Dartmoor pony
The Dartmoor pony roams wild in Dartmoor National Park, Devon, in the United Kingdom. It is closely related to the Exmoor Pony.
Under the breed standard, introduced in 1924, a Dartmoor pony should stand at no more than 12.2hh, and should be bay, brown, black, grey chestnut or roan. Other colours do occur, usually as a result of interbreeding.
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.
Despite this, numbers have declined - from an estimated 25,800 in the 1930s to perhaps 5,000 today.
Some are owned and protected by farmers - these animals are usually identifiable by branding. It is illegal for visitors to feed the ponies, although it is a common sight to see ponies being fed snacks through an open car window.
The Dartmoor Pony Moorland Scheme (DPMS) was established in 1988 in a bid to halt the decline in numbers and along with the Dartmoor Pony Society, runs a breeding scheme. The Dartmoor Pony has since been granted Rare Breed status. File:Exmoor winter.jpg File:Dartmoorxx.jpg