Horses and ponies are central to the cultural heritage of the New Forest. There is no better way to enjoy this special place and really to be part of it. Please contact one of the following to arrange a riding lesson or Forest ride.
Can you ride New Forest ponies?
The New Forest ponies are semi-feral and therefore generally don’t like to be handled. However, as a breed, ‘New Foresters’ have gentle temperaments and make excellent family riding ponies.
Where can I ride in New Forest?
Brockenhurst Riding Stables New Forest. A wonderful horse riding experience in the New Forest National Park.
Can you touch the horses in the New Forest?
Horses in the New Forest – image by Echo Camera Club Dorset member Claire Sheppard. They are best treated as wild animals so you should not touch them or feed them; they are put out to graze on the land by the commoners so should be left to eat their own natural food which is in abundance within the park.
Where can I ride a horse in the New Forest?
Forest Rides and Riding Lessons
- Arniss Equestrian. Godshill, Fordingbridge.
- Bagnum Riding Stables. Bagnum, Ringwood.
- Eastmoors Riding School. Ringwood Road, St Leonards.
- 4 Seasons Forest Rides. Ringwood.
- Burley Villa School of Riding. Wootton.
- Ford Farm Stables. Brockenhurst.
- Manor Equestrian Centre. Ower.
- New Forest Polo School. Sway.
Are you allowed to wild camp in the New Forest?
Activity information. We’d like to remind people that Wild camping is not permitted anywhere in the New Forest, it’s illegal to camp without the land manager’s permission.
Can you sleep in your car in the New Forest?
There are lots of laybys and carparks along the road, however, wild camping is illegal in the New Forest. There are lots of campsites in the New Forest, and several pubs that will let you park a campervan overnight if you are eating in the pub.
What animals roam free in the New Forest?
Probably the most well-known fact about the New Forest is that it is home to thousands of free-roaming animals. As you travel across the National Park you will see ponies, cattle, donkeys, pigs and sheep. They could be grazing on gorse, wandering through villages or even crossing roads.
Does anyone own the horses in the New Forest?
All the ponies, donkeys, cows and pigs that you will see roaming in the New Forest belong to local people called ‘commoners’ who have the right to graze their animals on the open Forest throughout the year (or part of the year in the case of pigs). The New Forest is really one big farm, and these are ‘farm animals’.
Where do the ponies roam in the New Forest?
Ponies (and cattle) roam freely around the village and thatched cottages of Burley, a town that oozes old world charm.
How many New Forest ponies are killed each year?
It encourages them to car parks and the roadside where they become involved in traffic accidents – each year around 100 animals killed or injured. It should always be remembered that ponies have the right of way on all Forest roads that are unfenced and speed is invariably a factor in accidents involving them.
Do New Forest ponies make good riding ponies?
Well known for their hardiness they have a gentle nature and make great riding ponies but beware, stallions let out for breeding with the mares between April and July, or a mare with her foal, can become aggressive and dangerous so keep your distance.
What is the number 1 rule of wild camping?
The golden rule of wild camping: arrive late and leave early – remembering to leave no trace! Plan arriving at your chosen location late in the day to avoid disturbing others and leave early before other walkers are out and about.
Can you sleep in the tents in the forest?
All orange tents can be used for sleeping and saving the game. They can be found both on the surface of peninsula and in the caves.
Can you have a BBQ in the New Forest?
The New Forest is a no BBQ and fire zone. BBQs, including disposable ones, campfires or fires of any kind are not permitted in car parks or other areas of the forest. Protecting the New Forest from the risk of wildfires is everyone’s responsibility..
Why is it forbidden to sleep in your car?
There’s no specific federal law that expressly forbids sleeping in your car. However, there are federal laws that indirectly limit the instances in which sleeping in your car is legal: Private Property Laws: Trespassing on private property is a quick way to make sleeping in your car illegal.
Can you sleep in a layby UK?
For example, if a landowner has granted you the authority to park in their layby, then it is legal for you to sleep overnight in your campervan. It is when you haven’t received permission from a landowner that the laws around sleeping in your campervan can get confusing.
Who owns the New Forest?
The Crown
Who owns the New Forest? Around 90% of the land in the New Forest is owned by The Crown and has been managed by Forestry England since 1923.
Are there bears in New Forest?
Well, to be accurate, it is a forest, and you won’t spot bears, but you will find New Forest ponies. I have been visiting Hampshire for many years and still think one of the best things to do in the New Forest is to drive through and see the free-roaming, wild ponies.
Are there wolves in the New Forest?
With enclosures set in twenty five acres of ancient woodland, and activities dedicated to conservation and education, there’s plenty to see and do at the New Forest Wildlife Park, where you might find otters, wolves, owls, wildcats, lynx, wallaby, wild boars and foxes.
Are there big cats in the New Forest?
“Every week there are several big cat sightings including leopards, pumas and lynx all over the UK but mainly in Dorset, Hampshire and the New Forest. “There are around 30 leopards in Dorset alone because it has such a high deer population.