by grazing cattle, which will continue to support wildlife, the trust said.

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