Woodgreen Homepage


When a horse or a pony is described as being a Palomino it is describing a colour not a breed. In order for an animal to be registered with the Palomino Society the animal must possess the following characteristic - the body coat should be the colour of a newly minted gold coin, or three shades lighter or darker. The pony in the image is a New Forest Pony. These native ponies – thought to be descended from the wild horses that once roamed all over Britain – have taken the place of William the Conqueror’s deer as rulers of the forest, and rightly so for they were here even before the Normans came. Although they live in an almost wild state, they are all privately owned by the commoners – people living in the forest entitled to certain privileges. In the 19th century an attempt to improve the breed was made by letting Arab stallions run in the forest; this resulted in a cross unfitted to the rigours of the wild. A later experiment using stallions from Exmoor, Scotland, Dartmoor and Wales introduced a new breed which evolved into the more or less distinctive type seen now. Today, only stallions with the local stud-book pedigrees are allowed to roam. The sturdiness of the New Forest pony comes from being born on a windswept heath. In winter it has a woolly coat, and long protective hair on the back of the fetlock causes the rain to run to the ground. The animal has developed a beard and horny tongue to enable it to cope with the gorse shoots which is its most reliable food. Every year, there is a ‘drift’ or round-up, in late summer and autumn when the ponies are brought in – some to be sold and others to be retained for stock.
©Trish Steel
The postbox is on Woodgreen Common.
©Trish Steel
The ponies have their backs to the wind as they shelter by the Avon Valley Path at Woodgreen. The path continues along the gravel path.
©Trish Steel
Dist:0.1km<br/>We are just in the National Park and here are the first of the typical New Forest ponies that graze on the common.
©Graham Horn
Dist:0.1km<br/>Two New Forest ponies come wondering down the gravel track which at this point forms part of the Avon Valley Path.
©Trish Steel
Dist:0.1km<br/>Situated on the edge of the Green.
©Clive Perrin
Dist:0.1km<br/>The grass is very short here, grazed by the forest ponies. The uneven ground may be due to gravel extraction in earlier times.
©Clive Perrin
Dist:0.1km<br/>
©Jon Bryant
Dist:0.2km<br/>I would appreciate a view about what has happened here. I suspect it is an old shallow chalk pit.
©Graham Horn
Dist:0.2km<br/>Houses at Woodgreen are dotted through the woods. A glut of signs has gone up around this telegraph pole.
©Graham Horn
Dist:0.4km<br/>A traditional style pub near the edge of the village, complete with New Forest pony.
©Trish Steel
Dist:0.4km<br/>
©Trish Steel
Dist:0.4km<br/>
©David Martin
Dist:0.4km<br/>Built in 1914.
©Michael FORD
Dist:0.4km<br/>
©Trish Steel

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]

Members Nearby

Woodgreen Discussion Forum


Places Near Woodgreen

Ashford • Blissford • Bohemia • Breamore • Burgate • Criddlestyle • Downton • Flood Street • Fordingbridge • Frogham • Godshill • Hale • Hatchet Green • Hyde • Lover • Lower Burgate • Morgan's Vale • Newgrounds • North Charford • North Street • North Street • Ogdens • Outwick • Redlynch • Stuckton • Upper Burgate • Upper Street • Wick • Woodfalls • Woodgreen •