Christmas fancy dress sponsored ride and carols

Riders from the Dartmoor Hill Pony Display Team and volunteers are coming together for a festive fancy dress fun ride and carol singing on Sunday 15th December to raise money for the Friends of the Dartmoor Hill Pony, helping to secure the future of Dartmoor's pony herds on and off the moor.

Heading out from Pony HQ, our riders, who range in age from 3 to 19, will be accompanied by tinsel-bedecked ponies to bring some festive cheer to the lanes of Dartmoor. Santa may even make a guest appearance! 

Dartmoor's iconic semi-wild Hill Ponies have roamed the rugged moorland landscape for centuries. But these wonderful ponies are facing an uncertain future and their numbers have declined dramatically over the past 20 years. They are a vital part of the moorland ecology and landscape and their grazing helps to preserve the unique biodiversity of the moor. 

The Friends of the Dartmoor Hill Pony is an entirely volunteer-led and run, grassroots charity, whose mission is to preserve the future of ponies on Dartmoor, and to promote the value of these wonderful animals off the moor. A group of dedicated volunteers work tirelessly year-round and in all weathers to care for, train and rehome hundreds of hill ponies every year. 

At this time of year, the barn and fields at the Friends HQ are home to this year’s foals and young ponies who have come off the moor in the annual pony drifts. These youngsters will be fed and cared for over the next year or two. The colts (young males) will be gelded, and the young ponies will be patiently and lovingly tamed and trained by dedicated volunteers to give them the best chance of finding good homes. These wonderful, hardy and versatile ponies will go on to become beloved children’s riding ponies, driving ponies, companions and conservation grazers. Helping the youngsters move on to happy and fulfilling lives off the moor is vital to securing the future of their semi-wild herd-mates on the moor.  

Feeding bills, vet’s fees and countless other costs over the winter run into thousands of pounds. A single bale of hay costs around £30 and our ponies can munch through a bale every couple of days! 

Please give what you can to sponsor our amazing group of young riders and ponies, help feed the foals this winter and preserve the future of Dartmoor's ponies. 

The Friends and the ponies thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 

Photo credits: Pam Clifford, SJ Norris, Dartmoor Chris, Tom Shiner-McGinley