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The Konik Ponies at Wicken Fen




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Wicken Fen is in Norfolk (East of England) and a project using Konik ponies (an Eastern European pony breed) and Highland cattle was started about ten years ago on the fen in order to attempt to restore wetland (fen) in the area. Read the following article for more information about the project - The Wicken Fen Conservation Grazing Project using Konik Ponies and Highland Cattle by Carol Laidlaw - the conservation grazing warden at Wicken Fen. Website www.wicken.org.uk

On our visit (July 2011) Carol took us into the group and we were able to observe and photograph the ponies close up. Everyone with an interest in horses should get to see horses or ponies behaving naturally as it is fascinating stuff! Compared to domesticated horses who are often forced to live separately the amount of interaction is incredible. The mares and foals mutually groom, the colts play frequently, the stallions strut around and occasionally prove a point by scuffling and posturing. The stallions live alongside other stallions, colts and even geldings without any real conflict.

These ponies are in fantastic condition and the pasture is abundant and green. They are free to choose where to go and what to dine upon. Their diet is rich and varied and they are constantly on the move.The ponies receive very little in terms of management (no hoof care, vaccinations etc.) so it is a good reminder of how human meddling can create so many problems. To me the visit reinforced the point that I often make at our seminars - it is often not necessarily less feed that domestic horses need but much more activity. Horses should interact with other horses for welfare and social reasons but also because it leads to much more movement.