Wales’ unique Carneddau foals emerge into world full of hope
ACROP of cute-looking babies have begun appearing on the wild moorlands of northern Snowdonia.
As this year’s Carneddau foals have started arriving a little earlier than usual, their mares will now be hoping nature doesn’t have any nasty surprises in store.
Managing to grab photos of the youngsters was Sandra Roberts, the so-called “guardian” of the ponies who has been keeping an eye on them for nine years. In that time she’s snapped thousands of images of an animal that is a feature of the Carneddau mountains in Conwy and Gwynedd.
Sandra, from Rhos on Sea, saw her first newborn of 2023 on Monday.
She said: “It was wonderful to see them – spring brings new life and new hope to us all. It is very early in the year for them but it isn’t the first time I have seen a foal born in February.”
The Carneddau mountains are home to a population of around 300 semi-feral ponies.
For thousands of years they have roamed wild and largely unseen on the moors’ 70,000 acres, developing into a genetically distinct breed that can withstand most of what Eryri’s weather can throw at them.
Fire is one danger – last November a huge blaze swept across the mountains, putting the ponies at risk.
Another is snow – in 2013, scores died in spring blizzards that buried sheep and ponies in deep snowdrifts.
Managing the ponies is the farmer-led Carneddau Pony Society.
Its chairman, Llanfairfechan farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, said he had seen three 2023 foals on the mountains already.
“They usually start arriving about this time of year,” he said. “Maybe these are a week or two earlier than usual – it all depends when the stallions went to the mares.
“The main threat they now face is late-winter weather, like we had in 2013. That’s always the chance they have to take.”
The ponies date back to Celtic times and have evolved to withstand all but the harshest conditions. Farmers tell stories of the doughty animals being found frozen solid but still standing.
Despite a reasonably good winter so far, there have been casualties. Gareth said this was to be expected.
“You always get one or two dying over the winter,” he said. “Some get too old, others might break a leg.
“It’s all part of the natural cycle – their carcasses will keep many other creatures alive up on the mountains. It’s why we don’t interact with them too much, as you interfere with nature at your peril.”