Countryfile Exmoors

[Dave's Mam]

"Societies"?

The Konik has been a common choice for rewilding since it was originally involved in work to recreate the tarpan and hence has been selectively bred to be semi-wild. RewildingEurope recommends it for lowland Northern / Central Europe, and they’re somewhat common in lowland parts of Eastern Europe as well. But they are really only in areas without suitable replacements. E.g. in Eastern European countries that don’t have a formal feral-pony type breed being bred in the necessary conditions, and in the Netherlands. Can you name a single Dutch feral-type pony breed? Hell, can you name a single Dutch pony breed?

I didn’t watch this Countryfile episode, but in general I’ve seen a major trend towards the Exmoor pony in rewilding in the UK and some parts of Western Europe. Again, the Exmoor is the breed that RewildingEurope recommends for this part of Europe. They also recommend the Welsh, the Eriskay in harsher climates, and the Dartmoor. Though I don’t think anyone can be surprised that the Dartmoor is currently not involved in rewilding, given that the original breed isn’t being bred to be feral, and the Dartmoor Hill certainly needs work as regards its management. Neither are suitable like the Exmoor.

Regardless, when you say “societies”, what societies? Because excluding a few wetland National Trust parts of the UK, Koniks really aren’t common here or in Western Europe and no one is saying they are the only ones suitable for the job.


Yes, put a Camarague in Northern Finland, see how that works out.

I'll have to check which specific ones, but in some areas, apparently Koniks are better suited to wetland than our Exmoors.

 

[limestonelil]

I am glad I dont watch Countryfile.

#metoo. I gave up years ago because of the change in content.

 

[[153312]]

#metoo.

Not sure this is quite an appropriate use of this phrase....?

 

[limestonelil]

?? #meneither now you've mentioned it. ??

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I'll have to check which specific ones, but in some areas, apparently Koniks are better suited to wetland than our Exmoors.

Despite very in depth advice, Fell ponies and also Dales were turned down as well as Exmoors, advice which ought to have been taken IMHO.

 

[stangs]

Despite very in depth advice, Fell ponies and also Dales were turned down as well as Exmoors, advice which ought to have been taken IMHO.

Turned down where? Do you have a source for this?

I would presume they were turned down for not being from lowland areas.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Turned down where? Do you have a source for this?

I would presume they were turned down for not being from lowland areas.

There is a huge pile of correspondence between the 3 breed societies along with plenty of expert advice all sent to the RSPB, NT etc but this was ignored and advice taken from a non UK advisor who had no in depth experience or papers on these breeds.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I thought the same the mares were trying to kick the shit out of him and he just walked away and let them get on with it.

It was a pretty harsh trim I think if that mare had to walk on anything but grass it would have been crippled.

 

[Pinkvboots]

The farmers near me are not horse savvy they think nothing of opening a gate field and driving in with tractors or anything else, we have had them escape one got stuck between the tractor and the gateway and ripped half her side open.

 

[tda]

I do watch countryfile but do sometimes end up shouting at the telly!
Does make me wonder if its just set up for the filming sometimes, often it shows Adam's rare breed hens, which he is very proud of, in a pen with lots of other breed hens as if they know which ones to breed with ?

 

[scats]

The farmers near me are not horse savvy they think nothing of opening a gate field and driving in with tractors or anything else, we have had them escape one got stuck between the tractor and the gateway and ripped half her side open.

This is how Polly sustained her injury at her old home. Tractor went in to the field to deliver haylage and she ended up getting sliced open by the tractor, down to the bone.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I dont watch Countryfile because I have no idea why there's so much art/poetry on it-does my nut in. I did tune in and saw the Exmoor bit. I would say (probably) that alot of the set up is for filming and although the pony needed more regular trimming etc etc that isnt going to make a jot of cut through to the CF audience who are there for the art and the poetry .

As for the grass, he has kept the ponies for decades, even though it appears that he's never seen one before every time he's on the program with them, and they now have a new bf to chase them around.

Shutting a pony in to get it used to a new handler is quite old school, but actually has been recommended on here over the years. I also think that he got away from Adam or that he couldnt hang on to him and unclipped him.

 

[southerncomfort]

I stopped watching CF when they did a piece from Anita Rani's back garden to show that wildlife thrives in cities too.

Well lovely...but what has that got to do with the countryside?

Their is another farming programme on another channel that once showed their 'equine manager' leaving a dually on a horse loose in a stall and tying up by the ring on the dually.

 

[Pinkvboots]

This is how Polly sustained her injury at her old home. Tractor went in to the field to deliver haylage and she ended up getting sliced open by the tractor, down to the bone.

Bad isn't it they don't learn from it either and will do it time and time again, in the summer on a day over 80 degrees they decide to split a mares field so they could store haylage in it, so they put a temptemporary fence up chasing the horses in that end, not thinking that they had shut them in a bit with no water trough, the horses were kicking shit out of each other and my friends mare got badly injured.

 

[BBP]

My understanding (and this is from waaayyy back in the day when doing my dissertation on the impact of conservation grazing on fenland biodiversity) that Koniks hooves cope better with persistent wet conditions than any of the UK natives, and as such from a welfare perspective they are the preferred choice for wetland and fenland habitats. To my knowledge, all of our natives come from environments where there is upland dry land to move in to when conditions are bad whereas the Koniks can be used year round in wet environments. I wish i could remember what the conclusion of my study was. It was Koniks vs cattle vs mowing vs uncut I think.

I spent a very happy summer trailing a herd of Koniks around Wicken Fen, observing grazing patterns, preferential species selection, etc etc. for the first few sessions it was mostly me searching for them, but after a while they let me sit in amongst them to study them. By biggest issue by the end was them trying to selectively graze chunks out of my rucksack and chair.

 

[cindars]

Been going off Country File for quite a time. We have Exmoors on the Downs near Devil's Dyke.

 

[SilverLinings]

On the privately owned 'common' near where my parents used to live the owners decided to start conservation grazing with ponies, and put up large signs on all the footpaths proudly declaring that they were helping to save an ancient British native breed, the Dartmoor Pony (with photographs on the signs of purebred Dartmoors). The ponies they are using are Dartmoor hill ponies (crossbreeds of all sorts, basically anything that anyone wanted to run on Dartmoor), and pretty much all coloured so no mistaking any of them for actual Dartmoors They are small (definitely some Shetland blood in there) with very poor conformation, but they are allowed to breed on the common as they are an endangered breed dontcha know. The last few times I walked the dogs there I tried to avoid the ponies as I couldn't bear to see the state of their feet- apparently they don't need trimming if they're living 'wild'

 

[Clodagh]

On the privately owned 'common' near where my parents used to live the owners decided to start conservation grazing with ponies, and put up large signs on all the footpaths proudly declaring that they were helping to save an ancient British native breed, the Dartmoor Pony (with photographs on the signs of purebred Dartmoors). The ponies they are using are Dartmoor hill ponies (crossbreeds of all sorts, basically anything that anyone wanted to run on Dartmoor), and pretty much all coloured so no mistaking any of them for actual Dartmoors They are small (definitely some Shetland blood in there) with very poor conformation, but they are allowed to breed on the common as they are an endangered breed dontcha know. The last few times I walked the dogs there I tried to avoid the ponies as I couldn't bear to see the state of their feet- apparently they don't need trimming if they're living 'wild'

I live near Dartmoor and find the endless coloured Shetland herds thoroughly depressing. Sadly though they make a fortune at auction and no one wants the boring brown ones.

 

[Clodagh]

On the subject of Countryfile, apparently it’s worth watching so you can see the city dwellers opinion on country matters. I don’t bother.

 

[Horseysheepy]

Countryfile is not what it used to be, I remember working on a dairy farm in the mid 90's in my teens and we'd all cram round the kitchen table after milking, eyes glued to the TV watching it and it was about proper farming then, not this glamorous lifestyle it's made out to be nowadays.

 

[ycbm]

Countryfile is not what it used to be, I remember working on a dairy farm in the mid 90's in my teens and we'd all cram round the kitchen table after milking, eyes glued to the TV watching it and it was about proper farming then, not this glamorous lifestyle it's made out to be nowadays.

It was on Sundays at lunchtime. We call it Townyfile now.
.

 

[Nasicus]

I live near Dartmoor and find the endless coloured Shetland herds thoroughly depressing. Sadly though they make a fortune at auction and no one wants the boring brown ones.

An note on conservation grazing near us, Dawlish Warren have been grazing ponies down on the nature reserve, the coloured Shetland-y types oft seen on the moors. Can't say I've ever envisioned Shetlands grazing alongside the beach, but just something interesting!

 

[limestonelil]

Countryfile is not what it used to be, I remember working on a dairy farm in the mid 90's in my teens and we'd all cram round the kitchen table after milking, eyes glued to the TV watching it and it was about proper farming then, not this glamorous lifestyle it's made out to be nowadays.

This is what I meant upthread. It's the way farming is presented now, and no way is Countryfile our reality.
BBP I am so envious of that summer on Wicken Fen. How lucky were you to land that.

 

[Daughter of the Moor]

A question for you. How would you introduce a lightly handled young stallion to a group of even less handled mares?

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

A question for you. How would you introduce a lightly handled young stallion to a group of even less handled mares?

See my post #24 which has worked quite well in the past not- just for myself - but others too that were running semi or feral ponies.

 

[Gamebird]

An note on conservation grazing near us, Dawlish Warren have been grazing ponies down on the nature reserve, the coloured Shetland-y types oft seen on the moors. Can't say I've ever envisioned Shetlands grazing alongside the beach, but just something interesting!

They spend a lot of time grazing the beaches on Shetland, so they're probably ideal!

 

[Nasicus]

They spend a lot of time grazing the beaches on Shetland, so they're probably ideal!

Very true!

 

[paddy555]

On the privately owned 'common' near where my parents used to live the owners decided to start conservation grazing with ponies, and put up large signs on all the footpaths proudly declaring that they were helping to save an ancient British native breed, the Dartmoor Pony (with photographs on the signs of purebred Dartmoors). The ponies they are using are Dartmoor hill ponies (crossbreeds of all sorts, basically anything that anyone wanted to run on Dartmoor), and pretty much all coloured so no mistaking any of them for actual Dartmoors They are small (definitely some Shetland blood in there) with very poor conformation, but they are allowed to breed on the common as they are an endangered breed dontcha know. The last few times I walked the dogs there I tried to avoid the ponies as I couldn't bear to see the state of their feet- apparently they don't need trimming if they're living 'wild'

the difference is if they are living wild or living on common. I live in the middle of the hill pony herds and for the most part I have no concerns about their feet. I have far more concerns about some of the shod feet I see. However the ferals here have a variety of terrain. A lot of the moor is common but they go down the roads to get to water, or they go down to rivers which have rocky terrain on the way down and rocky bottoms, down gravel tracks between commons.
My own hill ponies, no shetland in them, although some arab, and not coloured need their feet trimming as they live in fields. They came off the common and they feet were fine when they came,

ETA I don't watch countryfile. There doesn't seem to be much "country" in it, or at least not the sort or working countryside that I live on.

 

[ester]

I live near Dartmoor and find the endless coloured Shetland herds thoroughly depressing. Sadly though they make a fortune at auction and no one wants the boring brown ones.

The reason they bred colour in was to give them some value rather than them all making a fiver.

 

[Clodagh]

The reason they bred colour in was to give them some value rather than them all making a fiver.

I see that but I’m an old fashioned purist who fondly remember the days of our native ponies bring useful all round child’s ponies.
I assume the Shetamoors make good pets. And come in palomino ?