Exmoor Pony Experience

Connecting with Exmoor Ponies Experience
Meet the amazing Exmoor ponies on our working Exmoor farm next to the beautiful Dunkery Commons and find out how we manage a large herd. The ponies feature in Dawn Westcott's Wild Pony Whispering books and she works with them at liberty, building trust and connection.  Exmoor ponies are one of Great Britain's oldest (and wildest) native pony breeds - and they are endangered. The Exmoor Pony Project helps to safeguard and promote better understanding and treatment of Exmoor ponies.
On arrival, we'll have an introductory chat about Exmoor ponies from our cosy hub, where you can watch the herd milling around outside. Discover more about this incredible native pony breed and find out more about how we manage the herd on the farm, to best suit their health and wellbeing. Then we'll move into a safe space, where you can meet the herd at close quarters. We'll spend time enabling participants to observe herd behaviour and see which ponies they're drawn to - and vice versa. This is a time to experience quiet mindfulness and learn to be in the present moment, authentic and open, to connect with herd energy - and individual ponies. Sometimes, people find it profoundly moving and generally, everyone leaves feeling more peaceful and in tune with themselves. We'll finish the experience with tea and coffee and a chat where everyone is welcome to share their thoughts, or not. This experience lasts about three hours. 
Dawn Westcott's Exmoor pony books are available to purchase. Along with the excellent Exmoor Compost we product at the farm for gardeners, produced by the Exmoor pony herd, and helping to support them. 

We need a minimum of six people to run this experience and a maximum of 8 people. 

National Park Experiences is a curated collection that brings the stories of our National Parks to life. Each experience offers an authentic insight into the landscape and special qualities of a National Park.

Testimonial!
"Thank you, Dawn and Nick, for the amazing experience and privilege. Saturday was a breathtaking afternoon. The herd is remarkable! Each and everyone of the ponies are beautiful, full of character and your dedication to them is beguiling! It was a pleasure to be allowed to share the experience of being with you both and the ponies. I would recommend anyone who has not done so yet to come and visit you. We will most certainly coma back again.”
From Nicoletta and Neil

Camping at Holt Ball Farm!
We offer seasonal camping for tents and trailer tents in our beautiful, peaceful, spacious meadow at Holt Ball Farm, in our pop up Porlock Vale Campsite. There are panoramic views all around of Exmoor moorland, woodland and countryside. Set in the National Trust's Holnicote Estate, you can get away from it all, with the River Aller meandering through, yet Porlock and Minehead are both within a few miles with all their amenities and the beaches. For more info please visit https://www.pitchup.com/campsites/England/South\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\West/Somerset/Minehead/porlock-vale-campsite/
 
Inclusions
What's Included
🍴 Food - Light refreshments, usually cake and biscuits
🥤 Drink - Tea, herbal tea, coffee, bottled water
 
What you'll need
🧤 Warm Clothing - Suitable casual clothing for a farm visit and whatever the weather gives us on the day
☂️ Waterproofs - As needed on the day, although we have covered areas too
🍴 Food - Any additional food you may need
🥤 Drink - Any additional drinks you may need
📋 Other - Robust footwear suitable for a farm visit and walking about in areas that ponies migrate around on. Appropriate mask, etc, according to the current Covid rules, which we will update regularly as necessary.