{"id":9667,"date":"2026-05-07T15:46:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T14:46:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moorsbeckponies.com\/?page_id=9667"},"modified":"2026-05-07T17:29:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T16:29:09","slug":"conservation-2011-2026","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.moorsbeckponies.com\/index.php\/conservation-2011-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Conservation 2011-2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Conservation Grazing 2011-2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n

We are very fortunate that some our land is classed as SSSI (site of special scientific interest) which means it has recognised importance as a site of rare and rich habitat or geological features.<\/p>\n

Other areas are classed as valuable breeding sites for wading birds, many of which are in decline in the UK or sites with a rich variety of flora and fauna, home to struggling species like the small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly who’s larvae survive on marsh violets.<\/p>\n

In order to protect, preserve, maintain and in some cases enhance these areas, we have looked at ways of managing the land responsibly and our herd of ponies have played a small part in this.<\/p>\n

I am a great believer that grazers like native ponies a long with cattle and sheep in some areas can and do keep these habitats as they need to be to support other wildlife.<\/p>\n

It would be nice to see as many projects as possible around the country using native breeds instead of European breeds to do this conservation job. We have a wide selection of ponies, fit for this purpose, many with breed characteristics to suit varying terrain, altitudes developed over hundreds, even thousands of years so why not utilize these.<\/p>\n

We find Shetland ponies can graze where larger equines may struggle to access. Being smaller and lighter and having smaller feet makes them useful for grazing boggy and wetland areas, where a heavier animal with bigger hooves may cause too much damage.<\/p>\n

As selective grazers, they keep invasive grasses and plants in check allowing smaller, more delicate plants to flourish.<\/p>\n

Conservation grazing isn’t without a few risks, we do come across poisonous plants, adders, rough terrain and the increasing problem of ticks but hope they can continue to do this worthwhile job and have to trust their instinct and ability to keep themselves safe.<\/p>\n