Exmoor Ponies could be saved by exporting them to Europe, conservationists say as herd is sent to Denmark

They are a cheering sight when spotted trotting across the sweeping landscape of Exmoor. But for years, the eponymous pony has been under threat.

The numbers of the Exmoor pony plummeted during the 20th century, to a low of 50 on the moors just after World War Two. This is because they were stolen for meat, and shot by soldiers as target practice.

Now, their numbers have improved tenfold across the moors - but the rewilding craze sweeping Europe means that many thousands will soon be seen roaming the landscape of countries including Denmark and the Netherlands, and the breed could be saved.

The genetics of Exmoor ponies can be traced back to prehistoric times, and are now coveted by rewilders, who want them to graze swathes of land to create biodiverse wildflower meadows.

The hardy creatures can survive better than almost any other mammal on tough terrain; their strong guts can easily digest rough vegetation such as Gorse, which is all that is available in the winter, and their heavy jaws and formidable teeth help them eat branches. Their shaggy coats and wide nostrils mean the cold is no bother to them.

The European wild horse was wiped out by humans by 1909, and rewilding fanatics in countries including the Czech Republic, Denmark and the Netherlands now clamour for their own herds of the little British pony.

This month, a herd of four was sent to Amager Fælled, Denmark, along Ørestads Boulevard, where they will graze and care for nature and increase biodiversity.

A spokesperson for the Exmoor Pony Society explained: "Exmoor Pony Society is the guardian of the breed, maintaining the formal stud book, and helps facilitate these type of rewilding and conservation grazing projects. The Exmoor pony is finding much use in such projects, here in the UK at places such as Knepp too. We'd be keen to speak with anyone who has an interest in conservation grazing and rewilding projects."

The endangered Exmoor is one of 6 breeds identified by rewilding Europe as suitable for rewilding.

While the British custodians of the pony have been trying to establish populations across Europe since the 1960s, to increase its range, keep the gene pool large enough and protect the breed, the burgeoning rewilding movement means demand for the Exmoor is skyrocketing.

The Exmoor Pony Society spokesperson continued: "In 1964 our former Chairman and trustee David Brewer took a number of ponies to the island of Tærø, Ulvsund, with the aim of establishing a successful breeding programme. In 2003 the herd went to Klise Nor, Sydlangeland (and other places in that region). They have become quite a tourist attraction in Denmark.

"David Brewer has been to Denmark to advise and inspect the ponies, helping with their management, every year apart from this year due to the pandemic. The ponies are not in the formal EPS studbook, but have a history of successful conservation grazing."

Rewilding Europe, an influential lobbying group which counts Stanley Johnson, the Prime Minister's father, among its members, said: "Rewilding Europe is working to bring back free-ranging populations of horses, all across Europe. Currently we are working with six breeds that are fit for rewilding. They are grazing under natural conditions in our rewilding areas in Portugal, Spain, Croatia and Bulgaria.

"We work to establish at least five herds of over 100 animals before 2022 in rewilding areas that are specifically selected for this purpose.

"The European wild horse is officially extinct, but at the same time still present in many different types of feral horses. From Exmoor ponies in Western Europe to Hucul in the Eastern parts of the continent, several primitive horse breeds still have many characteristics of the original wild horse and are suitable for rewilding and regaining their place in European ecosystems. Horses used to live in the wild and in natural social groups are preferred above other breeds."