Row Over Potential Cull of Dartmoor Hill Ponies

A growing dispute has erupted over the potential cull of Dartmoor's iconic hill ponies, with conservationists warning that new government-backed grazing contracts could devastate the endangered breed. The proposed changes, managed by Natural England, involve reducing livestock grazing on the moor's commons.

Opponents of the new contracts claim they could lead to the removal, and likely culling, of up to 90% of the hill ponies. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has publicly denounced the plan as "total madness" and launched a petition against it. Natural England, however, stated its intention is to maintain the semi-wild pony population "for generations to come." A Downing Street spokeswoman echoed this, assuring that the government would not permit a cull and that the animals are safe.

The Dartmoor hill pony has been a fixture on the landscape for 4,500 years, but their numbers have dwindled significantly, from 6,000 a quarter-century ago to fewer than 1,000 today. The new moorland agri-environmental schemes from Natural England provide payments to farmers for grazing practices that benefit nature, but campaigners argue these schemes will cut overall livestock, including ponies, by 56% to 89%.

Campaigners, including the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association, warn that the reduction in grazing could force commoners to choose between commercially viable sheep and cattle or the ponies they have traditionally guarded. They argue that ponies are crucial for managing the dominant Molinia grass, a "monoculture" that has spread across the moor. Without the ponies, the landscape's biodiversity could suffer. The Friends of the Dartmoor Hill Pony charity is calling for long-term legal protection and a separately agreed moor-wide herd size, similar to previous contracts.

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Natural England's approach will devastate the Dartmoor hill pony population, it will make farms financially unviable and it's extremely doubtful there will be any environmental benefit.