Blog Archives
The Stallion Scheme
The New Forest Trust contributed to the funds needed to help pay for grazing for stallions when they are not out on the Forest.
The Stallion Scheme was carefully developed to help reduce the number of foals born on the Forest by limiting the number of stallions and only letting them out during some of the summer months.
The New Forest Verderers manage the Scheme and they select the stallions that are allowed out on the Open Forest. Although the Stallion Scheme helps to ensure the best quality of foals are raised on the Forest more importance is given to the fact that the welfare of the ponies is much improved, especially in winter.
Publicity for Ponies
The New Forest Trust provided a contribution towards running the costs of the New Forest Pony Publicity Group, which has taken on the important task of promoting New Forest Pony breed.
A New Forest Pony can make a delightful second stage riding pony for children because they are no taller than 15 hands. Also a “Forester” can have all the characteristics needed to survive on open heaths through the winter, feeding on gorse and holly. This makes it an ideal pony to introduce on to heaths elsewhere in the country where conservation is important.
The New Forest Pony Publicity Group provides information online to encourage private sales and they spend time at shows and events throughout the UK promoting the breed.
Bats on the move
The New Forest Trust gave a grant to the Hampshire Bat Group for the study of two rare species of bat in the New Forest – Bechstein’s and Barbastelle bats. The Trust helped fund radio transmitters to track the bats in flight and with donations collected in memory of Nicole Murray, the purchase of 20 new bat boxes.
Preventing Animal Accidents
The New Forest Trust commissioned a report on animal accidents; as a result and at the request of the Commoners Defence Association we also paid for and distributed leaflets through local organisations.
The Trust printed and distributed two runs of 15,000 leaflets, the second in conjunction with the British Deer Society New Forest branch. The Commoners Defence Association is particularly concerned about injury and death to livestock. The British Deer Society share the same concern about the loss of deer on New Forest roads.
Reflective stickers for Pony visibility
The Trust funded a trial of reflective stickers to go on the bottoms of ponies and donkey’s to make them visible at night.
A lot of animals are fitted with reflective collars but they cannot be seen if the animal is facing away from an oncoming vehicle, this trail aimed to find a suitable material that would stay on the ponies and help make them visible at night.
