THEY have been part of Hampshire’s heritage for hundreds of years.
The New Forest is famous for the thousands of ponies that roam the landscape, delighting the huge number of people who visit the area each year.
But experts are warning that the Forest’s most iconic symbol is in danger of becoming a rare breed.
In recent years the number of stallions turned out each year has dropped from 100 to ten following a collapse in demand for ponies.
The Rare Breed Survival Trust says only 3,300 New Forest mares are having foals – just 300 above the recommended minimum.
A trust spokesman said: “The cost of keeping horses has risen and people are not necessarily buying them for riding.
“We can’t do anything about the economic climate, but if New Forest ponies end up on our watch list we’ll work with breeders, promote the breed and generally raise awareness of the problem.”
New Forest ponies are owned by Commoners – villagers with the right to let their stock graze the landscape.
But the number of stallions let loose in the Forest more than halved in 2002 – and a further reduction took place in 2009 after the recession began to bite.
Mike Cooper, a former chairman of the Commoners’ Defence Association (CDA), said: “We could end up in a critical situation.
“They’re trying to keep numbers down to prevent overbreeding – but it’s starting to go the other way.”
The “birth control” scheme was introduced by the Verderers with the support of the CDA and other organisations after it was revealed that foals sold at auction were fetching as little as 69p.
The measure has resulted in the number of foals born in the Forest dropping from 1,000 in 2009 to 600 last year.
Jane Murray, secretary of the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society, said: “We’re producing fewer foals in response to the declining market. We can’t be seen to be breeding irresponsibly.
“The National Equine Welfare Council and the British Horse Society have applauded us, saying we are showing the way.”
Sue Westwood, clerk to the Verderers, added: “The stallion scheme has been welcomed as an extremely good way of reducing the number of unwanted foals.
“But it’s one of those situations where in resolving one problem you create another.”
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