The Wild Horses of Ashburton - pony sale

Westward TV's reporter John Doyle visits the pony sale at Ashburton in Devon. Ponies on Dartmoor are left in a semi-feral state and are known as the wild horses of Ashburton. The ponies have been living this way for centuries and are left on the moor to breed. Here they are sold at market for slaughter and some people have stepped in to highlight the inhumane nature of live transportation of animals to outside the UK.

Ponies are also slaughtered to ensure minimal inbreeding. Dartmoor pony numbers have been dwindling in recent years due to poor breeding cycles and bad weather. Some have been taken in by animal sanctuaries and some owners have released their ponies because they have been unable to care for them.