The New Forest in Hampshire is the UK’s smallest national park. For nearly 1000 years local people have worked the land on behalf of the crown.

Over 34,000 people live within the forest boundaries and authorised residents known as ‘commoners’ are allowed to let animals such as cattle, ponies, pigs and donkeys roam free.

This summer the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) issued draft plans for its future which include proposals to tighten planning regulations on the keeping of horses.

Under the new rules recreational horse owners would need planning permission for activities including the following:

• Keeping more than one horse per hectare
• Splitting single fields into multiple pony paddocks
• Providing regular supplementary feeding
• Rugging horses in winter

Local pony owner Tina Cant has set up the Forest Uprising group to fight the proposed new regulations.

“What they’re suggesting is unnecessary, unworkable and unreasonable. They’re pushing every recreational horse owner into getting planning permission. There’s no logic in it. A vast majority of people here wouldn’t be able to keep their ponies. And it would have a knock-on effect on a load of other people who work here and depend on the recreational horses, vets, farriers, tack shops”

Useful Links:

New Forest National Park Plan Consultation Draft

Forest Uprising