This article first appeared in the September 2020 digital edition of Equestrian Life. To see what’s in the current issue, click here.
A herd of bracken-bedecked ponies and foals greeted the author on arrival!
© Boots and Hooves / Elli Birch
A glimpse of nature’s masterpiece
By Elli Birch
The New Forest National Park in Hampshire England, is anything but “new” — there have been New Forest Ponies there since the Ice Age!
The New Forest really is one of nature’s masterpieces. Located in southern England, the nearest town is the Port of Southampton. It was first declared the New Forest in the days of William the Conqueror around the year 1079 and was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086.
Arriving in the New Forest shortly after dawn on a beautiful English summer’s day is something that everyone should experience. The first indication that I was entering a timeless land was the sound of the car rumbling over a cattle grid, heralding my arrival into this pony populated province, where the animals of the forest have priority over other road users. “Beware of Wild Horses” road signs remind motorists to be alert to four-legged road users, often with questionable road sense…
Read the full article in the September 2020 issue of Equestrian Life magazine here.
