Taking Action

What is the Rare Breeds Survival Trust doing to combat the decline in numbers of those breeds on its watchlist? Stephanie Bateman finds out.

- Stephanie Bateman

PICTURE a Britain without Dartmoor, Exmoor or Highland ponies, and it’s eerily empty. It is these breeds — plus the others on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s (RBST) watchlist — that we have grown up with and learnt to ride on, and that make up the fabric of equestrianism in this country. But the risks of losing them go beyond the sentimental factor.

“If we allow a breed to become extinct, we risk losing unique genetic traits such as disease resistance and climatic adaptations,” says the trust’s CEO Tom Beeston. “These traits could be essential for the survival of future generations.”

Simply maintaining a breed at low numbers is also a risky strategy.

“Small populations can lead to inbreeding. To survive, breeds need effective populations of breeding, pedigree, registered animals,” he adds.

“Geographically constrained populations, such as the New Forest and Exmoor ponies, also pose a risk — if a disease were to take hold over one of these groups confined to a small area, the results could be catastrophic.”

Traditional native and heavy horse breeds rate highly on the RSBT’s watchlist (see box, p33), but most still have a key role to play in the modern world.

“Native breeds graze more selectively, helping to form a mosaic of habitats, and significantly increasing biodiversity,” Tom explains. “This skill has developed over generations of genetic adaptation and it would be impossible to recreate these skills if a breed was lost to extinction.”

Other breeds have had to adapt to different uses to find a place in today’s society.

“The Clydesdale was originally used for agriculture, but is now growing in popularity in riding schools, as it can cope with the demand from bigger riders.