Press release: Saving Dartmoor ponies sounds easy – until you try and do it

For Immediate Release

17 June 2026

Saving Dartmoor ponies sounds easy – until you try and do it

Sevenoaks, Kent
As public outrage grows over the potential “culling” of Dartmoor ponies, equestrian sustainability platform Willow’s Earth is urging the public to pause, understand the facts, and consider the complex ecological and financial realities behind the headlines.

Contrary to widespread belief, the Dartmoor pony cull is not the result of a direct government order. Instead, it stems from new conservation rules that drastically reduce grazing numbers, prioritise commercial livestock, and classify overgrazing as an ecological emergency. Campaigners argue these measures amount to a de facto cull and emotions have surged accordingly.

“Everyone wants to save the ponies, but very few people are talking about what that actually requires,” says Willow’s Earth founder Angelique Ruzicka. “The solutions being shouted the loudest are often the least realistic.”

In its latest analysis, Willow’s Earth breaks down the most proposed alternatives — and why each one collapses under scrutiny:

• Keeping the ponies on Dartmoor risks worsening overgrazing, with Natural England reporting that over 90% of SSSI land on the moor is already in unfavourable condition.
• Sending ponies to riding schools is unworkable, with the British Horse Society confirming 334 riding school closures since 2018 and lesson costs rising beyond the reach of many families.
• Rehoming ponies privately requires land, veterinary care, and long‑term financial commitment - resources most households and farmers simply don’t have.
• Feeding ponies hay is financially unsustainable, with hay prices rising by over 80% year‑on‑year due to poor harvests and supply shortages.

“The public conversation has become emotional, but the practical realities are far more complex,” Ruzicka adds. “If we truly care about these ponies, we need solutions grounded in ecology, economics and long‑term sustainability - not wishful thinking.”

For more about Angelique's Ruzicka's views on the Dartmoor ponies and how they could survive read the latest blog.