for ponies. Studies disagree as to the significance of this: some argue it shows that the indigenous brown and mealy type of Exmoor pony had probably been lost through cross-breeding; others consider that because only the Warden could run stallions, cross-bred mares of different colours could co-exist with the indigenous type. In 1818 the Royal Forest and some adjoining land was sold to John Knight. Sir Thomas Acland, the outgoing warden, took thirty of “the old type” to Ashway Side close to Winsford Hill, while others were sold to local farmers. Records show that Acland then adopted two breeding strategies, a closed, purebred herd on Ashway Side and some separate crossing experiments on Winsford Hill. In contrast, John Knight, starting in 1826, crossed all the ponies he had purchased with Arabians, Thoroughbreds, and other breeds to increase their size. Significantly, today’s registered Exmoor pony population is descended from the Acland herd. From the late nineteenth century, Exmoors were selectively bred for the characteristic mealy muzzle. In 1921, the fledgling Exmoor Pony Society’s rules accepted grey and black ponies in addition to bay, brown and dun, though the colour standards were soon tightened to exclude animals that did not conform to the carefully defined breed standard (based upon “the old type”). Exmoor pony registrations (as well as any ponies from Exmoor) were recorded in the Polo & Riding Pony Stud Books (the National Pony Society Stud Books from 1913). The Exmoor Pony Society published its first stud book exclusively for registered Exmoor ponies in 1963. The Second World War led to a sharp decrease in the breed population. This was largely due to ponies being stolen for the wartime horse-meat market; a small number of ponies were supposedly also used for target practice by soldiers, Exmoor being a training ground. After the war, a small group of breeders, including Mary Etherington, worked to restore the herds. In the 1950s, Exmoors were first exported to Canada and continental Europe, where small populations are still maintained. Since the mid-1980s, small free-living herds of Exmoor ponies have been established in various areas of the UK: these herds are used to manage vegetation on nature reserves belonging to organisations such as the National Trust, Natural England, and County Wildlife Trusts. Since the start of the 21st century Exmoor ponies have been in demand for ‘rewilding’ projects both UK-based and in additional European countries. In 2000,