IF the 'Passports for Ponies' scheme does come in, surely there is an obvious way to offset the costs?
Zoos have had great success with sponsorship schemes — a digital camera when the ponies are marked, photos on screen at visitor centres, a printer to produce a certificate with a glossy photo and the name you have chosen for 'your' Dartmoor pony, a newsletter.
Who could resist it? Even some locals might be tempted as a small price to pay for the joy the ponies bring.
The costs of setting it up could be found by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant or even European funding.
Mrs S T Cole
Meadow Barn
Buckland Monachorum