New Forest ponies die after bumper crop of acorns

A SMALL number of New Forest ponies and cattle have died of acorn poisoning as a result of a bumper crop, agisters have reported.

A "handful" of pony deaths have occurred this winter but the fatalities were not on the scale anticipated after a heavy fall of acorns, head agister Jonathan Gerrelli told the A&T.

He continued: “Because we had a good amount of rainfall in the autumn there was still a lot of green grass around for the ponies and cattle so there weren’t as temped to gorge on acorns and the pigs were also out doing their job.”

Meanwhile, measures remain in place to stop the spread of the equine illness strangles.

As reported in the A&T, the live auction of New Forest ponies at Beaulieu Road was cancelled in late November due to the ongoing outbreak.

Following reports of cases near Bolton Bench at Lyndhurst and in Ashurst, two gated livestock underpasses on the A337 have been shut with signs in place to caution walkers about closing gates.

However, a recent welfare tour of the New Forest indicated livestock were generally in very good condition.

Mr Gerrelli said: “We tour the Forest with a number of welfare bodies including Defra vets and representatives from the RSPCA, the Blue Cross and the Donkey Sanctuary.

"We were very pleased with the condition that most stock were in, going into the colder months of winter.”