Dartmoor, Devon, England

Dartmoor National Park

Park landscape

Information in the following paragraph has been sourced from Google:

Dartmoor National Park is a vast moorland in the county of Devon, in southwest England. Dartmoor ponies roam its craggy landscape, defined by forests, rivers, wetlands and tors (rock formations). Trails wind through valleys with Neolithic tombs, Bronze Age stone circles and abandoned medieval farmhouses. The area is dotted with villages, including Princetown, home to Dartmoor Prison used during the Napoleonic Wars.

The famous Sherlock Holmes crime story The Hound of the Baskervilles by Conon Doyle is set on Dartmoor.


 Clapper Bridge at Postbridge

Dartmoor Ponies


 The following information has been sourced from the Visit Dartmoor website.

There are herds of beautiful pedigree Dartmoor ponies living out on the commons all year-round. They have the genetics to thrive in the harshest of conditions, with their dense, thick coats and thick manes & tails. Dark coats give great protection from sunburn and neat, hard black feet are perfect for traveling many miles a day across granite strewn moorland. They can be up 12.2hands high and are of solid colours only

They have the perfect metabolism to prosper in tough and uncompromising conditions, and have an exceptional temperament. Knowledge of where to shelter, drink or graze is passed down from generation to generation.

Several of the pedigree pony breeders run their stunning pedigree stallions out on the moor with their herd of mares, breeding naturally at liberty and some bring their mares in to their farms for the breeding season.

Pedigree ponies bred, born and raised on Dartmoor have gone on to have spectacular success as riding, show, and driving ponies all over Europe, and many have gone to other studs to improve the quality and type of ponies bred there.

The pedigree Dartmoor pony is now an endangered rare-breed, but fortunately there are dedicated breeders doing their best to increase the numbers and value of these lovely native ponies.

Several Shlstone Rocks Stud ponies bred here on the moor have been exported by Tracey Elliott-Reep to New Zealand to start a brand new stud, where the mission is to further establish the Dartmoor pony breed in NZ, with the future vision of using the ponies to help children overcome challenges, whether these are physical, intellectual or emotional.

Visitors connecting with the ponies. The animals are not tame and people should keep a safe distance from them.

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