Devon has a lot to offer the pony lover.

You can make a start at the two terrific racecourses Devon boasts of. One of those, the racecourse atop Haldon Hill, offers fantastic views of Dartmoor and Exeter. This racecourse does not confine itself to just races; it offers some amazing top quality steeplechase events which make for the ideal family day out. This racecourse has seen some of the most famous horses in action, like Best Male and Desert Orchid.

The Newton Abbot racecourse is also a very famous vacation race venue.

Folk more keen on shows and other equestrian events will prefer to go to Bicton Arena, in the Budleigh Salterton area. This venue has a substantial menu of events to relish. It is very well set up, with stables, grass arenas, a ring for all-weather practice and a cross-country course, as well as a number of other facilities of the very highest standards. The Bicton Arena hosts horse trials and show jumping events, and some single day events.

Devon’s Donkey Refuge and Devon Horse and Pony Sanctuary are venues of interest to everybody, not just horse fanatics. The Donkey Refuge, which is found in East Devon’s gentle hills, is a haven for lots of unwanted and dumped donkeys. The animals receive much care and affection here. Manaton’s Horse and Pony Sanctuary, near Dartmoor, is equally superb.

You may be aware of the fact that Dartmoor National Park is home to the native Dartmoor Hill Pony breed. Life on the moors has made these ponies very hardy. Though they graze and roam freely, they aren’t really wild ponies, they belong to farmers in the vicinity. These ponies have a history in Dartmoor that is claimed to go back about 3,500 years, they find mention in documents going back to AD 1012.

The Dartmoor ponies were utilised for transporting granite and stone in the nineteenth century. They lead far easier lives these days though they have problems with issues like over grazing. There are far more than 3000 ponies in Dartmoor.

Dartmoor ponies have been ridden in show jumping events and cross country events. They have been used as working hunter ponies and for single day events. They have also been utilized for driving carriages, and potentially their favourite use has been in the role of family pony, a role of historic popularity.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers read more