THE New Forest is a magical place of ancient woodland, open moors, beautiful glades and coastal walks. It is still one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture and heathland in the UK where ponies, cattle, donkeys and deer roam free.
The earliest record of horses in the New Forest dates back to 1016 when ‘rights of common pasture’ were granted to the people living in what was a royal hunting ground. The New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society (NFPB&CS) is the offi - cial breed society and holder of the Studbook of Origin, handling the registrations of the purebred and partbred New Forest pony.
Here we talk to the Society vets, Laura Trigg, Seadown Equine clinical director and equine vet and her Seadown equine vet colleague, Louisa Weinfeld, to get a real behind the scenes look at their respective roles and just what it means to them.
Q: Can you provide some background to Seadown’s involvement with the society?
Laura: Seadown vets has been involved since the days when Peter Goodwin and Ralph Ellis were partners in the Seadown practice, so approximately 50 years! I took over the role from Peter Tunney six years ago and I performed this role alongside Hannah Buteux for several years, before Louisa Weinfeld replaced Hannah earlier this year. As you can see, Seadown has had a long association with the society.
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