The Gallery
Learning about and practising commoning on the New Forest.
In medieval times a forest meant an area preserved for royal hunting, and not a wooded area as it does today.
The Agisiter ensures welfare standards of the free-roaming animals are maintained.
The ‘architects’ of the New Forest.
The New Forest landscape supports many species of plants, insects, birds and mammals. It should be valued as a reserve for nature.
One of many gatherings where Commoners can exchange news, information and knowledge.
Pannage season is part of the ancient commoning rights and a popular tradition.
Traditional management practices, particularly commoning, have conserved the ecological diversity of the Forest.
Category Archives: New Forest
The New Forest and The Great War.
Watching the Remembrance Day service was particularly poignant this year. World War One, which lasted from 28 July 1914 until 11 November 1918, began a hundred years ago. When seeing the expressions on the faces of the men and women … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony, The Great War
Tagged artillery, battle, cavalry, Cenotaph, Commoner, First World War, Great War, horses, Lyndhurst, memorial, New forest, pony, Rememberance Day, Salisbury Plain, Verderers, War Office
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New Forest: home to the commoners
The practice of commoning on the New Forest fills me with fascination. Learning about its history is totally absorbing and as I discover more about the events, community, and characters that have maintained the commoning system the more I want … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, colt-hunting, Commoner, Commoners Dwelling Scheme, commoning, Doomesday Book, drifts, New forest, New Forest Commoners Defence Association, New Forest National Park Authority, second homes, self-sufficiency
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The New Forest: the future of commoning
The New Forest is an ancient landscape that has survived into modern times. It is a place of exquisite natural beauty, which is internationally recognised for its importance to wildlife. Because of its distinctive geography it has never been cultivated … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged Commoner, commoning, Middle Ages, New forest, Nova Foresta, Pannage, Parliamentary Commission, pastoral, symbiotic
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Bringing the ponies home.
When the clocks go back each autumn the daylight hours become fewer and the weather is generally more inclement. It’s a testing time for the commoners and can make searching for stock on the Open Forest quite an undertaking. I … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony
Tagged colt-hunting, homing instinct, New forest, New Forest pony, Open Forest, round-up, Verderer
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New Forest pony: wild or tame but always clever.
The free-roaming ponies of the New Forest are often described as ‘wild’ but it would be more accurate to define them as ‘semi-feral’. The only truly wild horse still in existence is the Przewalski’s horse (Equus caballus przewalskii), a breed … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony
Tagged Brumby, Commoner, equine, Equus caballus przewalskii, feral, horses, Mustang, New forest, New Forest pony, predator, prey species, Przewalski's horse, selective breeding, semi-feral, Wild horses
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Commoning: cooperation and coordination
The practice of commoning on the New Forest is generally a very sociable enterprise. The support and cooperation of other commoners is essential for maintaining the welfare of the free-roaming stock. When I go out on the Forest I always … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony, New Forest Pony Drift
Tagged Agisters, commoning, Cow, drifts, mastitis, New forest, New Forest pony, ponies, round-up, snake bite, veterinarian
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Unusual tails from the New Forest
Attending the annual pony-round ups, known as drifts, is an important part of a New Forest commoner’s calendar. The drifts were ordered to take place each year fifteen days after Michaelmas, by Henry VIII in 1540, and continue more or … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony, New Forest Pony Drift
Tagged Agisiter, drift, Henry VIII, marking fee, Michaelmas, New forest, Open Forest, pony, tail cutting, tail marking
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Early morning deer rescue!
It’s a good job I’m an early riser. Before the clock had struck 6am this morning (September 2014) I was doing some stable duties in the yard and heard a commotion in the paddock. My mare was snorting, making that … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest flora & fauna
Tagged fallow deer, Forestry Commission, muntjak deer, New forest, red deer, roe deer, sika deer, Verderers, wildlife
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New Forest Pannage Season: ‘here piggy, piggy!’
The pannage season has officially started. Residents and visitors may be lucky enough to see the traditional sight of free-roaming pigs foraging on the forest floor from now until November. The term ‘pannage’ is of late Middle English origin and … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, Pannage season
Tagged acorns, Agisters, Common of Mast, New forest, New Forest pony, Pannage, passage, pig, porcine, swine, tannins, Verderers
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Autumn: the season of tradition and heritage
Autumn is a time when the traditional rural practices and cultural heritage of the New Forest come alive. The annual drifts, or pony round-ups, that were ordered by Henry VIII in 1540, are in full progress and are still conducted … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony, New Forest Pony Drift, Pannage season
Tagged acorns, Agisiter, beech mast, Commoner, countryside, drift, heritage, Mast Year, New forest, Pannage, pigs, pony, round-up, Tradition
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