Fashionable tail trims

During this time of year, you might observe that the ponies appear more 'on the hoof' and have fashionable tail trims. This is due to the fact that the new forest is currently in drift season.

During this time, the ponies are gathered by the agisters and commoners on horseback and herded into holding pens. The agisters are employed to look after the livestock on the forest and to oversee the grazing and the welfare of the commoning animals.

The ponies undergo a health check and have new reflective collars fitted if needed. If a pony is in a poor state, the owner will be asked to remove it from the forest until it is healthy enough to support itself through the winter living a wild life on the forest. Some owners choose to bring in their ponies for handling before selling them, often foals as they are now weaning from their mothers. If a pony or foal is to be returned to the forest and has not yet been branded, this is when it takes place with the unique branding iron that belongs to each commoner, making their ponies easily recognisable to those in the know. Before being released back into the forest, the agister trims their tails to indicate that the pony has been checked and the marking fees have been paid. Each agister has their own unique style of tail cutting and patrol their own beat on the forest, this gives some idea to where the pony was caught, (although geldings always have their tails cut straight at the bottom).

Ponies rarely wander far, usually remaining in herds within their own areas, known as haunts. Some ponies sense the round-up approaching as it echoes through the forest like jungle drums, signalling the start of the drift season. Soon, ponies throughout the forest are on high alert, with some vanishing deep into the woods to avoid capture and often remaining elusive for years. However, most owners diligently monitor their ponies, and the agister is familiar with the majority of the ponies on their beat, so little escapes their notice.

Some ponies can be quite clever, and I've witnessed mares showing their foals how to roll over cattle grids to enter gardens. Naturally, the grass is greener on the other side! This is all part of the New Forest ponies' nature—intelligent, shrewd, and mischievous!

To ensure your safety and that of the ponies and riders, please adhere to the signs if you see there is a drift taking place. This is a high-speed activity where ponies can change direction instantly, and riders are attempting to anticipate their moves. Therefore, this is not a public event. Allow the commoners and agisters the space they need to perform their tasks efficiently and swiftly, so the ponies can return to the forest with minimal stress.