Swooping, zooming, panning New Forest, Hampshire Webcam!

A swooping, zooming, panning Webcam of New Forest National Park in Hampshire might at first seem jarring.

But as you're wisked suddenly from a treetop view of a distant meadow to a wide open pasture stretching to a nearby road with what appears to be a fenced in corral at its center, the reason becomes obvious.

New Forest Pony
Originally uploaded by Supermac1961

You and the Webcam are, after all, on the lookout for what may be this park's most famous inhabitants: the New Forest Ponies.

Who needs lawn mowers with these animals about? As the park's Website explains:

The famous ponies that roam freely throughout the New Forest National Park appear to be wild, however, they are all owned by the forests' practicing Commoners. Some ponies can be handled by their owners while others have never been tamed. Each animal must be branded for identification purposes and an annual marking fee must be paid to the forest Agisters before they are allowed to graze.

Individual ponies tend to stay within a certain area, known as the 'haunt', as this will include favourite watering spots, grazing areas, shelter and shade. Many, spend their whole lives in the forest while others are sold by their owners for training or riding (their calm temperament and friendly, gentle nature makes them ideal for this).

For more on New Forest National Park in Hampshire be sure to consult the park's Website at http://www.the-new-forest-national-park.co.uk/index.html

Comments

[Steve New Forest Campsites]

I worked in London for some years and was the envy of the staff who thought I lived in heaven (New Forest). Needless to say, many came to visit. One couple asked to be taken for a walk in the Forest before they had even unpacked their case! Many thanks.