The Beaulieu Road Sale Yard plays a key role in selling ponies. Because they are not fully domesticated a special wooden structure is needed. The New Forest Trust is responsible for the lease of the ground and makes contributions to the New Forest Livestock Society which manages sale events. More infrastructure is needed to comply with the latest regulations. To this end projects to provide essential washdown facilities and to roof the sale ring are being developed with the Society and the National Park Authority.
The Sale Yard is located next to the railway at Beaulieu Road Station because one of the biggest markets for New Forest ponies, “Foresters” used to be the coal industry’s mines. Railways went to all the mines in the country and this was an obvious place to collect them together on the Forest. The old mines had very large underground stables and the “Foresters” saw the sky rarely after being sent below. One of the last in the mines was kept at the Beamish Museum facility in County Durham after his mine closed. This was reported by the Veterinary Surgeon who attended him there and in the mine before that.
