Tag Archives: Open Forest

New Forest: animal accidents – multiple causes/multiple solutions

This week (April, 2017) the subject of animal accidents on the Forest roads has been very much at the forefront of my mind. I’ve been watching with interest the comments on various social media forums, reading newspaper reports, listening to … Continue reading

Posted in New Forest, New Forest Animal Road Traffic Accidents | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: animal accidents – multiple causes/multiple solutions

Garden waste has no place on the New Forest.

This week I attended the Verderers Court in Lyndhurst, which one of the oldest courts in the British judicial system. It has recently undergone refurbishment, and the freshly painted walls are a more muted beige tone than the previous ‘ox-blood’ pink … Continue reading

Posted in New Forest | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Garden waste has no place on the New Forest.

New Forest: outwitted by a greedy pony!

I went to visit a commoning friend of mine recently while they were feeding hay to the cows in one of their fields, and thought I could be of some assistance by opening and closing the gate for them. Ordinarily … Continue reading

Posted in New Forest, New Forest cattle, New Forest pony | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: outwitted by a greedy pony!

New Forest: annual colt and stallion inspections

I attended the annual Stallion Inspections at Beaulieu Road last weekend, to watch the selection process for the colts and stallions that will sire future generations of New Forest pony. The weather was forecast for sunny intervals and, when the … Continue reading

Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: annual colt and stallion inspections

New Forest: stallions vs geldings – boys will be boys!

Regular visitors to the New Forest will be aware that at the moment (updated May 2017) the stallions have been set loose to run with the free-roaming mares, causing much excitement among the herds of semi-feral ponies. Generally speaking the New … Continue reading

Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: stallions vs geldings – boys will be boys!

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 , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bringing the ponies home.

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 , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Unusual tails from the New Forest

Colt hunting on the New Forest

On the New Forest ponies are always referred to as ‘colts’ irrespective of whether they are mares or geldings, young or old. Every now and then it becomes necessary for a commoner to catch-up an individual pony or mare with … Continue reading

Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Abandoned horses and ponies

Owning a pony is a dream for many. For those of us lucky enough to have our own pony (or ponies) it is a hugely enjoyable, if a somewhat expensive and time consuming, activity. I feel that some months it … Continue reading

Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment