General · 16 June 2026
Dartmoor Pony Rules Face Change Call
Visitors and conservation groups fear major losses among the animals that have long lived on the moor if grazing limits are applied without distinction. On Tuesday, Natural England and several MPs urged Defra to alter its approach so ponies are treated differently from sheep under funding agreements. Fewer than 1,000 Dartmoor hill ponies remain, compared with about 7,000 in 1999.
Reported by The Guardian · How we write briefs