The New Forest and the Isle of WightWith eight plates and many other illustrations . left for long withoutbeing looked after to see how they are doing, or at least being inquiredafter by their owners, of those living near or working in the the very children of borderers know to whom the mares and foalsbelong, so that the forest ponies afford much amusement to the forestfolk, and nothing more easily excites them than a rumour that somethingor other is about to be done that may injure their interests as regardstheir pony stock. Some of the large breeders own as many as onehundred or
The New Forest and the Isle of WightWith eight plates and many other illustrations . left for long withoutbeing looked after to see how they are doing, or at least being inquiredafter by their owners, of those living near or working in the the very children of borderers know to whom the mares and foalsbelong, so that the forest ponies afford much amusement to the forestfolk, and nothing more easily excites them than a rumour that somethingor other is about to be done that may injure their interests as regardstheir pony stock. Some of the large breeders own as many as onehundred or more ponies, many forty or fifty, the smaller occupiers ownas manv as they can keep in the winter season. These, according to thefancy of the owners, are distributed in various parts of the forest, wherethey are marked by the agisters, or marksmen, by cutting the hairs ofthe tails in various ways. Thus the ponies haunting each quarter of theforest are known, the agister comparing his own marks with those madeby the owner, and with his description of his ponies. Should any ponies. THE NEIF FOREST stray into the parks, other pastures, or the lanes around the forest,information given to one of the agisters causes it to be soon kno \vnto whom the straying ponies, which go by the name of lane-haunters,belong. The present system of identification has taken the place of a far morepicturesque and exciting method of marking the stock, the Drift of theForest. This custom was a survival of an Act of Henry VIII., whichordained that all forests and chases were to be driven yearly withinfifteen days after Michaelmas, and if any mares or fillies were found whichwere not likely to bear good foals the same unprofitable beasts were tobe killed and buried. Long after this drastic command had ceased tobe regarded, the Drift was maintained, as a kind of census for themarking of all forest stock. As nearly as possible on the same day,keepers, agisters, and owners rode out to drive the different
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Keywords: ., bookauthorcornishc, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1903
