“Ponies could be put to death” shrieked the Times, using language that conjures some barbaric, medieval ritual punishment. ‘Keir Starmer’s incompetence has allowed the Dartmoor ponies to be led to slaughter’ howled Victoria Atkins (Conservative MP from Horncastle, 190 miles away). Honest Bob Jenrick (Reform UK, MP for Newark, 260 miles away from Dartmoor), and former Tory) is never one to miss an opportunity to to further his political career by stiriring up division and rage; he piled in with a reel titled ‘Don’t let them kill the Dartmoor ponies!’ and stuffed with romantic images of ponies against the backdrop of sunsets and rugged tors.
‘Don’t slaughter the ponies’ echoed Badenoch, as her PR team spotted a golden opportunity to recruit the nation’s animal lovers to her latest hobby horse and make political capital out of pinning the whole thing on Starmer. They promptly launched a petition, claiming ‘Starmer’s government plotting to kill the Dartmoor ponies’. Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, Luke Pollard got in on the act, writing a letter to the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs ‘to raise his concerns about Natural England’s plans which risk a cull of up to 90% of Dartmoor ponies.’
Only there was never going to be a cull, a slaughter, a putting-to-death. It’s all absolute nonsense. Bollocks of the utter variety.
I am an ardent horse lover. A genuine one. I’ve kept and loved horses all my long life. I live on the edge of Dartmoor. I was horrified to see all the headlines…not because it sent me into a spin over potential pony deaths (which it would have done if the threats had been genuine), but because it is utterly disgusting to see politicians making political capital out of a lie. It’s not new, of course. Very, very far from it. And these lies affect the lives of real people, trying to do their jobs.
This whole affair gives us just a flavour of the horrors unleashed on communities when politicians weaponise issues whilst wilfully or incompetently ignoring facts. For us, it has not led to firebombing houses or riots on the streets. It has not involved violence or destruction of property. But make no mistake, this is the politics of scaremongering, of incitement, of deliberate disinformation… and it is becoming normalised.
The description of correspondence as ‘unpleasant’ is an understatement. And they won’t have been the only ones to have been threatened and abused.
Here is a statement from the Dartmor Pony Heritage Trust (DPHT):
The Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust (DPHT) welcomes the opportunity to provide clarity on our position regarding Environmental Land Management (ELM) grazing agreements, stocking levels on Dartmoor, and the future of the traditional Dartmoor Heritage Pony. Given recent public concern, it is essential to restate our role, our independence, and our long‑standing commitment to safeguarding Dartmoor’s native ponies.
Who We Are and What We Do
The DPHT is an independent conservation charity founded in 2005 to preserve and protect the traditional, true‑to‑type Dartmoor Heritage Pony and registered pedigree Dartmoor ponies, both of which are recognised as critically endangered native breeds. We operate entirely separately from the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association and are not involved in campaigns or petitions relating to their work.Our core purpose is to ensure that these specific native ponies remain a viable, valued, and permanent part of Dartmoor’s landscape. We do this by providing direct financial support, practical herd‑management assistance, and market pathways for keepers and breeders across the moor.
Ecological Importance of the Native Dartmoor Pony
Scientific research – including multi‑year studies conducted with the University of Plymouth – has repeatedly demonstrated that traditional Dartmoor ponies are exceptional conservation grazers. Their ancient genetics and hardiness allow them to thrive year‑round on the moor, selectively grazing dominant vegetation such as purple moor grass (Molinia) and crushing coarse gorse. These behaviours create biodiversity benefits that cattle and sheep cannot replicate.Our Position on ELM Agreements and Stocking Levels
The DPHT has consistently advocated that native, endangered ponies must be recognised as a distinct conservation asset within agri‑environment schemes. Under the current ELM “A–E” structure, ponies are grouped into the same livestock calculation as cattle, creating unintended pressures on pony numbers and on the viability of maintaining traditional herds.We support the Independent Review of Protected Site Management on Dartmoor, which recommends that cattle and ponies be categorised separately.
Regarding stocking levels, the recent High Court ruling confirmed that responsibility for regulating the carrying capacity of the commons lies with the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council (DCC). We support a transparent, evidence‑based approach led by the DCC, ensuring decisions are grounded in ecological data rather than speculation.
Natural England has not proposed a blanket cull of ponies across Dartmoor. They have recommended reduced stocking rates on some commons; it remains the responsibility of each keeper to decide how they manage their herds within those limits.
Welfare, Herd Management, and Avoiding Culls
The DPHT does not engage in alarmist language around “culls.” Historically, welfare crises and indiscriminate private culls occurred only when ponies lost their economic or environmental value, or when unmanaged breeding produced unmarketable foals. The solution is not reactive culling, but proactive, responsible herd management.The DPHT actively prevents welfare issues by:
Providing direct grants — supporting keepers and breeders to maintain high‑quality Heritage and pedigree herds.
Supporting active herd management — including stallion control, passporting, microchipping, and preventing unplanned breeding.
Creating viable markets — training and preparing youngstock for conservation grazing and domestic riding homes, ensuring every foal born into recognised herds has value.Our goal is to ensure that no pony becomes economically or environmentally redundant, thereby removing the conditions that historically led to welfare problems.
Understanding the Four Types of Ponies on Dartmoor
For clarity, Dartmoor’s ponies fall into three categories:Dartmoor Ponies – fully registered pedigree ponies with traceable lineage and DPS green passports.
Dartmoor Heritage Ponies – DPS‑inspected true‑to‑type ponies with purple passports, forming the core of the DPHT’s conservation focus.
Dartmoor Hill Ponies – semi‑feral ponies with PET ID passports and no breed standard; these passports cannot be converted to DPS passports.The DPHT supports keepers and breeders across Dartmoor, many of whom manage mixed herds containing several of these pony types.
Our Ongoing Commitment
We remain in close, constructive dialogue with the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council, the Dartmoor Pony Society, and Natural England. Our shared aim is to secure a stable, non‑political, evidence‑based framework that protects Dartmoor’s landscape while ensuring the long‑term survival of the traditional Dartmoor Heritage Pony.The DPHT will continue to support the keepers, breeders, and – above all -the ponies that define Dartmoor’s cultural and ecological identity
We will be putting out a response from Dartmoor Nature Alliance later today.
This rage baiting has to stop. I see the Heritage Party have now weighed in. This is exploitation of emotion and LIES.
