THE only way to save Dartmoor's ponies is to eat them – that's what the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association believe should be done to stop the unique breed from dying out.

But the South West Equine Protection said it is 'horrified' at the scheme and 'will never support overbreeding or killing ponies for profit'.

The DHPA asked SWEP for their support in the launch of human consumption of pony meat to 'ensure the future of the ponies'.

However SWEP declared the proposal 'is 'nothing but another money making scheme and a solution for greed'.

Each year thousands of tourists watch the Dartmoor ponies as they visit the historic moor. But the DHPA say that the current fall in the number of ponies on the moor will eventually affect the tourist trade.

It said: 'Unless a way can be found to make them profitable, the remaining farmers will have to do the same.

Hill farmers can't afford to keep luxuries and this will mean that the moor won't be grazed properly, gorse will flourish making whole areas inaccessible and eventually the tourist trade will drop.'

The DHPA added that out of around 900 foals born every year only 30 per cent are homed; 10 per cent are used to replenish the herds and 60 per cent are shot.

It said demand had dropped for the ponies because of the economic downturn.

Charlotte Faulkner, from the DHPA, said: 'During the last few years many Dartmoor farmers have stopped keeping ponies as they are no longer viable.

'The first solution is to breed less ponies.

'A contraception scheme has been trialled and is still in progress.

'But removing stallions is more of a problem than a solution as it may result in a possible loss of the gene pool we are trying to preserve.

'The next solution is to wait until foals are three years old and put them in to the human food chain.

'Using both of these solutions together, it would mean that the farmers could breed from fewer ponies and keep the offspring for three years.

'These three year olds can either be put in to training as riding/ driving ponies, which they excel at.

'There is more of a market for trained three year olds than wild foals – so the majority will be homed.

'The result of these schemes would imp-rove the chances of a foal reaching three years old and therefore improving their chan-ces of finding homes. It is much easier to home trained ponies than wild foals.

She added: 'This project already has support from some of the hoteliers on the moor and we are confident that others will follow as pony meat – like venison – is low in fat, high in omega three, natural and delicious.

'A small abattoir has been chosen that deals compassionately with ponies and does not stress them prior to slaughter.'

However, SWEP said that the continuing overbreed to kill is not the best solution for the ponies.

Becky Treeby, welfare officer at SWEP, said: 'Already the drifts have started, the gorgeous little colt foals and unclaimed ponies will almost certainly all be lining the lions bellies at the zoos.

'It's sad enough knowing the fate of these ponies without having a facility to kill them all and eat them.

'SWEP believe that this proposal is nothing but another money making scheme and a solution for greed only.

'We do not believe that continuing to overbreed to kill for anyone or anything's consumption is the best solution for the ponies on the commons.

'SWEP feel that removal of stallions would massively decrease foal production or vasectomising stallions, therefore maintaining their stallion instincts without the ability to produce foals.

'Already smart farmers have clicked onto this and own a fully functioning well maintained herd out on the commons. Perhaps they value the ecology and beauty of the ponies rather than the money.'

Dartmoor ponies were traditionally used for farming, postal deliveries and pulling carts.