The Gathering

The Carneddau ponies are arguably the wildest ponies in Britain running free throughout the year over the 200 square kilometres of the Carneddau mountains. The ponies are not as well-known as other native UK pony breeds, such as the Exmoor or Dartmoor ponies, in large part because they are not recognised as a breed despite research showing they are a genetically distinct population.

Ironically, it’s the very factor which prevents them gaining breed status which makes the Carneddau ponies so special. Being free roaming, the ponies can choose who to breed with as and when they please meaning the farmers who nominally own them cannot create a studbook and record lineages, a pre-requisite of gaining official breed status. But being free roaming is exactly what makes the ponies special and why researchers now study the ponies for insights for into domestic horse management.

Every year the ponies are brought down from the mountain by the farmers of the Carneddau in an event known as ‘The Gathering’. It’s a social and cultural event which brings this mountain community together. I covered the annual gathering for National Geographic and the story can be found here.