Carneddau ponies are unique - Aberystwyth research
Researchers at Aberystwyth University have established that the wild ponies grazing the Carneddau Mountains, North Wales are a genetically unique population, which should be conserved to safeguard their existence. Preserving the genetic resource provided by the Carneddau ponies is particularly crucial since recent snow storms led to the death of many of these animals, dramatically reducing their numbers. The study, the first into the genetic characteristics of the wild ponies, whose habitat in northern Snowdonia reaches heights of over 600 metres, was undertaken by scientists at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University using samples collected at the annual round-up of ponies above the village of Llanfairfechan. The aim was to establish to what extent the Carneddau ponies are genetically related to other UK native breeds and particularly whether they relatively recently separated from the existing Welsh Section A pony....