New Forest: tracking the ‘wild’ pony herds

Posted on July 10, 2016 by newforestcommoner
The New Forest swathed in dawn mist is a sight that rewards the early risers.

Studying the landscape of New Forest helps in the search for the ‘wild’ pony herds.

Early morning walks in the New Forest are a perfect combination of relaxation and stimulation. Listening to the bird song, seeing the colours of the landscape stretching out before me, smelling the perfume of wild honeysuckle or the pine from freshly sawn evergreens in the woods, and feeling the summer breezes on my face is, for me, the best start to the day. As I set out searching for my free-roaming ponies I am always on the look out for clues as to their whereabouts. The ponies do not seem to follow a set daily routine but roam according to the fulfilment of their needs, the prevailing weather conditions or levels of disturbance from human activity. These are factors that often dictate the direction of my search. I know the area of their haunt fairly well but still require use of all the senses that attune me to the wonders of the landscape if I am to find them. My sense of hearing is particularly important. Listening out for the sounds of the herds is especially useful when the bracken gets taller or other natural features conceal their presence. Ponies can be quite vocal and call to one another to stay in contact or learn the on-going direction of their herd. Their whinnies, neighs and snorts can be heard over long distances, making it easy for me to eavesdrop into their ‘conversations’ to get an idea of which direction to take. I also look on the ground to see evidence, such as fresh droppings or hoof prints, which might indicate that they passed that way. Hoof-prints that present iron horseshoes can be discounted, as the free-roaming ponies are not shod.

Target enlargement
The ground reveals much about the movement of the animal and, indeed, human traffic across the New Forest landscape. Tracks left after a rain shower often give a useful timeline that helps in the search. Overturned stones on the gravel tracks, which are still damp on the underside, reveal that they were disturbed only recently. These tracking techniques, known as ‘target enlargement’, are based on the principal that you don’t need to know the exact location of what you are looking for if you can read and follow certain indicators that lead to its position.[1] For example, anyone who has ever gone in search of a horse show but only had the vaguest notion of where it is knows to get as close to the area as possible and then follow the horse-boxes and livestock lorries to the event. It’s the same principal. These techniques can be easily practiced and provide more interest to any walk. Observing the landscape’s features and its natural markers with such intensity means that I am constantly learning about the flora and fauna that contribute to the habitat in which my ponies roam. Of course the searches for my ponies don’t always end in success but the exploration for them is always guaranteed to be an achievement.

The New Forest ponies roam freely in small family herds that can consist of mares, fillies, colts and geldings.

Finding my ponies and checking their health is the best conclusion to my search for them.

[1] Tristan Gooley, The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs (London, 2014), p. 36

Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: tracking the ‘wild’ pony herds

New Forest: weather-lore and hay-making

Posted on July 4, 2016 by newforestcommoner
Meadow grass contains essential nutrients that, when dried in hay, will keep the ponies sustained over the winter.

Meadow grass contains essential nutrients that, when dried in hay, will keep livestock sustained over the winter.

Like most farmers at this time of year, I’ve got my eye on the weather watching for the omens that promise a period of uninterrupted productivity. The crop of hay that will feed my stock over the winter is still in the fields ready to be harvested and has been rather battered by all the rain of late. As I sit and write this missive a small ray of sunshine has pierced the otherwise grey skies and burst through the kitchen window in a thin sliver of golden light that pools on the breakfast table. It will need more than this small ray to dry out the meadow before the process of cutting, turning and baling can commence. Haymaking is an activity that ideally requires a prolonged period of warm, dry weather; hence the old adage of making hay while the sun shines. So I wait anxiously for a period of sunny weather and the increase in temperature that will herald the beginning of harvesting. After all the anxiety, when the crop is finally brought in and stored for the winter, comes the enormous sense of satisfaction on seeing the barn filled to the top with fresh-smelling hay. Of course every cloud has a silver lining and while the rain has latterly been delaying haymaking it has been filling the catchments on the New Forest.

Old weather stories
The New Forest catchment is rare in lowland England because it is situated in a vast area of uncultivated lands, which make up the Open Forest. This means that the New Forest aquatic habitats are the very best places to see a rich diversity of plant, bird and animal species that depend upon its unique and watery ecosystem; and demonstrates why this precious landscape attracts such high level of environmental protection. But the forces of nature can be very mercurial and it was reported that on Wednesday 2nd July 1760 ‘so violent a storm of rain, attended with thunder and lightening, fell near Fordingbridge and Ringwood, in Hampshire, that the water of the brooks running from the New Forest into the river Avon, was, in less than an hours time, raised to the height of ten or twelve feet perpendicular’.[1] The story continued and seemed to imply a major flash flood had occurred. ‘Great quantities of hay and thread, which was whitening in the meadows near Fordingbridge, were swept away by the inundation, as were also great numbers of hogs, together with their sties. At Gorely eighteen hogs were carried off at once, but saved by the diligence of a neighbouring farmer.’[2] This episode from history indicates that the British summer has always had an element of unpredictability and that unseasonal floods are a natural, if albeit unwelcome, occurrence. Because fortunes were often closely linked to the outcome of the weather, our forefathers spent much time observing the natural world and reading its portents. They were able to pass on their folk-wisdom and weather-lore, such as predicting rain on seeing cows lying down, swallows flying low or down flying off colt’s foot, dandelion and thistles when there is no wind. Forecasts that even today rival any of those by the Met Office.

Water flow after heavy rain.

Water flow on the New Forest heathland after heavy rain.

[1] Lloyd’s Evening Post and British Chronicle (London, England), July 7, 1760 – July

9, 1760

[2] London Evening Post (London, England), July 8, 1760 – July 10, 1760

Posted in New Forest | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: weather-lore and hay-making

New Forest: smugglers and rogues

Posted on June 26, 2016 by newforestcommoner

Smuggling-New-Forest-FordingbridgeIn 1747 a gang of smugglers decided to go over to Guernsey to buy quantities of tea, which on their return to England they could sell for a profit. In their number was one John Diamond, otherwise known as Dymar, who would became a central figure in the unfortunate events that later unfolded. On their return to Christchurch Harbour they were intercepted by a revenue vessel, which patrolled the English Channel to apprehend ‘free-traders’ and seize their goods. Though the smugglers were able to escape on a small boat, their vessel and the contraband it contained was impounded at Poole Custom House. In an act of incredible audacity the gang later attacked the Custom House and stole back their booty. On their way to commit this crime the smugglers had travelled through the New Forest, where they had stayed the night, before making their way to Poole. They had made no secret of their plans and so as they returned with their illicit goods they were met with popular acclaim. Many smugglers were seen as Robin Hood-type characters or ‘honest rogues’ who were fighting what the general populace saw as unfair taxes on luxury goods. By the time the gang reached Fordingbridge people were in the streets cheering and waving to them. John Diamond riding high on his horse saw in the crowd an old acquaintance, Daniel Chater, who was a shoemaker in the town. The pair had worked together during the harvest season and were well-known to each other. Diamond threw Chater a bag of tea as he passed by and rode on with the gang. In that moment of casual acknowledgement and boastful largesse the fate of both men were sealed.

Informants and rewards
The authorities acted swiftly to the robbery and offered all sorts of inducements and rewards to those who would inform upon the gang. Very quickly John Diamond was arrested on suspicion of being one of the smugglers. Other informants soon linked Diamond to Chater. In order to confirm his identity William Galley, a Custom House officer, was ordered to escort Chater to the gaol in Chichester, where Diamond was being held. It was while on this journey that Chater and Galley fell into the hands of the smuggling fraternity. They had learned that the Justice of the Peace, Major Batten, was not at Chichester but Stanstead Park, near Rowlands Castle, and changed direction accordingly. They stopped at an inn to ask directions and two local men offered to show them the way. Chater and Galley were taken to the White Hart Inn, Rowland Castle, which was not far from their destination but it was also the haunt of the free-traders and their supporters. The landlady, being concerned that the two men were going to inform on her friends, got them so drunk that they passed out. She called the gang together and they argued about what to do with them. Some of the gang wanted to murder the pair there and then but, because there had been witnesses to them arriving at the inn, they decided to take them elsewhere to be dealt with.

Facts of so monstrous a Nature
In the days that followed the men were treated with systematic abuse of all kinds on an unimaginable scale. The gang’s misuse of their prisoners is recorded in contemporary documents that make utterly gruesome and chilling reading. Eventually after several days of mental and physical torment the two men were murdered. When it was realised that Chater and Galley had disappeared rewards were offered for information about their whereabouts. Many of the gang members had been arrested on suspicion of smuggling and soon began to turn evidence against one another over the fate of the two men. Eventually the story of what had happened to them was revealed and a feeling of outrage and revulsion against what the smugglers had done swept the country. Chater and Galley had been treated with such intentional cruelty that the ‘Council, Jury, and all present were astonish’d and shock’d to hear prov’d beyond Contradition, Facts of so monstrous a Nature, as the uncommon Sufferings were of Mr. Chater and Mr. Galley’.[1] Where once people turned out into the streets to cheer the smugglers on, communities began to organise volunteer militia to patrol against them. For many good citizens the cost of cheap tea, tobacco and brandy had been bought at too high a price.

Smuggling was rife on the New Forest.

Smuggling was rife on the New Forest but not all participants were ‘honest rogues’.

[1] A full and genuine history of the inhuman and unparrallell’d murders of Mr. William Galley, … and Mr. Daniel Chater, … By fourteen notorious smugglers. (London, 1749).

Photo courtesy of the New Forest Packhorse Company.

Posted in New Forest | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: smugglers and rogues

New Forest: learning, knowing and passing it on.

Posted on June 19, 2016 by newforestcommoner
Although the New Forest ponies are referred to as 'wild' the herds are a mixure of semi-feral and domesticated animals.

For me, the New Forest is the only place to be come rain or shine, winter or summer.

For me the natural world is a place of wonder and exploration. Being in the New Forest no matter what time of day, what time of year or in what kind of weather is such a fulfilling experience. The sound of the lapwing and the lark, the smell of coconut from the gorse, the sight of foals in spring and the heather in the autumn are just some of the things I look forward to enjoying each year. I listen to the commoners who have lived their whole lives on the Forest and find myself envious of their experiences and accumulated knowledge. I never tire of the anecdotes they tell, the gossip they repeat and the wisdom they impart. Their connection to the landscape and to each other is remarkable and in some cases I can clearly see that it is possible for memories to be genetically passed between the generations.[1] Indeed, it is true to say that some scientific studies in the New Forest have only confirmed what has been in the knowledge or opinion of commoners for generations, and that other studies have ‘missed or under-recorded’ elements that are obvious to those familiar with the Forest.[2] Even for me, during the past few years, my knowledge has grown and I now know when to expect the first cuckoo call of the year, how to identify animal tracks, the significance of cotton grass growing in the valleys, and the feel of woodfidley rain. My commoning friends would have learnt all these things in childhood.

Visitors and the tourism trade
Visitors have often relied upon the commoner’s intimate knowledge of the New Forest and its flora and fauna. The commoner’s in their turn have exploited this reliance to their advantage. In times past, for example, it was necessary to hire local people to act as guides when travelling from one part of the Forest to another. During the Victorian period there was a rise in demand for tourism, which was serviced by the increasing network of railway lines that brought people from the cities into the countryside. As the holiday trade grew some commoners were able to earn an additional income by leasing out their ponies to day-trippers or escorting tourists to popular destinations, such as the Rufus Stone. Visitors would also have been treated to stories of Forest life, folklore and episodes from its history, no doubt some of it liberally mixed with tall-tales. Today tourism in the New Forest is one of the biggest contributors to the local economy. Modern technology has largely replaced the larger than life characters who often impressed visitors with their knowledge of its history and wildlife. Satnav and smart phone applications too have also improved the quality of directions from place to place. The grandfather of a commoning friend of mine, when asked for directions by visitors used to say, “well, I wouldn’t start from here if I were you”. At least Satnav doesn’t do that!

The New Forest ponies are free to roam and like other travellers use the roads to get from A to B.

Modern technology, and other devices, help visitors to navigate the New Forest.

[1] James Gallagher, ‘Memories Pass Between Generations’, BBC News – Health, 1st December 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25156510, [accessed 18 June 2016].

[2] Colin Tubbs, The New Forest, History, Ecology, & Conservation (Lyndhurst, 2001), p. 136.

Posted in New Forest | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: learning, knowing and passing it on.

Ragwort: friend or foe?

Posted on June 13, 2016 by newforestcommoner
A humble looking plant but poisonous to livestock when eaten in large quantity.

A humble looking plant but poisonous to livestock when eaten in quantity.

I’ve recently begun the task of checking for and clearing any ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) from my hay meadow and the paddocks that my field-kept ponies will be using during the summer. This is one of those essential jobs in pasture management that I conduct, without fail, between June and October each year. For all its charm in having clusters of pretty yellow daisy-like flowers, ragwort is a weed poisonous to horses and cattle. When digested in quantity, the alkaloids contained in the plant are metabolised in the liver and inhibit the division of its cells. As a consequence the liver shrinks in size and is irreversibly damaged, often with fatal results. There is no effective treatment or antidote. So you can understand why, like me, people want to remove it. However, the highest risk of ragwort poisoning is caused by a lack of available grazing alternatives (so watch out for fat ponies in starvation paddocks) and the majority of poisoning cases have been caused by hay (or silage) harvested from fields containing ragwort being fed to horses and cattle.

Unpalatable reputation
The animals avoid it while it is growing, as it has a bitter or, more correctly, a sour taste, but it becomes more palatable to them once it matures and dies, so it must be removed before it begins to wilt. Even though it has died the ragwort poison remains potent. If I find any, I like to remove ragwort from my paddocks before it has even had a chance to seed! The plants are then burnt on a bonfire to dispose of them thoroughly. Placing uprooted ragwort on a muckheap or compost is the surest way of reanimating the weed and recontaminating pasture. Ragwort is normally a biennial plant, which means that it lives for two years, flowering in its second year. However, if the plant is not removed roots-and-all when clearing it from grazing land, what remains can then re-grow and behave like a perennial, living indefinitely. Other names for ragwort include Stinking Nanny/Ninny/Willy, staggerwort, cankerwort, stammerwort, and mare’s fart. So you can see that it doesn’t have a particularly good reputation!

Injurious weed
Ragwort is among five injurious weeds – common ragwort, spear thistle, creeping or field thistle, broad-leaved dock and curled dock – that are listed in the Weeds Act 1959, which requires landowners to ‘take such action as may be necessary to prevent the weeds from spreading’.[1] In 2003 the Ragwort Control Act was passed; followed in 2004 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ‘Code of Practice on How to Prevent the Spread of Ragwort’.[2] Defra, however, is quick to point out that the aim is not to eradicate ragwort, but to control it where it threatens the health and welfare of animals and not allow it to spread to neighbouring pasture. Defra’s Code also illustrates other wild flowers, such as Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica) and Field Fleawort (Tephroseris integrifolia) that, because of their yellow flowers, could be easily mistaken for ragwort and seeks to avoid the removal of these non-target plant species that contribute to the rich biodiversity of our countryside.

Weed or wildflower?
Of course one person’s noxious weed is another person’s wildflower and the ragwort plant has some very prominent supporters. Organisations such as Plantlife, Buglife, and Wildlife and Countryside Link, to name a few, support data that indicates a significant number of invertebrate species eating ragwort leaves, living in the stems and flowers, or feeding on its pollen and nectar.[3] According to Plantlife ‘it is a plant upon which at least 30 insect species, many rare, entirely rely’.[4] These organisations also point to oft quoted but incorrect ‘facts’ about ragwort that continue to be repeated and widely believed. Of course a balanced view needs to be adopted, one that restricts the potential danger for the free-roaming livestock without completely eradicating the plant upon which so many insects depend. For my part, decades of prejudice will make me feel uncomfortable about ever welcoming ragwort onto my pasture but learning to dispel some of the myths regarding this controversial native plant has certainly encouraged me to not demonise it.

Meadow grass contains essential nutrients that, when dried in hay, will keep the ponies sustained over the winter.

Good pasture management is an effective method of reducing ragwort in paddocks.

 

SOURCES

[1] Weeds Act 1959 (16 July 1959), http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/7-8/54 [accessed 12 June 2016].

[2] Ragwort Control Act 2003 (20 November 2003), http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/40/introduction [accessed 12 June 2016].; Defra, ‘Code of Practice on How to Prevent the Spread of Ragwort’ (2004/retained for reference purposes, updates on Defra website), https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/525269/pb9840-cop-ragwort-rev.pdf [accessed 12 June 2016].

[3] Plantlife, ‘Position Statement On Ragwort Control In The UK’ (2011), http://www.plantlife.org.uk/uploads/documents/Ragwort_Position_statement_FINAL_PUBLIC_July07.pdf, [accessed 12 June 2016]; Buglife, ‘Ragwort: insect fauna in detail’, https://www.buglife.org.uk/sites/default/files/Ragwort%20-%20Insect%20Fauna%20in%20detail_1.pdf [accessed 12 June 2016]; Wildlife and Countryside Link, ‘Ragwort Control Position Statement’ (02 October 2003), http://www.wcl.org.uk/docs/2003/Link_ragwort_control_29Sep.pdf, [accessed 12 June 2016].

[4] Plantlife, ‘Lovely Rawort Under Fire Again’ (18 July 2011), http://www.plantlife.org.uk/about_us/news_press/lovely_ragwort_under_fire_again, [accessed 12 June 2016].

Posted in New Forest, New Forest flora & fauna | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ragwort: friend or foe?

New Forest: timber stealers and plunderers

Posted on June 5, 2016 by newforestcommoner
Commoners with the Right of Estover were permitted to

In times past the large scale theft of timber was rife in the New Forest.

The New Forest is often described as a mosaic of habitats, which include heathland, valley mires and ancient pasture woodland. Within these varied environments grow all manner of plant life, from the tiny bog orchid (Hammarbya paludosa) up to the giant sequoia trees (Sequoiadendron giganteum). Visitors are often reminded not to pick or remove any of the Forest’s wild flowers – but to leave them for everyone to enjoy.[1] However, there was a time when the Forest’s natural resources were exploited shamefully and even its trees were removed wholesale by unscrupulous ‘forest plunderers’ who would profit from the timber they stole.[2] It was reported at the end of the eighteenth century that ‘the borderers of the Forest, some of the most abject and wretched people in the country, used to live by forest timber stealing; and such was their dexterity that several of them combined together could, during the night, fell an oak and carry it off undetected’.[3]

Confusion and corruption
By the middle of the nineteenth century the tree stealers had become more brazen and ‘persons with horses and wagons roam through the forest, cut down and carry off what timber they pleased’.[4] These thefts went unchallenged because the trees were felled and carried off in broad daylight with such boldness since ‘it was not imagined that any but authorised persons would do it’.[5] But confusion due to the illiteracy of the carriers was also cited as a cause of quantities of missing felled trees. Carters sent to collect loads from the forests or sales yards, being unable to read the names of their employers marked on the timber, ‘were in the habit of taking what timber they pleased and hurrying out of the forest with it as soon as possible.’[6] At other times timber reserved for the royal navy had the official stamp removed and private marks substituted. The lack of superintendence was seen as a contributory factor to the tree thefts even though the administration of the New Forest in the mid-1850’s consisted of a Lord Warden, a Deputy Warden, a Bow Bearer, two Rangers, a Woodward and Deputy Woodward, four Verderers, a High Steward, twelve Regarders, nine Foresters, fifteen Under Foresters, a Surveyor of the Navy, a Surveyor General, and three Deputies.

Sylvan deities and roaming policemen
In the nineteenth century the Forest was surrounded by timber merchants, and many of them (if not all) traded in stolen timber. The thieves would often store the stolen timber outside the plantations of the estates of the gentry to make it appear as if the timber had been harvested legitimately. ‘When any questions were asked Lady Poore’s estate of Cuffnells, and other estates, were impudently mentioned as places from which the timber had been purchased.’[7] It was reckoned from the amount of times the estate of Cuffnells had been mentioned in relation to the timber alleged to have been grown there, that Lady Poore was considered to have the best wooded estate in the world! But an investigation led by Lord Duncan, in 1849, began to close in on the thieves. One of the local timber merchants was committed to Winchester gaol when it was discovered that although he had sold 244 loads of timber he had not purchased any to sell. Clearly he had been receiving stolen timber. A newspaper reported that ‘pan and the sylvan deities have vanished from the forest, and policemen are now roaming over their beautiful retreats’.[8] It was hoped that ‘timely exposure and investigation’ would inhibit future thefts of Forest timber ‘if they are not altogether prevented’.[9]

In medieval times a forest meant an area preserved for royal hunting, and not a wooded area as it does today.

The New Forest is home to all manner of life forms large and small.

[1] Forestry Commission website: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-6e3gbf (Update: 1st June 2016), [accessed 3 June 2016].

[2] ‘The Timber Stealers in the New Forest’, Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle (Portsmouth, England), Saturday, August 19, 1848; Issue 2550.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

Posted in New Forest, New Forest flora & fauna | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: timber stealers and plunderers

New Forest: self medication and creature comforts

Posted on May 29, 2016 by newforestcommoner
The free-roaming commonable livestock on the New Forest.

The free-roaming commonable livestock on the New Forest are checked regularly to ensure their welfare.

The free-roaming ponies, cows, donkeys and, during pannage, pigs on the New Forest are usually able to take care of themselves and do not require the constant attention required by their intensively farmed or field-kept counterparts. Even the process of giving birth, which is one of the most vulnerable times for any animal, can generally be left to nature’s devices, the success of which is exemplified by the numbers of healthy foals and calves to be seen on the Forest at present. This doesn’t mean to say that the animals are just left to get on with it – quite the opposite. The commoners, supported by the Agisters, check the animals regularly to ensure that the welfare of the commonable livestock is maintained to a high standard. There is also the added vigilance of over 13.5 million day visitors each year who are able to alert the authorities, such as the Verderer’s Office or the Forestry Commission, to anything that they think is amiss while out and about in the New Forest. However, any animal that is deemed to be in need of medical treatment or health care will be removed from the Forest by its owner until it is sufficiently recovered and well enough to be returned to its semi-feral lifestyle.

Self-medicating animals
Many commoners believe that the free-roaming animals are able to self-medicate, by seeking out varieties of Forest plant, herb or shrub, if they feel unwell. The animals have even been seen licking or eating soil and clay, which may contain ingredients that act as an antacid or antidiarrheal treatment. The commoners point to the way the ponies eat the burnt stalks of gorse, after it has been charred through controlled-burning of the heathland, as an example of how they use the black jacks to relieve themselves of internal parasites, such as tapeworms. Scientists have confirmed the commoner’s belief in animal self-medication by observing that ‘most natural landscapes are diverse mixes of plant species that are literally nutrition centres and pharmacies with vast arrays of primary (nutrient) and secondary (pharmaceutical) compounds vital in the nutrition and health of plants and herbivores’.[1] Even though the commonable livestock is free-roaming they are not wild animals. Many will experience periods of close human contact, such as when they are brought in off the Forest for the winter. These animals will know the benefit of food, shelter and possibly even a little mollycoddling. In some instances, if these animals become unwell and are unable to treat themselves they will return home to seek some creature comforts.

Snake bite
Such was the case recently with a commoning friend of mine who had to tend to a heifer suffering with a swollen foot and lameness. The young cow had had the sense to return home and, apparently, was bellowing outside the farm gate for attention and looking generally miserable and forlorn. The cow was duly ushered into the farmyard where an inspection could take place and any treatment could be applied. The cause of the swelling was deduced to be as a result of an adder bite. Small tell tale puncture marks were observed in the cow’s heel. Such an occurrence is not unusual in the New Forest. Adders will protect themselves if threaten by hooves, paws, snouts, feet or hands! Luckily their venom is not fatal and sometimes they will dry bite, as a warning, without injecting any venom, but in either case it can be very painful. In this little cow’s example after a few days of treatment, to ensure there was no lingering infection, and some stable rest her distress at being separated from her bovine friends became greater than the inconvenience of a sore foot. Much recovered and no longer lame she was duly returned to wander on the New Forest none the worse for her malady.

Adders are commonly found on the New Forest and are protected by law.

Adders are commonly found on the New Forest and are protected by law.

[1] J. J. Villalba and F. D. Provenza (2007). ‘Self-medication and homeostatic behaviour in herbivores: learning about the benefits of nature’s pharmacy’, Animal, Vol.1, Issue 9.

Posted in New Forest cattle, New Forest flora & fauna, New Forest pony | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: self medication and creature comforts

New Forest: lost a pony and found a stallion

Posted on May 16, 2016 by newforestcommoner
A stallion takes a drink - chasing mares is thirsty work!

A New Forest stallion takes a drink – chasing mares is thirsty work!

This week (May 2016) I found one of my mares that I hadn’t seen in a while. The Agister had seen her. Other commoners had seen her. Possibly many visitors –walkers, cyclists, horse riders, bird watchers etc. – had seen her. But she had eluded me for some considerable time. This particular bay pony had changed territories and switched to a herd that roamed on the other side of the valley. She had managed to get inside one of the Forestry inclosures and had been let back out onto the Open Forest, but on the farthest side from where she’d entered. This prevented her from returning home. I was regularly checking the area for her to try and locate which haunt she was in and discover what herd she was running with. Every group with a bay coloured pony would have to be inspected to see if it was she. This meant covering lots of ground, on foot, to check each herd or individual. Luckily she had enough distinguishing features that I could tell from a distance whether or not my search would finally be over. But up until now I had had no luck in tracking her down.

The ‘Lynx effect’
Recently I started out again to look for her. It was a beautiful sunny day, with a light breeze to cool the temperatures. At first there didn’t seem to be that many ponies about. I saw a small band grazing on the crest of a hill just beyond a stretch of valley mire and decided to check them out. The ponies moved away from me down the other side of the hill just out of sight and, once I’d made a big sweep around the wetland area, I followed them. As I crested the hill in search of the small band, the sight of at least 40 ponies greeted me. They were all happily grazing together. To have such a large group of ponies together in one place could only be due to one thing – the presence of a stallion. Sure enough a handsome dark bay stallion with an impossibly shiny coat stalked through the herd checking to see which of the mares were becoming receptive to his charms. He’d sniff them nostrils to nostrils or check them from behind and as he did there were lots of accompanying shrieks from him and the excited mares. As I stood at the top of the hill I could see mares from the surrounding area making their way to where the stallion was. His magnetic presence on the mares in the area can only be described as ‘the Lynx effect’. I had a good view from my position to survey the herd and among the assembly of eager mares I saw the unmistakeable outline of my own missing pony. At last I had found her! I wandered down to her and checked her over. She looked in good health and condition. The stallion was still swaggering amongst the mares and I couldn’t help but wonder if my mare would succumb to his amorous advances before his four week ‘tour-of-duty’ was over. He certainly would make a fine sire for any future foals. If she did become in-foal to him I would most certainly have to keep a closer eye on her and might even consider bringing her back home. But for now, she looked happy, healthy and content to stay where she was.

When the stallions are at large on the New Forest the wild pony herds exhibit much excitement.

When the stallions are at large on the New Forest the wild pony herds exhibit much excitement.

Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: lost a pony and found a stallion

New Forest: stallion-silly-season

Posted on May 8, 2016 by newforestcommoner
The bluebells that carpet the woodlands are a popular sight with visitors to the New Forest.

The bluebells that carpet the woodlands are a popular sight with visitors to the New Forest.

I was pleased to see that British astronaut, Major Tim Peake, had posted images of the south coast from the International Space Station, circling 404km (251miles) above the Earth. It clearly showed the area of the New Forest and the great swathes of the undeveloped landscape that make up its diverse and precious habitats. For those of us with a more terrestrial view the New Forest is springing to life at the moment. The colours of lush greens, from the grasses and emerging foliage of the trees, mix with the cool blues of the bluebells in the woods. The bluebells that carpet the woodlands signal the time that fox cubs emerge from their dens to explore above ground. These beautiful spring flowers are a popular sight with visitors to the New Forest too. The plentiful sunshine of late is beginning to warm up the soil and more insects are taking to the air. This is good news for the birds that are rearing and feeding their young.

Foal antics are stress-busting
There are currently plenty of foals to be seen on the heathland and in the woods, which make this time of year one of the highpoints in the Forest’s calendar. As new-borns they stay close to their mothers and rely on her presence to give them confidence. Their awkward, leggy movements and close shadowing of their dam is quickly replaced by a gambling, playful action as they begin to make friends and investigate the features within their territories. Watching foals at play has got to be one of the best stress-busters around, particularly if it takes place on a sunny day. The foals seem to exhibit a sense of fun and carefree exuberance that lifts one’s spirits. When they play together the results are often comical. They seem to like galloping as fast as they can around the other herd members, who are usually quietly grazing whilst keeping an eye on their antics. It’s all practice of course, as they need to master the limbs that will carry them away from danger should the need arise. They also practice rearing, bucking, stopping and kicking out, which are also in the survival kit of the free-roaming, ‘wild’ pony.

Stallion-silly-season
With the appearance of foals comes the official breeding season. The mares that have given birth will now be ready to receive the stallion again. On the New Forest this process is very carefully managed. Only approved stallions are permitted to roam on the New Forest and this year 15 are to be released to run with the mares. Each licensed stallion will be freed to run with the mares in a specific area of the Forest from 9th May until 6th June. All stallions must be off the Forest by 13th June. In that time nature will take its course and the next crop of foals will be conceived ready for next year. Of course while the stallions are at large the atmosphere on the Forest becomes electric, as the mares realise there’s a stallion about – it becomes the stallion-silly-season. Visitors and commuters using the Forest roads need to be doubly aware for ponies crossing the roads during this time. When the stallions are at large the ponies only have one thing on their minds!

When the stallions are at large on the New Forest the wild pony herds exhibit much excitement.

When the stallions are at large on the New Forest the wild pony herds exhibit much excitement.

New Forest: Stallion Areas 2016

Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: stallion-silly-season

New Forest: Stallion Areas 2016

Posted on May 6, 2016 by newforestcommoner
The foals born on the New Forest follow an ancient lineage.

The foals born on the New Forest follow an ancient lineage.

Each year stallions are released onto the Open Forest to run with the free-roaming mares to sire the next generation of New Forest pony. The stallions are carefully selected by the Verderer’s of the New Forest, the Commoners’ Defence Assocation and the New Forest Pony Breeding & Cattle Society. Only approved stallions are permitted to breed and will run with the mares for only four weeks. Stallions are released on Monday 9th May and must be removed from the Forest by Monday 13th June.

Stallion Areas 2016

Sandhole Whispering Grass – Penn Common

Lucky Lane Rollo – Durhill

Kvavesash Gold Fever – Withybeds

Limekiln Brigadier – Ipley Field

Applewitch Diversity – Hale Purlieu

Portmore Thundercloud – Wilverley

Cadland Masterplan – Matley

Sturtmoor Top Hat – Sloden

Walhampton Scholars Farewell – Moonhills

Haywards Impressionist – Backley

Sway Scrumpy Jack – Busketts

Skywalker – Ogdens

Brookshill Brumby – East Boldre

Lucky Lane Pegasus – Mill Lawn

Mallards Wood Spot On – Bank

Stallions must run out from Monday 9th May until Monday 6th June 2016.
Stallions must be off the Forest by Monday 13th June 2016.

Posted in New Forest, New Forest pony | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Forest: Stallion Areas 2016