The Drift

After my mention yesterday, of the forthcoming round up of the ponies (The Drift) on the moor, Mrs M and I went off to walk out from the Scout Hut this morning with no more thought of the matter and walked right into the path of one. Our peace was broken by the sound of quad bikes followed by the appearance of galloping horses.

As we watched the quad bike riders rounded up small groups of ponies from the tops and brought them down to form larger groups until there was well over a hundred.

I will give it to the riders that they used great skill whilst doing this, never seeming to be riding too close to the horses but in a very short time the hills were bare of ponies and they were all taken off. In the next few days the sales will start and they will be sold or after checking their condition, some will be returned to the moor. It is a sad fact, that if all were allowed back on the moor, then many would suffer a slow lingering death from starvation during the winter.