DARTMOOR

Sturdy and surefooted

The Dartmoor is the Exmoor’s nearest neighbour but the two are separate breeds. The Dartmoor is slightly smaller and lacks the distinctive ‘mealy’ muzzle. The first written record of the ponies on Dartmoor dates back to AD 1200, referring to wild horses near Ashburton on the moor’s southern edge. They were used to carry tin from the mines, so had to be surefooted and sturdy. Unlike the Exmoor, Arabian blood has been used to ‘refine’ the Dartmoor.