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Exmoor Pony
Branding at an End? |
The Exmoor
pony is one of Britain's oldest breeds which have traditonally been
branded with hot irons as foals to maintain purity and their identify
as a semi-feral equine.
Around 400
Exmoor ponies run wild in the South West of England. They are owned
by different farmers who round them up annually to brand the foals,
which they say is necessary to maintain the purity and health of the
breed and confirm ownership.
Many people
have claimed the practice is cruel and under new EU rules, all ponies
can now be fitted with microchips instead. However, the UK has been
given special permission to use both microchips and branding for the
time being.
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