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.
Tag Archives: round-up
New Forest: autumn drifts in
A sure sign of autumn in the commoner’s calendar is the commencement of the pony drifts that take place each year. The drifts are round-ups that are conducted by the Agisters and commoners with the aim of collecting together as … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest Commoner, New Forest pony, New Forest Pony Drift
Tagged Agister, autumn, Commoner, community, district, drift, New forest, ponies, pony, pound, round-up, Tradition, Verderers
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New Forest: practical gift for herding cattle
Commoners are practical people. Indeed, one of the most useful gifts I’ve ever been given is a commoner’s staff. I take it with me everywhere, because I never know when I’ll need it. The best ones are made from wood, … Continue reading
New Forest: autumn activity, tradition and festival
Autumn is always a busy season for farmer, smallholder and commoner alike. It is also a time of ritual, tradition, and festival that reminds us of our connection to the natural or, indeed, supernatural world. Michaelmas, which signals the end … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest customs, Pannage season
Tagged autumn, cereal, Christian, Christmas, Commoner, custom, dam, deer, drift, Equinox, famine, farmer, feast, festival, foal, fortune, gods, Halloween, harvest, Harvest Festival, hay, mare, Michaelmas, moon, natural, New forest, October, pagan, Pannage, pig, pony, pork, produce, round-up, season, September, smallholder, spirits, spring, straw, supernatural, Tradition, winter
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New Forest: autumn leaves and falling temperatures
If you have walked out onto the Forest recently, you will no doubt have been impressed by the variety of colours across the heathland and woods. Some of the higher elevations of the Forest provide spectacular views over the landscape … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony
Tagged autumn, colour, drift, end-of-season, fall, galloping, leaves, New forest, ponies, pony, round-up, Saxon, summer, winter
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New Forest: signs of the times
As my regular readers will know, the drift season has started. The season runs from August until November and entails rounding up the ponies across the New Forest in a series of drifts that take place in approximately 40 locations. … Continue reading
New Forest: pony breeding through the ages.
Anticipation is mounting across the Forest, as the annual Stallion Inspection approaches. Owners will currently be working with their ponies to ensure that they are prepared for the show ring and can walk and trot whilst being led and are … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony
Tagged Beaulieu Abbey, Beaulieu Road, breeding, colts, confirmation, courser, cull, destrier, drift, foals, garron, hand high, Henry III, Henry VIII, hobbies, mares, Middle Ages, monastery, monks, New forest, pack horse, palfrey, ponies, pony, rouncey, round-up, stallion inspection, stallions, stud farm, sumpter, trot, walk, war horse, warhorse
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New Forest: winter is coming
The warm weather of late (September 2015) has been a welcome accompaniment as I perform the last of the autumn harvesting. Most of the vegetables from the raised beds have been picked and preserved ready for use over the winter. The … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony, New Forest Pony Drift
Tagged blackberries, bylaws, cobnut, commoning, drift, elderberries, glut, good condition, harvest, largesse, Lucifer, New forest, Old Michaelmas, rosehips, round-up, sloes, squirrels, sweet chestnut, winter
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New Forest: autumn is here and the drifts are underway
Autumn has arrived. The heathland, woods and lawns wear a pale blanket of mist in the early mornings and the heathland is mantled in purple heather. The blackberries shine like jewels in the hedgerows and great quantities of sloes decorate … Continue reading
Posted in New Forest, New Forest customs, New Forest pony, New Forest Pony Drift
Tagged Agister, Commoner, drift, galloping, New Forest pony, pound, round-up, traditional, Verderers of the New Forest, working forest
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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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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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