Pupils’ wild pony passion inspires posters

TWO Widecombe schoolgirls have spearheaded a poster campaign to help keep Dartmoor ponies safer this summer.

After witnessing tragic deaths of ponies on the moor the girls’ actions are leading to more than 100 posters – designed by their classmates – being posted around Dartmoor during the summer holidays.

The colourful posters are asking people not to feed the animals as this attracts them closer to the road, and the food can also be poisonous to them.

The campaign started with eight-year-olds Sienna Schwab and Willow Gatfield, pupils at Widecombe-in-the-Moor Primary School.

Sienna said: ‘I saw a pony outside my house at Haytor. He was lying on the grass dying because he’d been hit by a car. A lady came with a gun and had to shoot him to stop him being in more pain. It was horrible and sad.

‘I also saw a foal on my way to school that was dead on the side of the road. I spoke to Willow about it and she said to speak to our headteacher Mr Stokes.’

Willow said: ‘We went to Mr Stokes to see if he could help so we won’t have to see this ever again. He said we could write to the Dartmoor ranger Rob Steemson and we started talking in class about how ponies were coming too close to the road to get food.

‘People are feeding them with poisonous things like ice cream and sweets. It’s okay to give pet ponies treats but you can’t give them to wild ponies. That’s dangerous. They’ve already got their food on the ground. Don’t even feed them grass from the moor, as they could bite your hand.

‘I saw a mare eating on the side of the road and a Land Rover was driving too fast. The mare started bucking in the air. When the driver saw it he stopped but then afterwards he drove off at the same speed. I think it was really bad because he could’ve killed the mare or hurt it so it couldn’t walk.’

Sienna added: ‘I hope people see our posters and realise they’re doing a wrong thing and stop. When people see it’s children who’ve done the poster they might take a lot more notice of it.’

Their teacher Mrs Sophie Mount said after the girls wrote the letter, Mr Steemson visited their Lower Dart class and they discussed the pony issue. The girls’ actions have spurred the topic focus of the term on animal welfare, including a visit from the RSPCA.

Headteacher Des Stokes said: ‘I’m incredibly proud of the class, and particularly Sienna and Willow. After they wrote to Rob they badgered me every day until we got a reply. I’m so proud of them for having a view on something and doing something about it.

‘It was very close to their hearts and has inspired a whole term’s work, and a school pony club too. I feel so inspired by their passion. This is what school is about – being compassionate and kind, about community and animals. I want our children to be fully informed and have an opinion.’

Mr Steemson, Dartmoor’s community and land management ranger and sector ranger for Widecombe parish, is now busy making the posters and displaying them in cafes, pubs, gateways and public access points around Widecombe and the wider moor.

He said: ‘This has been a really inspiring project. We had a big class discussion about issues on Dartmoor, especially the ponies, after Sienna and Willow wrote to me. We decided to make a poster to raise awareness. Every child in the class made a poster and the teacher took various graphics and pictures from them to get the poster to go up on the moor.

‘By feeding ponies the animals identify cars and people as a source of food and are more attracted to the car parks and roads on the moor. I really hope these posters attract attention, educate people and help keep the ponies safe.’

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