- The Moorland Mousie Trust was established to promote and conserve of the Exmoor Pony and received full charitable status in 2000.
- The trust is named after the ‘Moorland Mousie’ children’s stories of the early part of last century.
- The Exmoor pony is currently classified by WWF and that Nature and Rare Breeds Survival Trust as ‘critically endangered’. The world wide population is around 1200, but the actual breeding population is less than 400, making it rarer than the Giant Panda.
- The Moorland Mousie Trust believes that by creating a strong demand for domesticated Exmoor ponies we can help protect the species and free living herds; part of the natural, unique ecology of Exmoor
Exmoor ponies
Our Activities:
We provide a guaranteed market for the breeders on Exmoor, taking the excess (mainly colt) foals at the Gathering each autumn. By offering to purchase the surplus foals we aim to support the breeders by making the maintenance of free living herd and the registering of foals economically viable.
Some of the young foals are sent to conservation grazing schemes. The Exmoor pony is a selective grazer, choosing to eat coarser vegetation and therefore allowing space for nesting birds and wild flowers on lowland heaths, bogs, moorland, (seaside) dunes and meadows. We currently have ponies on a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest around the country, providing conservation services for The National Trust, a number of wild life trusts and county councils. Although the ponies thrive in remote areas, they are also proving equally adept at grazing Inner City open spaces which require grassland management. These ponies remain semi-wild until they mature when a decision is taken whether to break them for riding or whether they will remain as part of a grazing herd.
Other foals are sent to approved fosterers who care for the ponies during their formative years where they are handled and eventually re-homed as family ponies.
The Exmoor Pony Centre opens in 2006. The centre offers a unique opportunity for close contact with Exmoor ponies on Exmoor. The Centre has been established with the help of The Exmoor National Park Authority, in the form of a grant from the Sustainable Development Fund, as well as a lot of practical help from all departments. The Trust has also received a grant from DEFRA’s Rural Enterprise Scheme, as well as receiving many private donations. Visitors will be able to learn about the ponies’ history, see the Trust working with them, and go trekking on Exmoor mounted on Exmoor ponies. Some of the Exmoor foals purchased by the Trust will come to the Centre to be handled.
There are currently 2 Exmoor ponies competing under the Moorland Mousie banner. These ponies are funded privately by volunteers and are doing a fantastic job of raising the profile and popularity of Exmoor ponies. The competing ponies are proving to be tremendous ambassadors for their breed.
www.exmoorponycentre.org.uk
Ridden Exmoor ponies on W. Hill
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