Nature & Wildlife, New Forest | Posted on July 14th, 2025 | return to news
New Forest pony bloodlines to be preserved
Stallions, which are hardy and resilient, have been released into the New Forest over a six-week period to maintain native bloodlines.
The New Forest has seen 21 stallions released into the area over a six-week period across various locations.
They are released out onto the Forest – for a certain period determined by the Verderers each year – to breed with free-roaming mares and improve the quality of the foals produced.
Tina Woodley, administrator of the Verderers of the New Forest Grazing Scheme, said: “Stallions are crucial to maintain native bloodlines. The ponies are the architects of the New Forest, and they have been here for hundreds of years. Without their input, it would look a very different place.
“They are bred to be hardy and resilient to survive harsh winters, but also dry summers.
“The time the stallions go out marks the start of the production of the following year’s foals, which is what all the registered New Forest mares are out for.
“It is hoped they will produce foals that are saleable and of good pedigree and of good stance, and for replacement filly foals which every commoner would hope to get to increase their stock and keep bloodlines going.”
The stallions are held on a private holding for the rest of the year under the Verderers of the New Forest Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) scheme, which provides annual funding for their grazing.
The scheme is a partnership between the Verderers of the New Forest, Forestry England and the New Forest National Park Authority, as well as support from Natural England and the New Forest Commoners’ Defence Association.
The funding encourages commoners – those who own and look after the livestock in the Forest – to own stallions and ensures they have land to graze on during the long period when they are not permitted to be on the Forest.
“The HLS scheme is now in its 14th year to help keep the New Forest in good condition and improve areas that are diminishing,” added Woodley.
“The stallion scheme feeds off other projects like the rare bloodlines scheme, where we try and increase the registered gene pool of New Forest ponies.
“Then there is the futurity scheme, where potential stallions are earmarked and then they come forward as two-year-olds as potential stallions for the Verderers’ stallion scheme, which they can remain in until they are 18 years of age.”
Seeing the stallions turned out onto the Forest is always a proud moment for the commoning community.
There are around 5,000 ponies which roam the Forest and whose grazing habits help shape the landscape which thousands enjoy every day.
Robert Maton is an agister for the New Forest – a type of official who manages livestock grazing on common land. He said: “Our stallions are one of the most important things of our New Forest breed and keeping the bloodlines as diverse as we can is very important.
“We did narrow the bloodlines back in 2002 and since then we have been trying to widen them as much as we can to make sure there is no inter breeding in our herd of New Forest ponies.
“The ponies have been on the Forest for hundreds of years and they are the best and cheapest things you can have to keep the Forest down and as we like it.”
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