The Exmoor Pony Project 

The Exmoor Pony Project (formerlyMoorland Exmoor Foal Project) was founded by Nick and Dawn Westcott in 2013.  

The project safeguards and nurtures the Exmoor Pony Project herd. We encourage better treatment and understanding of ponies, promote the breed and campaign for welfare and management improvements.  We work with Exmoor farmers, herd owners and pony owners who share like-minded objectives in wanting to safeguard the future of pedigree and purebred Exmoor ponies. 

At this Exmoor farm, there are over thirty Exmoor ponies in the herd, including our own Holtball Herd 11. The ponies live naturally, with access to barns and shelter, corrals, pasture and migration routes.

We use a positive, trust-based approach, based on encouraging two-way communication and using liberty play to build trust and friendship with the ponies. 

Find out more and read the real-life pony stories in Dawn Westcott's books Wild Pony Whispering, Wild Stallion Whispering and Wild Herd Whispering. Books bought through this our Online Shop are author-signed and help to fund the Exmoor Pony Project. 

Our work with Exmoor ponies

At Exmoor Pony Project we encourage kind, empathetic ways of handling the ponies. We help other pony owners and encourage  people to get involved in the breed. We campaign for welfare and management improvements (more info in Dawn's books).

At times, we have stepped in and saved the lives of foals who have been let down in one way or another and either found them good homes or they have remained in the  Exmoor Pony Project herd. These include pedigree-registered ponies, along with a small number of good quality purebred Exmoor ponies, who are currently excluded from the Exmoor Pony Stud book, because there is currently no upgrading system. We are working with other farmers and the authorities to progress the Exmoor Pony DNA Genome Project - which has mapped the entire genetic make up of the ponies. We hope this knowledge will facilitate creating a structure for confirming the purity of ponies. This is key to enabling the Exmoor ponies currently excluded to be recognised and embraced within the breed. 

The Exmoor Pony Project welcomes support, sponsorship and donations.

Some of the Exmoor ponies helped by the Exmoor Pony Project

Lady Molly of Molland Moor
Arriving with us as a late-born foal, she cannot be pedigree registered as there is no upgrading system to the Exmoor pony stud book. Her sire is likely to be one of two pedigree Tawbitts herd stallions who escaped onto Molland Moor. We are hoping to safeguard the genetics of this mare and hope there is an upgrading system for Exmoor ponies one day. 
Lady Martha of Molland Moor 
This filly came to us in Dec 2015 as a late born 5 week old foal. She was raised on mare replacement milk and is sired by a registered Tawbitts stallion who escaped onto Molland Moor (now deceased). She cannot be pedigree registered as there is currently no upgrading system for Exmoor ponies.
Monsieur Chapeau
He was rescued as a starving, orphaned wild-born foal in  2014 and has become a wonderful ambassador for Exmoor ponies. He sadly remains excluded from pedigree registration as the breed society’s DNA testing cannot identify his mother from the pedigree mares running on the Dunkery Commons. He has passed inspection and meets the Exmoor pony breed standard . DNA testing at Texas University confirms him as ‘purebred’ Exmoor. His story is told in Wild Pony Whispering.
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Imperial Topaz
He joined us as a foal in 2013. He was excluded from pedigree registration for a small pale area on the underneath of one foot. This is no longer a reason for failing Exmoor ponies at inspection and Topaz is now a pedigree registered Exmoor pony. He is a lovely character with a lovely temperament. 
Lady Stumpkin Pumpkin 
We purchased her as a moorbred foal, after the Exmoor Pony Society refused to inspect the foals as usual on inspection day and instead said they would only inspect after DNA results confirmed the parents. This can take many months and put the lives of the foals in jeopardy. If we had not taken her - and the other foals - they would have been culled. Pumpkin was eventually pedigree registered. 'Pumpkin' took Monsieur Chapeau under her wing and their special friendship continues today. She accompanied him to London to appear on ITV This Morning. 
Firestar
Firestar had some pale grey hairs in her mane as a foal, but they were weak hairs and naturally shedded with a couple of coat changes. She was re-presented for inspection and is now pedigree registered. There has been no sign of the grey hairs, thought to be the result of some kind of nutritional issue, possibly in her dam. She would have been culled if we hadn't taken her. 
She is a very pretty Exmoor pony and demonstrates the importance of giving foals time and the opportunity to be re-inspected as required. 
Dazzler|
Dazzler also came to us in 2013 and was in the same situation as Lady Stumpkin Pumpkin. She would have been culled if we hadn’t taken her. She is now pedigree registered and is a very nice dark-coloured moorland type. She's a particularly intelligent Exmoor pony and will be the first to explore new challenges, naturally leading the others. She is a great friend of Imperial Topaz. 
Scarlet
Scarlet is a beautiful moorland type and is pedigree registered. She has a gorgeous golden colouring and a gentle, warm temperament. She came to us in 2013 as a newly weaned moorland foal and was in the same situation as Lady Stumpkin Pumpkin. She would have been culled if we hadn’t taken her. 
 An exceptional true moorland type mare, she is now running with our stallion Bear.
Annie Ridd
Annie Ridd is a beautiful Farleywater mare who came off the moor with Tom Faggus as a yearling. She is the half sister of the lovely free-living Exmoor stallion, Farleywater Zeus. Annie is strikingly beautiful with lovely blond highlights in her mane and she is pedigree registered. 
D'Artagnan
D'Artagnan joined us as a late-gelded four year old. He is incredibly handsome. His owner had sadly died and he was completely unwilling to be handled. With careful socialisation, he is coming along well, although he remains highly sensitive. Since living with us, he has been re-inspected and is now pedigree registered.
Sitka
Sitka was born on the moor and came to us in autumn 2016. He and his dam were misidentified at the inspection and later correctly identified. He is very handsome and has lovely movement.  Sitka now lives in Germany with his owner Alexandra.

Lady Luna
Lady Luna is a strikingly pretty Exmoor X cremello-coloured stallion. She was discovered newly orphaned, lying beside her Exmoor mother, out on the moor in Hoar Oak Valley, in September 2017. She had become malnourished as her mother had deteriorated. We co-ordinated with the herd owner to bring her in and she has joined us here, and runs in a small herd .
Anstey Princess
‘Bonnie’ joined us after she was put up for sale due to not being able to be pedigree registered. She is one of the very few remaining daughters of the legendary moorland stallion, The Highwayman. He could not be pedigree registered as early DNA testing failed to identify both of his parents. This caused most of his progeny to be culled and he also died while waiting for parentage verification. The Highwayman was thought to be a fine quality Exmoor stallion. In 2024, there is still no upgrading system to the closed stud book to embrace and recognise Exmoor ponies like Anstey Princess.
Black Bess
This lovely Exmoor filly is out of Anstey Princess by pedigree stallion Bear. She cannot currently be pedigree registered (see info on Anstey Princess).
We are hoping to safeguard the genetics of this filly and reintroduce them to the Exmoor pony breeding gene pool, once a method of scientifically confirming purity is created - hopefully facilitating a vitally important upgrading system.
And many others...
We have other Exmoor ponies here, from foals to veterans who live in the herd. Many of whom would not be here today if it was not for our work and project - with and for the ponies. 
We have also helped to place Exmoor ponies from moorland herds across the UK and overseas, maintaining contact with as many owners as possible to ensure their continued health, wellbeing and progress.  

How you can help the Exmoor Pony Project...

We welcome your interest in the ponies and our work to help the breed. Here are some ways you can stay connected and help:-

Make a Donation
You can make a donation to Exmoor Pony Project at PayPal using the email reference:


ExmoorPonyClub@hotmail.co.uk


Thank you!

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