THE Bodmin Moor Commons Council said it has had ‘no callouts’ to ponies on the moor over the winter, and says ‘it’s a brighter future for the welfare of ponies on the moor’.

St Clether-based Julie Dowton, who handles livestock welfare for the council for the whole of the Bodmin Moor area, said although 169 ponies were ‘rounded-up’ last autumn, there have been no callouts over the winter.

The Bodmin Moor Commons Council, along with Redwings Horse Sanctuary, APHA, Bransby Horses, British Horse Society and the Commoners did a round-up last September in an area where there had been ‘problems in the past’ and took off 169 ponies.

Julie added: “They didn’t have welfare issues but if we didn’t do something some of them would have had.

“About 40 were claimed by the owners and they were all microchipped and passported before they went back out onto the moor. One hundred and twenty nine went to new homes, via Redwings, Bransby, Blue Cross, Mare and Foal Sanctuary and Bolenowe.”

The rest have been in private boarding in another part of Cornwall and very recently, homes have been found for ten of them.

The rest at private boarding range from two months old — having been born in private boarding — to 16 years old, and are ‘ready to find new homes’. Julie said: “Some of them will make lovely riding ponies and some will make lovely companions.”

Julie added: “Following that big round-up we have had no callouts at all over the winter, which is fantastic, and we want to keep it that way. We will continue to work really hard.

“It’s a brighter future for the welfare of ponies on the moor.”

The Bodmin Moor Commons Council is a statutory council, and Julie said it is the first one of any size in the country under the new Commons Act.

She said: “That gives us powers, although at the moment we still haven’t had our rules and regulations confirmed yet by Defra’s legal department, but we have got such things as the Control of Horses Act.

“Waiting for the rules and regulations to be passed is quite frustrating, but Scott Mann MP has been taking an interest in Bodmin Moor Commons Council and is now asking the questions as to why the delay.

“Bodmin Moor Commons Council is very aware of the situation of the ponies on the moor.

“As part of the council we have formed a pony committee headed up by myself, looking at all the procedures we might put in place for a better future for ponies on the moor. We will be looking at a stallion approval programme and microchipping.

“Ponies are part of Bodmin Moor and always will be. Nobody wants to see no ponies at all.

“Bodmin Moor Commons Council is not just about ponies, but of course the ponies have been at the forefront of everybody’s minds. We have had a good winter, the weather was on our side during this winter as well.”

Anyone with any concerns about ponies on the moor can contact Bodmin Moor Commons Council on 07703 468628 or email [email protected]