Denbighshire Countryside Service is turning to an ancient breed of native ponies for help in managing the Local Nature Reserve at Moel Findeg.
Carneddau Ponies, a traditional breed dating back over 2000 years are being brought to Moel Findeg to help keep the heathland in good condition.
The open heathland on the site is rapidly disappearing as trees and gorse are taking over. The ponies will help to keep all this under control. The Carneddau ponies are a hardy breed, from some of the highest mountains in Snowdonia so are well suited to grazing upland areas. In all 10 semi feral ponies will be brought to the Reserve which will help to keep the scrub under control.
The Countryside Service is working with PONT – the Welsh Grazing Animals Partnership, an organisation that aims to encourage and facilitate grazing projects for the benefit of conservation, landscape and heritage. PONT have arranged for the ponies to come over from Snowdonia where they are currently grazing the high mountain sides.
David Shiel, Senior Countryside Officer with the Clwydian Range said “ Moel Findeg is a very important area of heathland but over the years it has been a constant battle to keep it clear form scrub. Introducing grazing to the site is going to help to keep the area open and allow the heathland species to thrive. “
The Friends of Moel Findeg have provided the funding to bring the ponies to the site and have funded the fencing that has needed to take place. The Friends of Moel Findeg were formed in the late 1990s when the hillside was threatened with quarrying. They were instrumental in raising the funds to buy the mountain and are actively involved in the management of the site as a Local Nature Reserve.
Glyn Williams – the Clwydian Range AONB Warden said : “ Although the ponies have just arrived they appear to have settled in very quickly and I think they will enjoy their new home in the Clwydian Range. Provided they are not disturbed or distracted they will be quite content eating young birch trees, trampling bracken and grazing gorse so please don’t try to feed them.”
