When you are out and about on Exmoor, you may be lucky enough to spot a semi-feral Exmoor pony herd traversing the landscape, some of the mares with foals at foot. Seeing this charismatic ancient native breed in its natural environment is truly a sight to behold.
In the autumn, herds are gathered by their owners and, after inspection, the colt foals and some fillies need to find new opportunities, either with other semi-feral herds and conservation grazing projects, or with private homes as ridden, performance and companion ponies. Exmoors are on the Rare Breed Survival Trust’s 2023-24 Watchlist as a red-flagged ‘priority’ breed, so every pony is important.
The Moorland Exmoor Pony Breeders Group (MEPBG) was formed in 2014 by a group of Exmoor land and herd owners to help improve promotion, welfare and management of ponies in Exmoor National Park.
The group’s founding chairman, Nick Westcott, sadly died in June aged 64 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. The MEPBG met on October 24 to pay tribute to Nick’s exemplary work in establishing and motivating the group to forge a better future for Exmoor ponies, and appoint a new chairman and president.
It was unanimously agreed to appoint Nick’s wife, Dawn Westcott, author, farmer and owner of Holtball Herd 11 and the Exmoor Pony Project, as chairman, with Withypoole Herd 23 co-owner and farmer Rex Milton as president and Maria Floyd, accountant and co-owner of Tippbarlake Herd 387, as treasurer.
Commenting on the appointment, Dawn said: “I’m honoured to take on this role and will do my very best to work for the good of Exmoor ponies and their owners and to evolve Nick’s legacy. The MEPBG is involved in some exciting projects and there is real commitment and enthusiasm within the group to improve Exmoor pony welfare, management and opportunities.
“We are working with the Equus Survival Trust in the US to create DNA profiles and authenticated lineage tracking for some of the moorland Exmoor ponies excluded from the closed Exmoor Pony Stud Book, as well as pedigree ponies experiencing DNA verification delays. Both issues can compromise their opportunities and welfare.”
With Exmoor ponies becoming increasingly popular in rewilding and other land regeneration and conservation projects, Dawn added that it’s important for them to have proper status and their breeding and whereabouts tracked.
“A closed stud book is limiting, particularly when you consider the expansive, wild moorland areas inhabited by some of the herds, where it’s not unheard of for a three-year-old colt or filly to appear, despite best efforts to gather in all the ponies and get them properly registered. It is these savvy, intelligent moorland ponies that represent the true character and qualities of the Exmoor pony breed.
“The registration system needs to allow for missed ponies and provide them with a way into the stud book. Certainly, the breed is crying out for speedy and accurate DNA verification. The MEPBG continues to campaign for a much needed supplement and realistic, workable upgrading system to the closed stud book.”
The MEPBG also wants to “work with science” and progress the Exmoor pony genome project. Dawn continued: “Exmoors are only the third breed, after the Thoroughbred and Przewalski’s horse, to have their whole genome mapped. Within that lies the opportunity to evolve a way of genetically confirming that a pony is indeed ‘an Exmoor pony’, or not. Once this is established, there can be no greater status for an Exmoor pony than to have their ‘breed’ authenticated.”
To find out more about these historic Exmoor pony herds and the work of the MEPBG, please visit the website www.mepbg.co.uk.
