Exmoor ponies are unusual in that they are one of the few remaining free living breeds of ponies in the UK. The various herds live naturally on parts of Exmoor and other areas of the UK and are as self sufficient as it is possible to be in modern times. Without a committed network of farmers and breeders to enable this to happen - who have worked tirelessly to retain the purity in the herds - the Exmoor ponies would not be here today.

In order to manage the herds, an age old system of gathering is carried out each autumn. The herds are brought off the moor and inspected. Herd numbers allowed to live out on the moor are restricted so there is always a surplus of youngstock which can not be turned back out on to the moor - and homes have to be found for these ponies.

Youngsters need to be identified and the current method used is hot branding. There is much discussion about branding, and whether an alternative method of identification can be used to avoid it. However, freezemarking requires the youngsters to stand still for a period of time, which is not practical, and while microchipping is more humane, it is only effective if someone can get close enough to the ponies out on the moor to read their ID. For ponies that are definitely not going back out onto the moor, it may be that microchipping becomes a more usual means of identification over time.

The brand markings can actually be life-savers for the ponies. A good example of this is when a walker telephoned one of the herd managers to say he had seen a mare with an injured eye out on the moor. The herd manager asked if he had managed to take her number. Not completely sure, the walker gave an approximate number. This enabled the herd manager to know which stallion the mare was with and to identify the stallion's territory - giving him a clearer idea of where he might find the mare. She was soon found and treated. If she hadn't had a clear brand mark, it may have been impossible to find her.

The sheer size of the task involved in gathering, checking, inspecting and sorting the herds required much organisation and many volunteers each year. Up until this point, the herds and their young have been living freely and relatively undisturbed out on the moor, so they are unused to human contact. Owners and breeders therefore need to be competent horsemen and sensitive handlers in order to cause the foals minimum distress.

It is necessary for the foals to be weaned at this time and, depending on logistics, some are weaned at the time of inspection - while others are returned to their mares for a period before weaning. It is important to remember that, without this system and the commitment and dedication of the farmers and breeders, it is very likely that this important and special breed would have been lost to us completely - or otherwise cross-bred and its purity and distinctive characteristics lost forever.

Some of the ponies may be used for conservation grazing and continue to live relatively freely in groups.

When the foals go to into domestic situations, the handlers of colt and filly foals to work together with the farmers and breeders in providing a support service for the breed. With time, patience and sensitive handling, the trust of the foals can be attained. Every one is an individual and where some foals become socialised very quickly, others can take a long time. Often, it is the more 'Alpha' foals that take the time and their 'flightiness' can be mistaken for nerves or trauma, whereas in fact, it can be their heightened survival and flight instincts as Alpha ponies that means it takes them longer to form a bond of trust with humans.

The foals can benefit greatly from the company of an older mare or gelding. They definitely need the company of other youngsters, so they are best not isolated or kept on their own. It is also certainly not advisable to take a foal and just put it out in the field simply as a companion for another horse - you may be trying to catch it for some time!

The foals need care, attention and careful work to help them make the crucial step into a more domesticated life with human contact. Once this is achieved, they can go on to provide years of fun, friendship, satisfaction and pleasure. The Exmoor pony is hugely versatile - they make wonderful riding ponies (carrying up to 12 stone) and driving ponies and they are also enormous fun to show in hand in Exmoor and Mountain and Moorland classes.

Otis is a 2004 colt foal, from the Milton herd, who is now living in a domestic situaiton. Here, he is pictured playing with an older Exmoor pony - who is supposed to be teaching him how to behave in the yard. As you can see, Exmoor ponies enjoy a good play more than anything, but there's always time for a break when the hay arrives...