FEWER than 50 per cent of the ponies at the first Dartmoor pony sale at Tavistock livestock market since the foot and mouth outbreak were sold, leaving auctioneers with a feeling of 'depression'.

Although 300 ponies had been entered, only 216 actually turned up last Friday for the long-awaited sale.

The first pony reached over 30 guineas, but prices then dropped dramatically with some going four for a guinea. The majority of colt ponies remained unsold.

The top prices were 112 guineas for a 12 month-old filly and 95 guineas for a colt, but these were the exception.

Only 102 animals exchanged hands, and newly-appointed auctioneer Chris Clapham of Ward and Chowen said it 'got worse towards the end': 'We are left with a feeling of depression. It is very sad that the ponies have nowhere to go and there is no market for them.'

Ward and Chowen were rethinking what to do with regard to pony sales next year, he added.

Traditionally there are five markets per year, but Mr Clapham said there would not be one in January or March.

RSPCA market inspector Steve Donohue said the larger ponies would go for riding and the prettier smaller ones for pets, but he warned against people impulse-buying them out of sympathy.

Following a similar market at Chagford recently there had been cases of ponies having to be re-homed after being bought by people with no knowledge of how to look after them.

Mr Donohue said the RSPCA was working with the Dartmoor National Park Authority and the Dartmoor Commoners' Council to formulate a management plan.

'We are working towards a quality pony and a sustainable population so the problem of surplus ponies is not repeated every year,' he said.

'The welfare of the ponies must not be compromised.'

He added that the biggest worry was what would happen to those that did not sell, but at present there were no reports of any on-farm cull of colts. A percentage go for meat — 'not a nice thought, but it's what happens'.

He had heard some ponies had been sold prior to the sale by private treaty.

Rosemary Kind of the Mare and Foal Sanctuary said the animals could make 'smashing ponies': 'I think farmers should halter train them before sale, which would make them more valuable and desirable'.

Something needed to be done to help the situation, as it was the ponies that suffered, she added.

'By January 1 ponies have to be cleared from parts of the moor, and on farms there will be problems welfare-wise.'

Attendance at the sale was poor. Colin Abel, of Peter Tavy, whose family have ponies on the moor, said prices were rock bottom and he thought the strict regulations because of foot and mouth may have put people off.

'If the box used for transport is used for other animals within 28 days you have to pay £25 for it to be disinfected. Not many farmers have more than one box to avoid that.

'We took 28 to market and brought 14 home, which will be put in a field again. We will phone around to try to get private sales,' he said, stressing that culling would be 'a last resort' only.

Mr Abel said the saving grace would be if the export market was opened up again, provided it was policed well.

'When they stopped that they took our market away,' he said, adding that abroad pony meat fetched almost the same as beef.