15/10/2026
Explaination as to the purpose of the annual gathering of Exmoor ponies.
IT'S GATHERING TIME OF YEAR!
THE MAIN PURPOSE OF GATHERING IS TO HEALTH CHECK MARES FOR THEIR SUITABILITY TO OVER WINTER AND TO WEAN THEIR FOALS.
Why are EXMOOR foals weaned?
Every autumn, the foals are weaned at around 6 months old, this practice is all about welfare, safety, and responsible breed management.
1.Protecting the mares through winter
Winter on the moor is tough. Cold, wet conditions mean grazing quality drops significantly. If a mare is still feeding a foalat foot, that extra demand can be extremely draining, often causing her to lose a significant amount of weight. In the worst cases, both mare and foal can become malnourished. Weaning helps ensure mares stay strong and healthy through the harsh winter months.
2.Practical and safer management
In theory, mares and foals could be brought in individually for extra care — but in reality, catching specific semi-feral ponies on the moor is nearly impossible . The annual round-ups, where ponies are gathered and handled as a herd, are the safest and most practical way to manage their welfare.
3. Preventing problems in spring!
As spring approaches, young colts’ hormones begin to kick in. Left running with mares, they can become a nuisance and pose real risks of uncontrolled breeding and inbreeding, which would threaten the long-term health of the breed.
4. Careful conservation of a special breed
Exmoor ponies are closely managed and monitored to ensure the breed continues to thrive. Only registered and inspected stallions are allowed to father foals and to keep foal numbers sustainable some do not run out all year so carefully selected genetics can be used on specific groups of mares on selected moorland allotments.
5.Weaning isn’t about separation for convenience — it’s about welfare, conservation, and protecting the future of the Exmoor pony.
6.The weaned foals are either kept by us as replacements or the majority of colts are sold either to private family homes,conservation grazing sites ,foundation conservation grazing herds when castrated and to go showing to promote the breed .
They make the most wonderful family and riding ponies with time and patience to build the bond of trust.
The picture is of Anchor Nugget from our Mercury line with her long awaited filly foal who will be weaned ,silhouetted ,passported ,DNA tested,wormed and inspected to join The Exmoor Pony Society Stud book and the Anchor herd as a filly to follow on in the herd to eventually become a brood mare her self.
She will be called Anchor Vanity Fair , and will be kept on the farm for handling as we hope she will be a show filly for 2027.
Drive slowly over the moor please as the nights draw in .
