Heading to the New Forest? Remember to look out for the wild ponies!

The camping season is just kicking off for most campsites in the UK and with that, an influx of campers from all over the country will be visiting our New Forest campsites.

One of the exciting species inhabiting the forest surrounding our campsites is the New Forest Ponies. They make for great photographs, are lovely to watch whilst drinking your first cuppa of the day and there are around 5,000 of them roaming free on the land.

Whilst they’re entertaining, sometimes a little mischievous and spark friendly conversations amongst campers, our main aim is to keep the ponies safe - because really, we’re camping in their home. We ask all of our campers to abide by a few guidelines to ensure both the ponies and yourselves are kept out of harm’s way. As we go into the new season we ask you to take note of and share these guidelines with fellow campers.

New Forest Pony Safety Guidelines

• Most ponies have a lovely calm temperament however a few can be unpredictable. Never approach the ponies, especially a mother with her foal; she’ll be protective of her young. Ponies can only defend themselves with a bite or kick so ensure you stay at a safe distance. Small children are especially at risk, keep them a safe distance away from all of the animals and ensure they know not to approach wild animals. 
• If a pony does approach you, slowly and calmly move away to a safe distance.
• Keep all food stored away, out of the reach of inquisitive muzzles. Ponies love the rustle of a bag but it’s important to never feed them, you may be doing more harm than good. Not only is human and pony food very different, there’s a forest bylaw which means you could land yourself a hefty fine and a criminal record for sneaking a pony treats.  
• Many of the roads in the New Forest are very narrow, you’ll often come across not only ponies and cows but horse riders, cyclists and walkers making use of the roads too. Free roaming animals have right of way and it’s your (the driver’s) responsibility to slow down and leave plenty of room for them to go about their business.
• Please stick to the speed limits, it’s not just the animals you’re putting at risk when you speed but yourself and your passengers too. Collisions involving animals in the road are often fatal for the animal and can cause serious injuries to the people involved as well. 
• Animals don’t understand how dangerous cars are to them. Expect them to walk out in front of you - so slow down, give them plenty of room and always be prepared to stop.

New Forest Pony Information

The Forestry Commission owns the land in the New Forest with New Forest commoners having rights to the land. Commoners are required to brand each free roaming animal, whether this is with a ear tag or button. 

The ponies, donkeys and cows around our campsites are all registered with the Verderers and looked after by their owners. The Verderers are a group of ten, five appointed and five elected to oversee that the New Forest Acts are enforced. They hold an open court at regular intervals throughout the year, giving members of the public a chance to present any issues concerning the forest.

Over 30 round-ups (or drifts) take place during the summer and autumn months. These involve herding the ponies together to allow for health checks, to put reflective collars on the ponies and to brand new foals. Owners may take this opportunity to remove any animals that need attention or to be taken off the forest for sale or health reasons. These aren’t public events but the dates are announced so that walkers can stay clear of the areas.

Got your New Forest camping trip booked with us? We’ve put together things you can do during your holiday in a handy guide.

We have 10 campsites in the New Forest, come along and join us; you may spot a pony or two!