Friends of the Dartmoor Hill Pony

since i last decided i had something interesting to say, the sun came out yipeeee the cuckoo called and the swallows arrived or two of them any way. We seem to be rushing around in endless small circles at the moment.
I have to thank one omy dearest friends for coming to my rescue and helping me clean the inside of husband tims boat which had suffered horribly from English winter black mould everywhere. What a wonderful kind person and she bought sandwiches as well. It was Storms birthday so we went out for supper where ginny works Blue Tiger Ilsington, yummy supper but all a bit tired. Sunday morning of to Foxworthy to muck out seven stables and bed up for night, try and be useful. Tizzy came to help me as we needed to get away on time 12.30 as we had the musical ride practise, Tim brought the music he had selected and it really started to come together, now we just have to teach ponies to lie down and work out finale no pressure then and find one more pony.
Storm is now in New Zealand or i hope that is where she has ended up, she managed to lose her phone in Brisbane airport.
Four ponies have gone down to Dartington to try and set up the grazing project again, this is a wonderful idea but came to a drastic end last year when the field flooded and seemed suspicously like sewage not just river water.
This morning was spent litter picking the site with some great kids from BTVC who are helping create the ideal place for these ponies to be. We were encouraged by how much healthier this area of wetland looked many more wild plants than last year and less litter. I put this down to the ponies but i suppose the sewage and cold weather could have had some bearing on the wonderful extra large primroses.
Enough said i have cleaned my house with Ginny s help and it hasnt fallen down with shock. Stacey came to teach ponies to lie down while i wrote a plea to the forestry commision to let us use new take at Bellever, fingers crossed, they will see the value in supporting us.

 Mrs Charlotte Faulkner Vice Chairman of Friends of the Dartmoor Hill Pony and secretary of  Dartmoor Hill Pony Association wishes to work alongside Mr David Bowden to take on the lease of the Lakehead New take to continue to introduce the management plan for ponies on Dartmoor. It is a very important project for maintaining our valued icons of Dartmoor and a vital part of our heritage. The New Forest  and Exmoor  pony keepers are following the project closely but there is a great amount of interest from those managing semi feral herds in Australia, America.

The first year of the project was successful with a stallion running with a herd of 20 mares if you to have a copy of the initial report available on request. Year two is about to start and a fresh secure parcel of land is needed to run project on as the ponies have to be checked every day and regularly scanned and the land owned by the Forestry Commission to the west of Belever forest, Lakehead New Take, would be perfect.  We wish to rent the  New Take for  phase 2 of this project which will not only help preserve the ponies on Dartmoor but will also be of value worldwide for the management of Feral and semi feral equines.

We would restore the fencing where required and manage the new take to benefit the ecology, managing the Gorse etc, we have discussed with the local community our plans and everyone seems enthusiastic and a local farmer has offered to help to improve the sward in the new take by running the cattle in order to encourage the return to an area for plant animal and insect life to thrive once more. 

how could they refuse easily it would seem sadly.