The Wild Side of the Long Mynd | Wild Ponies
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05.09.2022
Every year Ed and I celebrate our birthdays with a hike and a picnic. His birthday is at the start of summer, and mine is at the end. This year we went to the Shropshire Hills to celebrate my birthday and walked on the quieter side of the Long Mynd.
We often visit the Long Mynd via Carding Mill Valley, but decided to explore a new part of the ridge by starting at a different point. Carding Mill Valley is lovely, but it’s very popular with families, and so it’s often very busy. There are carparks up on the ridge, so we started from one of those instead.
I picked up a couple of pieces of burnt heather to use as plant supports.
I think people feed the wild ponies, because they are very tame and unwary of humans. I saw two of them eating a carrot, which I suspect somebody had fed them from a car window. As always when I share photos of wild ponies I like to reiterate the importance of keeping a safe distance from them at all times. It’s important that wild horses remain wild, because if they trust humans too much it alters their behaviour and puts them at risk. Not all humans are kind, and it’s best for their welfare for them not to be in the habit of hanging around on the roads and in carparks on the off chance that somebody comes by with a carrot for them. Carrots are also not the best food for horses, and if fed in excess they can cause colic. If you see the ponies on the hills, either in Shropshire, in Wales, or elsewhere, do keep a distance and respect them as wild animals first and foremost. These photos were all taken from main paths, with a longer lens which allowed me to get close without actually being too close to them in person.
