Coast and Country

It's hard to believe, but that most evocative symbol of Dartmoor - the Dartmoor Pony - could soon be a thing of the past.

At the end of the Second World War, there were some 30,000 ponies on the moor. At the last count, in 2004, there were 800.

There is now a real danger that they could become extinct on the moor. It would be a tragic end for a creature which first roamed the moor 3,500 years ago and which once had a major role to play in transporting goods.

A pony at a sale

The Dartmoor Pony is a designated rare breed. Some are known as the 'native pony' and run with mix breeds on the moor.

Others are pure bred and registered as pedigree - these are rarely seen roaming the moors as they are too valuable.

Many farmers and commoners have been getting rid of their ponies because they are no longer worth keeping.

For example, equine passports cost £10, but in some instances, ponies have fetched just £5 at auction. Things have got so bad, that ponies have even ended up as pet food.

A key issue is that because many of the ponies on Dartmoor are now cross breeds rather than pure bred Dartmoor Ponies, their price has been driven down to virtually nothing.

The pony adorns the national park signs

Farmers have called for subsidies to help them to keep Dartmoor Ponies.

Another possible lifesaver is a breeding programme which was introduced in 2003 as part of the Dartmoor Pony Moorland Scheme.

It's all a far cry from the days when the creatures could be seen in huge numbers right across the moor.

The Dartmoor Pony has been an integral part of the moorland landscape for centuries  and was chosen as the logo for the Dartmoor National Park when it was created in 1951.

Visitors come in their thousands each year to see the ponies...but unless the rapid decline is halted, there could soon be none left to see.