THE PRACTICE of branding Exmoor ponies has been defended on welfare grounds in response to calls for it to be banned.
Hot irons with up to seven characters, including the Exmoor star, are used to brand the ponies when they are foals so they can be identified from a distance when they return to semiferal life on the moorland.
The Exmoor Pony Society claims other means of identifying the animals, such as collars and paint, are impractical.
Society secretary Sue McGeever said: “If there was an alternative, we would use it. Microchipping is not perfect – you have to be right next to their neck to read the chip and would have to confine them, which would cause distress to these ponies which are not normally handled again once they return to the moor.
“We are hoping to reduce the number of irons used in branding and if all goes to plan, the star will no longer be used from this autumn and we are looking at possibly reducing to a single brand.”
Rex Milton’s family has been breeding Exmoor ponies for generations and he manages herd 23 on Withypool Common.
He said: “If we couldn’t identify them from a distance for day-to-day management, the ponies wouldn’t have a life – it would amount to neglect.
“The welfare issue is a major one – if a pony is injured, it and its owner need to be identified, otherwise a vet wouldn’t have authorisation to treat it. It is not the nicest of procedures, but it is a minimal amount of pain inflicted at a young age to, hopefully, achieve a long life on the moor.”
In 2010, the RSPCA commissioned a report into hot branding and equine welfare expert Dr Mark J. Kennedy, who carried out the study, concluded the practice should end.
Jo Barr, from the RSPCA, said: “The report highlighted that hot branding is likely to cause significant pain and suffering, which is unnecessary because there are effective alternative means of identification available.
“Owners of moorland ponies should have them microchipped and use a collar with a permanent numerical, alphabetical or symbolic marking if they require visible identification.”
