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 Commoner
New Forest: the truth about the ‘wild’ ponies.
Without doubt one of the best things about visiting the New Forest is seeing the ponies that inhabit the heathland, woods and lawns wandering freely about. Although the New Forest ponies are often referred to as ‘wild’ this is not, … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony
Tagged Common Rights, Commoner, domestic, horse owner, horse rustler, horse thief, New Forest pony, owned, semi-feral, thieves, truth, wild pony
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New Forest: racing the cows
Being a commoner is never dull. My commoning friends not only share their adventures with me but also, on occasion, provide me with opportunities to have a few of my own! I was visiting a friend and fellow commoner recently … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest cattle, New Forest Commoner
Tagged Commoner, cows, galloping, New forest, ponies, racing
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Facial expressions clue to horse talk
Researchers have recently (August, 2015) confirmed what many horse owners intuitively knew, that horses display complex emotions in their facial expressions. However, using a system known as EquiFACS (Equine Facial Action Coding Systems) the research team were able to use scientific methods … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony
Tagged action units, body language, body talk, communication, domestic, emotion, EquiFACS, Equine Facial Action Coding Systems, facial expressions, feelings, horse, horse talk, New forest, pony, pony etiquette, predator, prey, social, wild
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New Forest: modern tools and ancient practices
Commoning is an agrarian system that has been practiced on the New Forest since before the Norman Conquest in 1066 and is one of the most ancient forms of agriculture known to man. The basic principles, of farming by using … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony, New Forest Pony Drift, Pannage season
Tagged access, Agister, commoning, Customs, drifts, emergency services, Forestry Commission, gateway, heritage, horsemen, illegal parking, New forest, Norman conquest, Pannage, point to point, traditions, Verderer, working forest
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New Forest: fence month
William the Conqueror, who is credited with establishing the New Forest in the 11th century, was a keen huntsman and created laws of venison and vert to protect his quarry and its habitat. The forest laws that he introduced were … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, Charter of the Forest, commoners, commoning, Court of Verderers, deer, Deer Removal Act, fence month, Forest Law, Justice in Eyre, Lyndhurst, New forest, New Forest Act, Orders and Rules of the New Forest, quit rent, wild beasts, William the Conqueror
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New Forest: springtime – natures awakes
I am so pleased to see the return of spring. The lighter mornings mean that I can now check on my stock before I go to work. Many commoners keep their ponies on their holdings during the bleaker months and … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged adder, amphibians, bumblebees, celandines, Commoner, cordial, crocuses, daffodils, frogs, gorse, ladybirds, lapwing, lizard, moths, New forest, newts, peacock butterflies, ponies, primroses, red admiral, reptiles, sky lark, snake, spring, springtime, toads, viper
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New Forest: searching for ponies and finding litter
One of the great benefits of being a commoner is getting to explore the heathland and woods in search of my ponies. No matter what time of year the New Forest is a place of breath taking scenic beauty. The … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner
Tagged Dartford warbler, dog excrement, litter, New forest, ponies, refuse, rubbish, wildlife
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New Forest: The cow and the cattlegrid
I was in the pub one evening last week (December 2014) and offered a lift home to a long established commoning friend of mine. We drove across the Forest chatting away until, within a couple of hundred yards of their … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest cattle, New Forest Commoner
Tagged cattle, cattle grid, Commoner, commoning, Cow, heifer, herd, New forest
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New Forest: Beaulieu Road Sales
Last week (November 2014) the final pony sales of the year were held at the purpose built sales ring in Beaulieu Road. Not only is this a chance to see native ponies being auctioned but a real opportunity to witness … Continue reading
Posted in Beaulieu Road Sales, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony
Tagged Auction, Beaulieu Road Sales, donkeys, foal show, guineas, Lyndhurst, New forest, New Forest Livestock Society, RSPCA, sales ring, semi-feral, viewing pens
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New Forest: Lane Creepers
Before the New Forest was fenced and gridded the free-roaming stock ranged widely outside the official boundary. Commoner’s ponies were known to reach as far as the eastern suburbs of Southampton, down into Christchurch in the southwest, and almost into … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony
Tagged hobbles, Lane Creeper, New forest, New Forest boundary, New Forest pony, perambulation, pound
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