New Forest: home to the commoners

Posted on November 3, 2014 by newforestcommoner
Commoning is a very sociable enterprise, wherever they get together.

Commoning is a very sociable enterprise, wherever commoners get together.

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 to know. Luckily for me the New Forest has a wealth of documentation that has recorded many aspects of its economic, political and social structure, its legal system and natural environment going as far back as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles and the Doomesday Book. Some place names even pre-date the creation, in the 11th century, of the New Forest and record the natural features, aspects of pagan religion and even individual residents who lived here nearly a thousand years ago.

Several of the commoning families, who have turned out ponies and cattle for many generations, are a great source of information and practical support for me too. Much of the practice of commoning cannot be learned in books and in order to really understand the intricacies of this ancient pastoral system it is necessary to spend time in their company. The advantage to this of course is that I get to hear the personal histories and anecdotes that have generally been beneath the notice of academics and scientists and so haven’t been written down. These are narratives that weave the very fabric of the New Forest into the telling. It is obvious to me that the majority of commoners continue the system, not for economic reasons, but because it is a family tradition and way of life in which they grew up. The free-roaming animals are of course central to commoning and vital to the ecology of the Forest but the social aspect is also a major factor in continuing the practice. Commoners meet during drifts and colt-hunting, at markets or sales, at shows or at the point-to-point races and such gatherings reinforce social bonds and enable community cohesion.

Unfortunately the past few decades have seen a marked decline in the numbers of practicing commoners. Gone are the days of the once abundant Forest commoning smallholders who kept a mixed production enterprise with a high-degree of self-sufficiency; who turned out ponies and cattle and relied upon seasonal work, with local landowners or forestry services, to supplement their incomes. When, in the 1850’s a Parliamentary Commission set out to establish the rights of those living in the New Forest 1200 claims were allowed. There are probably about 500 practicing commoners on the New Forest today. The reasons for the decline are many and varied but one of the causes most often cited is the increase in property prices. The popularity of the Forest as a visitor destination, a trend that began in the Victorian times, has meant that it has also become a favoured location for retirement or second homes. As people seek a rural idyll in the New Forest the cost of housing and land vital to the continuance of commoning has soared. The average property on the New Forest is now priced beyond the reach of most established commoning families. Some efforts have been made to establish a stock of housing available for the commoning community through initiatives such as the Commoners Dwelling Scheme, which was set up in 1992 and is now administered by the New Forest National Park Authority. But, the New Forest Commoners Defence Association, who have been protecting commoner’s interests since 1909, believe that stakeholders also need to recognise that the New Forest is a working forest and to work closely with the commoners to enable them to continue their activities.

The practice of commoning, which has existed uninterrupted for over a thousand years, is still the dominant influence over the Forest’s ecology, economy and community.

The practice of commoning, which has existed uninterrupted for over a thousand years, is still the dominant influence over the Forest’s ecology, economy and community.

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The New Forest: the future of commoning

Posted on October 27, 2014 by newforestcommoner
The New Forest is believed to have the only surviving pastoral economy, based on the principal of common rights.

The New Forest is believed to have the only surviving pastoral economy, based on the principal of common rights.

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 or intensively farmed. This has enabled an early form of pastoral economy, which even predated the creation of the ‘Nova Foresta’ in 1079, to survive along with the landscape. Commoning is one of the oldest forms of agricultural management known to man. It relies upon the shared use and management of natural resources and is mostly characterised by the grazing of free-roaming animals, particularly ponies and cattle. When the heathlands disappeared from Northern Europe, in the 19th and 20th centuries, so too did the commoners and their pastoral way of life. The New Forest is believed to have the only surviving pastoral economy in Northern Europe, based on the principal of common rights, that is left.

The future of commoning is inextricably interwoven with that of the Forest itself. Some scientists and social commentators have described the commoners and their animals as having complete interdependence with the Forest, while others have even labelled the relationship as ‘virtually symbiotic’. Commoning has been enshrined in law since the Middle Ages. Even so, that hasn’t prevented attempts to eradicate the practice in order to exploit the New Forest for private or commercial gain. Since the early laws were made successive kings and governments have tried to either control or erode the extent of rights of common or restrict the numbers of Forest inhabitants with those rights. A good example of this occurred in the 1850’s, when a Parliamentary Commission set out to establish the rights of those living in the New Forest. Although 1311 cases were examined only 1200 were allowed. In not one single case did the Commission confirm all the common rights that were claimed. In addition many of the commoners who could not read and write or did not have the finanical means to participate in the proceedings were deemed to have forfeited their rights by default!

Commoning, and consequently the New Forest, was in real jeopardy. Government policy was intent on enclosing the parts of the Forest that could be used for timber production and selling off or privatising the parts that could not. The plan would have left just a sixth of the Forest for commoning and nature. A vigorous campaign by the local gentry, commoners and residents’ captured national attention and the outcry to protect the New Forest and commoning culminated in the New Forest Act 1877. When one considers that this campaign was successfully brought without the aid of social media or the Internet it is a very impressive undertaking. Had this not happened, remarked one commentator ‘the New Forest would now be just a name on the map.’ Thankfully today the role of the commoners’ animals  in preserving the landscape of the New Forest is fully appreciated. The practice of commoning is also acknowledged for its enduring effect on the social, historical and cultural traditions of the area.

Pannage season is part of the ancient commoning rights and a popular tradition.

Pannage season is part of the ancient system of commoning rights and a popular tradition, particularly with the Forest’s visitors.

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Bringing the ponies home.

Posted on October 20, 2014 by newforestcommoner
My ponies know where 'home' is and, now and again, come by to check on us.

My ponies know where ‘home’ is and, now and again, come by to check on us.

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 like to check on my mares as often as I can to make sure that they are healthy and injury-free. Of course in the summer walking or riding on the New Forest is an absolute pleasure and checking on the stock becomes a leisurely activity. With the majority of visitors coming to the Forest in the summer it’s also an opportunity to take advantage of all those extra pairs of eyes, who will alert the Verderers if they notice any ponies looking unwell. But in the winter it’s an entirely different proposition.

At the moment the sun rises at about 7.30am and there is simply not enough time in the mornings for me to get onto the Forest in the daylight and back in time to get ready for work. I am faced with the prospect of only being able to check on my ponies at weekends and relying on the other commoners to keep an eye on them during the week. There are fewer visitors around too and so the added bonus of other people looking over the commonable animals is also much reduced. In view of this I came to the decision that I was going to catch them up and bring them home. At least if they are on the holding I can check them daily and, if necessary, give them supplementary feeding to keep them in good condition when the worst of the winter weather arrives. Even in the deepest snow the ponies on the Open Forest are still able to find grazing by scraping back the snow with their hooves or by browsing the tips of the gorse. But even so I wanted to bring them home.

Generally speaking gathering the ponies from off the Forest would involve organising a colt-hunting team to go and round them up. However, my mares saved me the bother by one day simply turning up and asking to be let in. It was almost as if they had read my mind! It’s not unheard of for me to go out looking for them on the Forest and for them to turn up at home, usually with a bunch of their friends in tow. My mares know where they live and will, every now and again, come by and check on us! So on this occasion I was able to take advantage of their ‘homing’ instinct and when they appeared I opened the gates to the pasture and, seeing the plentiful grass, they needed no further invitation to move back home for the winter.

In the winter the New Forest can seem an inhospitable landscape.

In the winter the New Forest can seem an inhospitable landscape.

 

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New Forest pony: wild or tame but always clever.

Posted on October 13, 2014 by newforestcommoner
The New Forest ponies should not be stroked or petted, and on no account should they be fed by visitors.

The New Forest ponies are described as ‘wild’ but are in fact ‘semi-feral’.

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 native to Mongolia, which has never in its entire history ever been domesticated. All other breeds, including the Mustangs of America, the Brumbies of Australia and the New Forest pony, are descended from domesticated stock. However, Mustangs and Brumbies, unlike the New Forest pony, do not have owners. Every pony that roams freely on the Forest belongs to a commoner, who is responsible for its health and welfare. Though they are left to run in a natural state and are able exhibit the behaviour of their wild counterparts, the New Forest pony will be periodically rounded-up for routine management purposes, such as being given wormers, or having florescent collars fitted. They live in an environment in which humans dominate and so will inevitably have some experience of or interaction with people.

Horses are prey animals with highly developed senses and their instinctive self-defence mechanism is to run away from a perceived threat, yet they are equally very trusting of us. Even though human beings are top predators we have managed to form an alliance with the horse. There is something in its innate character that makes us want to befriend it, rather than eat it. For thousands of years our two species have lived in mutually beneficial cooperation. The domesticated horse has enjoyed our protection from other predators, received food and veterinary care whilst we have employed it in sport, agriculture, transport and war. Horses have changed the course of human history and we have changed horses. Through the process of selective-breeding, for example, the New Forest pony can boast qualities that include intelligence, stamina and a biddable temperament. They are easy to train and learn very quickly.

Not everything they learn is good for them however. Visitors to the New Forest love to see the ponies roaming freely but often fall into the temptation to stroke and pet them or, worse still, feed them. Some of the ponies are quick to exploit any opportunity for an effortless meal and soon learn to associate visitors with easy-pickings. This, of course, leads them to congregate in the car parks and roadsides, where they can beg or scrounge for food. It is a sad fact but people who feed the New Forest ponies directly contribute to the numbers of them killed or injured each year in road traffic incidents. However, some of the ‘wild’ ponies have actually been known to use their cunning to raid people’s houses, sheds or garages. In one particular story a Forest resident came home to find a chestnut stallion in their kitchen standing over the sink licking drops of water from the taps. The homeowner shooed the pony out and it made its way down the steps and out of the house. However, it was soon discovered that two loaves of bread and half a dozen doughnuts that had been on the kitchen table were missing! This probably accounted for the pony’s thirst.

Ponies fed by visitors learn to beg and scrounge for food.

‘Wild’ ponies fed by visitors lose their fear of humans and learn to beg and scrounge for food.

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Commoning: cooperation and coordination

Posted on October 6, 2014 by newforestcommoner
When I go onto the Forest check on my mares I check on the other ponies too.

When I go onto the Forest to check on my mares I also check on the other ponies too.

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 check on other commoner’s animals as well as my own and I know that they will be doing the same for me. My mares are running in a herd with ponies that belong to several other owners. The ponies will stay in the same area or ‘haunt’ so I know the territory that they maintain, however I don’t get to see my mares every day. Often one of the other commoners will tell me that my girls have been seen in a particular place at a particular time, so I know that others are keeping an eye on them too. This informal level of support is very reassuring and is naturally accepted as a reciprocal arrangement.

At other times, such as during the autumn drifts, the level of cooperation is much more coordinated and purposeful. The Agisters organise the round-ups and commoners, either mounted or on foot, help to process the herds of ponies that are brought in. I haven’t yet worked my way up to actually riding on a drift, so I am grateful to the riders who recently rounded-up my two mares and the other commoners on foot who herded them into the pound. When they were driven into the chute for processing I was able to get them fitted with florescent collars and also administer a good dose of wormer, to rid them of internal parasites, once again with the help of the Agister and other commoners.

Recently though I actually had a summons for help! One of my commoner friends had a cow in distress and needed to bring her in for the vet. After a brief phone call asking me to come quickly I leapt into action and fifteen minutes later was in a chain of people helping to herd a sick cow off the Forest and onto it’s owners holding. The cow was suffering from mastitis; a potentially fatal infection of the udder, which thankfully had been caught in time. Mastitis can be caused by an invasion of bacteria or an injury to the udder – even an adder bite, which would not be unusual for the New Forest. The vet prescribed a course of antibiotics and predicted that the cow, whose name was Cucumber, would make a full recovery. In typical commoner fashion mugs filled with tea were offered round and, with the emergency over, a social networking opportunity was quickly taken advantage of.

Cows are also commonable animals and roam freely on the New Forest.

Cows are also commonable animals and roam freely on the New Forest.

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Unusual tails from the New Forest

Posted on October 4, 2014 by newforestcommoner
The Agister cuts the pony's tail to show the owner has paid their marking fee.

The Agister cuts the pony’s tail, and it is recorded that the owner has paid their marking fee.

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 less in the same format to this day. They occur in every part of the Forest, generally from late summer until late autumn and are fast paced events conducted by the Agisters and commoners mounted on horseback. The ‘wild’ ponies are herded together and gallop at full pelt, often in large numbers, towards the pound where they will be channelled by commoners on foot. The pound is a permanent timber structure, which resembles the type of stock pen or corral one might see in a cowboy film, and are situated all over the New Forest. Once the ponies are caught in the pound they are selected for processing and herded in small groups, one-by-one, towards the Agister.

Marking the New Forest ponies
The Agister works with the selected ponies in a chute or small pen and has the job of either worming, fitting florescent collars, or removing them according to the requirements of the commoner owning the pony. Ponies that are sold unhandled, straight from the Forest, generally do not fetch much money so many commoners prefer to take their ponies’ home for handling and schooling prior to sale. Each pony that is to be released back on to the Forest is given a quick health check and set free. However, all ponies that are let loose again will have their tails cut by the Agister, using scissors, to show that the owner has paid their annual fees. The marking or grazing fee (currently £24.00/October 2014) is payable for every single pony turned out on the Open Forest. Each Agister has a distinctive way of cutting the tail, which indicates the area or ‘beat’ of the Forest he is responsible for, which could roughly be interpreted as north, south, east and west. The tails are cut either in three jagged steps to the left or the right, in cuts on both sides half way up the tail, or with one incision half way up the tail to the right.

Thereby hangs a tail!
Although they are often called ‘wild’, the ponies would be better described as semi-feral. The Agister works quickly to minimise the stress on the ponies, some of which will have hardly been handled before. Once the ponies have been processed they are released from the pen. Oddly many do not gallop away but instead, particularly the older mares, seem to know the pack-drill and understanding that their manhanding is over simply saunter off. It is curious to watch them wandering back to the Forest in small groups all sporting very unusual-looking tails. It does make one wonder what kind of a barber the Agisters would make! Journeying around the New Forest is always a pleasure, no matter what time of year, but during the drift season it is always interesting to spot the ponies that have been caught in the round ups and those canny animals that have evaded capture. How can one tell? Why, by their tails of course!

Ponies tails are cut or 'marked' to show their owner has paid their marking fees.

Ponies’ tails are cut or ‘marked’ to show their owner has paid their marking fees.

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Early morning deer rescue!

Posted on September 29, 2014 by newforestcommoner
Roe deer are one of the five species of deer that roam the New Forest.

Roe deer are one of the five species of deer that roam the New Forest.

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 high-pitched whistling exhalation that horses do when they are alarmed. It’s not like her, so I went to check what was wrong. Through the inky blackness of the early morning I could see a car’s hazard lights blinking and hear something or someone rustling through the withy-patch that runs parrallel between the paddock and the road. I called out and a man’s voice shouted back. He’d seen a deer in great distress cross the road in front of his car. It was completely entangled in garden mesh and hardly able to walk. I hopped over the fence to try and help him locate the deer. The man was in a smart suit and certainly not dressed for rummaging in hedgerows for injured wildlife. I convinced him there was nothing more he could do and suggested that he carry on with his journey. I went back to the house phoned my neighbours, also early risers and luckily wildlife savvy, for back-up. I grabbed some equipment and went back to the roadside.

Covered in mesh and hooked up on brambles
In my experience of wildlife rescues this was probably one of the easiest. Through the light of my torch I could see the silhouette of a roe buck against the dense foliage. The poor creature was so tangled in several metres of garden mesh that he could not have run even if he had wanted to. The mesh had now become hooked up on brambles and undergrowth completely trapping him. Lucky for him that the car driver had seen him otherwise his fate would probably have been to slowly starve to death where he stood. I waited for my neighbours to arrive before approaching him. I’d brought one of the horse’s blankets with me and we managed to get it over his head to try and calm him down and also cover his antlers to protect us from them. When we pinned him down he kicked like absolute fury but then gave up. We knew we hadn’t much time. I’d brought some scissors and we were able to cut the mesh from off his antlers, head and front legs. We gave him a quick check to ensure his legs were sound and that he was not bleeding from anywhere. Once we were satisfied that he was free from the mesh and capable of walking we let him go – on the count of three to make sure everyone released at the same time. He sat up for a few moments and then ran to the fence, hopped over it into my field and was gone. We were pleased that we were able to give the little buck a fighting chance of survival. Hopefully he will recover from the shock of his ordeal.

Deer on the New Forest
Living on the New Forest means that deer are a regular sight. The Forest has five species of deer – the most commonly seen are red, fallow and roe deer but it is also home to the elusive muntjak and sika. From early to mid-October the deer rutting season begins for the three largest species – red, fallow and sikka.  The mating season for roe is around July/August. Muntjac mate all year round. Visitors to the Forest may get to see or hear the furious activites of rutting deer in the autumn. Male deer use their antlers in trials of strength and combat during the rut (a Middle English word meaning ‘to roar’). During this time the stags become very territorial and aggressive and can be dangerous. So it’s always a good idea to keep dogs on a lead and avoid getting too close to deer particularly during rutting season. If however, you see an injured deer then it’s best to call the Forestry Commisson (02380 283141) as they have jurisdiction over the Forest wildlife and will deal with it. (The Verderers of the New Forest only deal with the commonable animals – ponies, cattle, donkeys and pigs.)

The New Forest is home to five species of deer.

The New Forest is home to five species of deer – roe, red, fallow, sika and muntjac.

 

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New Forest Pannage Season: ‘here piggy, piggy!’

Posted on September 22, 2014 by newforestcommoner
Pannage season starts in September and usually lasts 60 days.

Pannage season starts in September and usually lasts 60 days.

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 is derived from the Old French word ‘pasnage’, which was brought to England by the conquering Normans, and basically means ‘pasturing’ or ‘to feed’. When the New Forest was first established as a royal hunting venue priority was given to protecting the ‘venison and vert’, in other words the deer and the foliage and vegetation they depended upon for food and shelter. During the autumn many trees, including oak, horse chestnut, sweet chestnut and beech, will cast their seeds in the form of acorns, conkers, chestnuts, and beech mast. However, green acorns are poisonous to deer and so commoners were traditionally given a period of sixty days starting in September when they could turn out their pigs to eat the acorns. The pigs, which do not seem to be affected by the toxins, would scoff the acorns thus reducing the risk to the deer and, in the process, get fattened up for the winter.

But deer are not the only animals to suffer the effects of acorn poisoning; ponies and cattle are also unable to tolerate the high levels of tannins in the seeds, often with fatal consequences. Releasing pigs to feast on fallen acorns also protects the commonable animals too. Last year the pannage season was extended twice to enable the free-roaming pigs to hoover up on the Forest. A combination of a ‘mast year’, which is used to describe a bumper crop during the seed harvest, and strong winds, meant that there were more fallen acorns than the pigs could eat in the two month allowance period. The Forestry Commission, in consultation with the Verderers of the New Forest, set the extended dates. Those commoners with ‘Common of Mast’, who are permitted to turn out their domestic pigs during pannage season, were therefore encouraged to keep their pigs out on the Forest for longer.

Generally speaking the pigs are a welcome addition to the stock of free-roaming animals on the New Forest. However, householders in the areas where the pigs are loosed have the responsibility of making sure that their gates, fences and hedges are pig-proof! Barriers that prevent wandering ponies and cattle from invading lawns and gardens will not necessarily keep out a hungry hog. A garden that has been raided by a herd of swine will look a very sorry sight indeed! It is also a general rule (which actually applies to all Forest animals) that no matter how tame they seem or how cute they look do not try to pet or feed them, especially if they have young! There are many stories of people who have fallen foul of a porcine temper tantrum or been chased by an angry pig when the titbits they’ve been fed run out or when someone has tried to stroke their pigglets!

Acorns, the seed of the oak tree, are poisonous to deer, cattle and ponies.

Acorns, the seed of the oak tree, are poisonous to deer, cattle and ponies.

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Autumn: the season of tradition and heritage

Posted on September 15, 2014 by newforestcommoner
The annual pony round-ups on the New Forest are called 'drifts'.

The annual pony round-ups on the New Forest are called ‘drifts’.

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 using methods that would be recognised in the sixteen century. The wild, free-roaming ponies are herded together by the Agisters and commoners, who are mounted on horseback, and driven into ‘pounds’, which are wooden corrals that act as collection and holding pens, from where they are processed. Most will be released back onto the Forest but others may be taken away for sale or to be trained and schooled as riding ponies. The riders on the drifts have to be proficient in the saddle, as the round-ups are fast-pasted and unpredictable, covering all sorts of different terrain. Their mounts, usually New Forest ponies, need to be equally competent to the task requiring agility, obedience and stamina in order to bring the herds of wild ponies in. As the season progresses the heathland changes colour and the round-ups take place among the falling autumn leaves. The drifts usually start in about late August and may go through into November.

In September Pannage season starts. Those commoners who have ‘Common of Mast’ are permitted to turn their domestic pigs out on the Forest. This is a traditional way of fattening the pigs on acorns, beech mast and fallen apples before they go off for slaughter. However, the pigs also perform a very important function by eating the acorns that fall from the oak trees at this time of year, which are very poisonous to ponies, cattle and deer. Pigs do not seem to be affected by the toxins in the acorns that can kill the other commonable animals and eat large quantities whilst they are at large, thus reducing the risk of the ponies or cattle eating them. In days gone by Pannage dates were fixed but the New Forest Act of 1964 made it possible for the Forestry Commission, after consultation with the Verderers of the New Forest, to set the dates for any suitable term of not less than sixty days. Last year there was such a bumper crop of acorns, known as a Mast Year, that the Pannage season was extended twice. With fewer pigs turned out a longer season was needed to enable the hogs to eat the bonanza of fallen acorns. Seeing the pigs roaming free is a traditional New Forest spectacle and sure sign of autumn. At this time of year also look out for bakers or sweet shops selling pig-shaped biscuits or confectionery in celebration of Pannage season.

Pannage season starts in September and usually lasts 60 days.

Pannage season starts in September and usually lasts 60 days.

To get a glimpse of being on a New Forest pony drift watch these videos!
Beaulieu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5CmQgwoAHw
East Boldre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y_bCeYu608

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Colt hunting on the New Forest

Posted on September 8, 2014 by newforestcommoner
Colt hunting requires a small group of mounted riders to round-up an individual pony.

Colt hunting requires a small group of mounted riders to round-up an individual pony.

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 a foal. The reasons may be that the pony is to be trained to be ridden or perhaps the foal is destined for sale and needs prior handing. Colt hunting is the method used to capture such individuals. The pony will be located and rounded-up by mounted riders employing the same tactics as used in the drifts. A group of riders gallop after the pony and channel it towards the pound. A pound is a permanent timber structure, which resembles the corrals one might see in a cowboy film, and there are many situated all over the New Forest. They are used all-year round for colt-hunting and in particularly during the drift season. The pony or mare and foal can be guided into the open pound and then the gates closed behind it.

In the past some commoners would employ a tactic during colt hunting known as ‘tailing’. This ploy, used predominantly on the foals and yearlings, involved a rider galloping alongside the youngster and grabbing its tail thus slowing it down. Then another rider would come alongside and grab its mane. Once the colt was at a standstill the rider, still holding the mane, would jump down and put a halter on it. This method required the rider to be an exceptional horseman and his or her mount needed to be good at its job as a colt hunter. Indeed there are many stories of ponies that were exceptional at rounding up their wild counterparts. Tailing, however, is very dangerous and risks injury to all concerned, not least to the young pony being captured. Only the most experienced commoners would attempt to catch a pony in this way.

Some commoners preferred ‘colt catching’ instead, using concealed ropes to capture the pony, but this practice would require a large amount of patience and intimate knowledge of the terrain. Basically a noose is concealed in bushes and the pony is simply herded through in the hope of catching the neck or forehoof, depending upon where the noose is laid. This method obviously relied upon having gorse bushes readily available! Lassos, like the ones used by North or Latin American cowboys are not used in the New Forest. However one story that I heard was of senior Agister, Ron Ings, who in 1960’s managed to lasso a steer that had evaded all other attempts to capture it. Probably assisted by luck more than his roping skills, he had galloped alongside the beast and managed to get the rope over its head, bringing it to a stop!

Ponies are collected and held in the pound for processing.

Ponies are rounded-up and channelled into the pound, where they are held ready for processing.

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