By: Blonde One
At this time of year thoughts turn to ‘what to put on my Christmas list’ and ‘I hope I’m not on the naughty list’ for all sorts of people. Most of us have a few things that we would like that are considered too much of a luxury for any other time of year. For some it may be those diamond earrings that have been twinkling at you all year in the shop window, for others it might be that merino jacket that keeps appearing on those annoying computer pop-ups because you once took a sneaky peek to see just how much they were. Our gorgeous Dartmoor ponies didn’t have to wait for their present. Some of the lucky ones received their fluorescent collars early.
Every year there are far too many road deaths as ponies wander onto the dark roads to be stuck by sometimes speeding drivers. Admittedly even the most careful driver will struggle; these roads are pitch black and it is very difficult to see a dark pony wandering on the road until it’s too late.
Previously ponies have been painted with a fluorescent stripe in an effort to keep them safe but I think these collars are a much more attractive accessory for one of the most famous, but self-conscious Dartmoor inhabitants.
Fabulous looking ponies. I wonder if these are the Shilstone Rocks Stud ponies, at Widecombe? I know they use reflective collars on their gorgeous pure bred Dartmoor ponies.
We saw them quite close to Widecombe … so possibly.
Thanks 🙂 They are Elizabeth Newbolt-Young’s purebred ponies then. Not sure if you know that the purebred Dartmoor Pony is an endangered native breed, a terrible shame. So happy to see your photo of them 🙂 Happy Christmas! x
Must be quite eerie peeping out of a backpacking tent and shining a torch at night, to see a luminescent collar drifting past. Hope it doesn’t make the ponies more vulnerable.
I’d like to think not, I imagine they are more at risk from being hit by a car than from pony rustling. Anything to lessen the road deaths, horrendous number of them die every year. We are going to be creating a brand new website, dedicated to the ponies on the moor and it’s one of the issues we’d like to highlight. Jen 🙂
Look forward to the pony website!