Member News will be posted here, on the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association closed Facebook group and tweeted by @ponykeepersDTMR as appropriate.
Draft Minutes AGM 2024
In January 2024, the Secretary of State for Defra announced first details of the agri-environment schemes, which our commoners can apply for from Summer 2024. This announcement confirmed that supplements will be paid on Dartmoor commons for grazing animals which are on the Native At Risk list (such as the Dartmoor Hill Pony) and the grazing supplement will be paid for ponies alongside cattle. A subsequent Defra webinar confirmed that no winter removal of pony herds will be required to receive the Low Grazing supplement.
In 2023, the Native Semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony was added to Defra’s Native At Risk list.
Dartmoor Review Report: In December 2023 the independent Dartmoor Review, chaired by David Fursdon, reported that ‘Dartmoor’ s pony population is genetically important and invaluable for conservation grazing. Ponies and cattle should not be linked for the calculation of Agri-Environmental agreement stocking rates and NE should not take actions likely to result in a decline in pony numbers.’
In December 2023, Charlotte Faulkner, was invested as the Hanson Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Farriers and given the Freedom of the City of London. This honour was given in recognition of her work to ensure a future for the Native Semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony Population. Commenting on the ceremony, the Don Hanson Charitable Foundation said that it ‘treasures individuals following their amazing vision with passion, inspiring their colleagues, collecting supporters and overcoming seemingly-impossible obstacles to achieve their dreams for a better world in their own endeavour and by example. The Trust saw and see Charlotte as such a person, devoted to the good of the Dartmoor Hill Ponies, and we salute her and the whole team!’
In Autumn 2023, the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association was invited to hold events for the general public, witnessing the Great Gather, or Drift, of the Semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony herds from our Dartmoor commons. As part of this project, which is led by the Foundation for Common Land, we held a webinar hosted by the Dartmoor National Park Authority: you can see our webinar presentation here:
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