The Wild Ponies of the Moors
Exmoor National Park | UK
Slowly, I drive the winding road up the slopes of Dunkery, the highest area in Exmoor National Park. The day is coming to an end and soft light shines across the extensive moorland. I look around, searching for a herd of semi-wild Exmoor ponies roaming freely in this large area. I am lucky, it doesn't take long before I spot a group of brown ponies grazing not far from the road. I park the car at a distance, not wanting to startle them and scare them away. The ponies look at me somewhat suspiciously at first, but soon they no longer give me a glance. Moments later they gallop away, onto the moors. Effortlessly they find their way on the uneven terrain and disappear into the distance. There is a fresh wind and slowly the sun begins to sink behind the hills. In the distance, I can see the wild ponies, as if on the lookout, standing on top of a hill.
With roots dating back to prehistoric times, the Exmoor pony is the last European primal pony. You can increasingly see these tough wild ponies in nature reserves where they contribute to biodiversity through grazing. But despite these tough ponies becoming increasingly popular with nature conservationists, the breed is endangered. Time to go back to its origins in Exmoor National Park, a rugged area with large stretches of moorland in the south-west of England where the Exmoor pony still roams freely.
