Dartmoor Ponies

I was up on Scorhill yesterday, a beautiful blue sky day and there were quite a few ponies around. I’m sure I photographed this grey mare in 2010, she hangs around the same spot.   As well as this years foal, last years was still close by and I managed to snap them as she herded them away. I had the zoom lens on so I wasn’t too close.

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Aren’t they beautiful?

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About Lucid Gypsy

Gilly Mbachu Goldsworthy is a mum to two kids that are supposed to be grown up and mma to a four year old and a new born baby boy. None of that means that I am grown up though! I love writing – travel and quite edgy fiction – and being an OU student for a degree which remains to be seen. What I do best though is counselling; I’ve been privileged to work with many people through big changes.
This entry was posted in Devon, Elephants, Photography and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

29 Responses to Dartmoor Ponies

  1. dadirri7 says:

    so precious!! well caught gilly :)

  2. adinparadise says:

    Absolutely gorgeous, Gilly. What a magical time you must have had, watching and photographing them :)

  3. Amazing creatures and photos!

  4. Cheryl says:

    Gilly, these are beautiful pictures. Are they wild ponies?

  5. Cheryl says:

    Reblogged this on Cheryl Andrews and commented:
    As must see … Gilly’s fascinating slideshow of Dartmoor Ponies. The Dartmoor Pony has lived in south-western England for centuries and is used for a variety of disciplines. Because of the extreme weather conditions experienced on the moors, the Dartmoor is a particularly hardy breed with excellent stamina. Over the centuries it has been used as a working animal by local tin miners and quarry workers. It is kept in a semi-feral state on Dartmoor, Devon.

    Despite this, numbers have declined from an estimated 25,800 in the 1930s to about 5,000 today. Only around 800 ponies were known to be grazing the moor in the spring of 2004

    • Lucid Gypsy says:

      You checked them out yourself! how lovely of you. When you drive across the moor they seem abundant but that’s partly because they hang around near the road hoping to get some handouts. People tempting them with food has caused problems in the past, I remember one time I was sitting in my car eating fish and chips with my daughter and my friend, when a pony head popped in the window! They are declining because of interbreeding and pure Dartmoors are becoming scarce.

  6. Pingback: Cheryl Andrews

  7. takingsnaps says:

    Simply beautiful

  8. Jo Bryant says:

    Aren’t they just amazing.

  9. Fergiemoto says:

    I love those ponies! Great shots!

  10. Wonderful pictures! And aren’t zoom lenses great? These shots look as if you were almost within touching distance!

  11. Paul says:

    We came across a small herd of wild horses two years ago quite by accident. We went back last year as they migrated down from the mountains for water and food. We will be there again this spring! Your photos bring it all back. Such an exhilarating sight! Thank you for the reminder.

  12. TBM says:

    Yes they are…wonderful sights!

  13. Oh! Lovely photos – like the angles and movement!

  14. These are wonderful. I love the one you caught from the side as the baby pushed herself under her mother’s neck. Sweet nature provides so much.

  15. Madhu says:

    They are! Absolutely gorgeous creatures! Thanks Gilly.

  16. pommepal says:

    Fantastic photos, they capture the free spirit of these beautiful animals. I used to ride a New Forest pony in my youth (many years ago….)

  17. rommel says:

    Good thing they didn’t run towards you. Hehe. :D
    I do wish to see more of the black one, but the tall one will absolutely do, esp. with it running and you can see its muscles.

  18. lexiesnana says:

    Beautiful………………

  19. Aw, they are Gilly! Margie

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