ARTISTS and royal memorabilia will be in the mix at a special exhibition that is supporting a major new public awareness campaign to protect the Dartmoor pony.

Exhibits in the 'Ponies on Dartmoor' show, which opened yesterday (Wednesday) and runs until September 5 at the Duchy Square Centre for Creativity in Princetown, include a bridle and whip once used by Kind Edward VIII.

The bridle and whip, together with an Arab stallion called Dwarka, were presented to the King when he was Prince of Wales, by an Arabian prince.

They are on loan to Duchy Square from the Duchy of Cornwall and are normally kept at Prince Charles' Highgrove residence in Gloucestershire.

The exhibition is being run in collaboration with several pony groups and other Dartmoor organisations, who have joined forces with the common aim of supporting and protecting the ponies on Dartmoor.

A number of artists have contributed work to the display and exhibits will include striking driftwood sculptures of ponies, photographs and paintings.

Gallery manager Philippa Smith said the response to a request for artists to submit pony related material for the show had been amazing.

'The ponies are among Dartmoor's most prized assets and judging by the response we had to the request, there is clearly a lot of fondness for them across the area,' said Philippa.

'Duchy Square is delighted to be able to support this campaign in such a high profile way and visitors to the exhibition will be able to find out just how important it is that we preserve the Dartmoor pony for future generations.'

The campaign is being launched by the members of the Pony Working Group, which is the amalgamation of leading organisations, Dartmoor Commoners Council, Dartmoor Hill Pony Association, Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust, Dartmoor Pony Society, Dartmoor Pony Moorland Scheme and Dartmoor National Park Authority.

It also has the support of the Duchy of Cornwall and Natural England, as well as the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society.

At the heart of the campaign are leaflets which detail the history of the different breeds of Dartmoor Pony, how the public can help protect the animals and their habitat, along with contact numbers to report injured ponies and those in distress.

Organisers are determined to get the safety message across to reduce the number of ponies involved in road accidents and preserve their moorland home where they play a key role in preserving habitats and supporting other wildlife.

Opened in March last year and supported by a number of organisations, including The Duchy of Cornwall and Devon County Council, the Duchy Square Centre for Creativity offers low cost workshop space and is helping boost the local economy by connecting local businesses with other key industry sectors.

The artists take part in workshops organised by the centre, but also stage their own sessions with smaller groups in their own studios.