19/09/2024
A few years ago, when I was up in the Scottish Highlands, I was invited to accompany the working Highland ponies (known as garrons) and their handlers (known as ghillies) to document them collecting red deer stags from the hill. This is a very traditional job, and it was very interesting to see the pony not only in its natural surroundings, but also doing a job it was bred for. The UK has no natural predators for Red deer, and as a result the deer numbers need to be managed to prevent overgrazing (and ecological damage) across the Scottish Highlands. One of the traditional roles the Highland pony developed was to carry deer back off the hill - even today, the terrain is so steep and uneven that machinery cannot always be used. Their job is to go out onto the hill where they are loaded up with the carcass, and they then bring it home for processing (where the venison goes into the food chain). These ponies can access places where modern ATVs cannot, and they still have a valuable role across Scotland carrying these deer. The ponies have to be highly trained to do this work, and the highland pony is perfect for the role - it is valued for its strength and courage, which allows them to physically do this very demanding job. Some stags can weigh over 20 stone and the pony has to keep its balance as it picks its way across the hill - when you seem them moving, you soon see that it is not like carrying a rider. It was quite something to witness, and very interesting to see first hand. Highland ponies are categorised as โAt Riskโ by ๐ด๐ ___________________________________________
