Statement
The Dartmoor Pony Society Council have recently received a copy of an email sent to Commons Pony keepers by the DHPA regarding registration of ponies on Dartmoor.
The DPS Council would like to make it clear that, contrary to what is written in that email, they have not worked with the DHPA to agree methods of registration and passporting.
Whilst the registered Dartmoor Pony is listed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) as an ‘At Risk’ breed, the ‘semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony’ is listed as a Feral Population, which is entirely different.
Any ponies that owners would like, now or in the future, to be included in the DPS-Duchy Moorland Newtake Scheme for Supplementary Registered Ponies or as fully registered Dartmoor Ponies, must only be registered with the Dartmoor Pony Society, where we would be delighted to continue receiving them.
Ponies cannot be registered with more than one society, not least because this will produce misleading statistical information for those trying to monitor rare ponies, e.g. RBST and DEFRA.