King William the First originally established the New Forest shortly after invading and conquering England in 1066. He established the forest as his own personal hunting ground, and it has been a wild open space ever since.
The New Forest is situated in western Hampshire and stretches from the Wiltshire border in the north to the sea just east of Lymington. The west side is bounded by the natural border of the River Avon. These days the Forest extends to just over 37,000 hectares and within that area thousands of wild ponies and deer run virtually unhindered.
Add to that the hundreds of head of cattle that are taken out on the communal lands plus the pigs at certain times of the year to make the most of the acorn drop, plus the donkeys too, and the Forest is a rare oasis of wildlife and a species surprising in this modern age, surrounded as it is by the great cities of Southampton, Salisbury and Bournemouth.
Driving through the New Forest, particularly at night, can be a dangerous activity as the animals often choose to doze in the middle of the roads, especially newborn foals in May. Mandatory speed limits of 40 mph are enforced throughout the area, but these are not always adhered to and unfortunately accidents and fatalities are still very common.
Every fall the ponies gather, a practice that has been going on for centuries, and the rodeo is known locally as The Drift. Ponies round up for various reasons. They are first dewormed and tagged to indicate ownership and their tails are docked in a specific way to show which area of the forest they come from. All ponies are owned by commoners who live within the boundaries of the Forest. These property rights are ancient and closely guarded and are passed down from father to son and daughter.
New season foals are weaned from their mothers and can be sold and even exported. One of the best places to see The Drift is next to the Beaulieu Road railway station, where permanent corrals are set up specifically for this purpose. There is also a hotel there, you can watch the show from your room window if you wish! Suddenly coming across hundreds of wild horses being herded into pens to be checked and sorted is a sight and sound most of us will never forget.
The Drift is organized with almost military efficiency by the Agisters from their headquarters in Lyndhurst. The Agisters have many powers, including the authority to order any owner to remove any animal from the forest if it is seen to be in poor condition. The Agisters are employed by the Verderers, a body of ten people appointed to administer the law relating to the New Forest. They maintain the registry of marks: all pony owners must use a mark to identify their dispatched cattle. The Verderers also have complete administrative control of all studs in the New Forest.
Once The Drift is finished and each horse is cataloged and branded, those that remain are returned to their part of the forest and the hectic day is soon forgotten, the horses being left alone until the following fall.
If you want to visit the New Forest and witness The Drift, the best places to stay are Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, Beaulieu, Burley, Fordingbridge or Lymington, all of which are interesting little country towns. Lymington has the added benefit of being a yachting hub too, or for a larger base try Salisbury, just over the border in Wiltshire. You’ll have a great time, and don’t forget your camera, and of course a raincoat! This is England after all.