Dartmoor ponies will be protected from culling after the government removed them from a livestock counting method that could have resulted in their extinction.
It emerged last month that Natural England had included the iconic semi-wild animals within its stocking density calculations, which aim to reduce grazing on the moor’s commons.
Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, announced on Wednesday that the animals would be excluded from the count, which means farmers will not face a choice between keeping ponies and maintaining sheep or cattle.
She has also introduced a pony supplement to incentivise farmers to keep their ponies.
Ms Reynolds said: “The Tories gave us a botched Brexit deal, national sewage scandal and Dartmoor ponies under threat.
“This Labour government is cleaning up their mess. Dartmoor ponies have been removed from stocking numbers and I’ve introduced a new payment to reward farmers for keeping ponies.”
It comes after farmers and campaigners warned that Natural England’s conservation measures could lead to the “devastation” of the endangered breed.
Kemi Badenoch had urged the government to overrule the initial decision, which she described as “total madness from another unaccountable quango”.
A spokesperson for the prime minister had hit back at the Conservative leader, saying the ponies were “safe under this government”.
“This government will not allow a cull of Dartmoor ponies and we don’t manage feral pony populations by culling in this country.
“Natural England has not recommended a cull of Dartmoor ponies and it does not have the power to order a cull and has not advised one.”
Marian Spain, the chief executive of Natural England, said: “Natural England has always been clear that Dartmoor’s ponies play a central role in shaping the landscape and supporting nature, and we want to see them continue to do so.
“The government policy changes announced today will enable us to work with farmers to secure the agreements we need to recover nature on Dartmoor.”
According to campaigners, Dartmoor hill ponies have been on the landscape for 4,500 years, although numbers have dwindled from 6,000 25 years ago to fewer than 1,000 today.
There were fears that the initial counting method could result in the removal of 90 per cent of the ponies.
Phil Stocker, chair of the Dartmoor land use management group, said: “This announcement gives pony keepers the reassurance they need that Dartmoor’s native pony populations are a valued and essential part of the ecology and culture of Dartmoor.
“It aligns fully with the DLUMG’s work, where we are running trials to build the evidence that well-managed ponies, cattle and sheep can improve habitat condition and benefit nature more widely.”
