Cool retreat

Several people have asked how New Forest ponies are finding water in a heatwave like this, when so many streams appear to have dried up.

It comes down to a combination of memory, environmental awareness, and learned behaviour within the herd, & what’s especially fascinating is the role of cultural transmission!

Ponies develop detailed mental maps of their home range, including reliable water sources such as groundwater-fed streams, valley mires, seepage lines & shaded channels that hold water for longer in drought conditions. These places are regularly revisited, & experienced mares often guide the herd between grazing areas & water.

They also respond to subtle signs of moisture in the landscape. Certain plants, like rushes, sedges & alder, indicate wetter ground. Slight dips in terrain, cooler patches underfoot, and well-used animal tracks can all point towards water. Even when no surface water is visible, the ground may still be damp enough to access.

In hot weather, behaviour reflects both the need to drink and to keep cool. Ponies favour shaded woodland and enclosed stream corridors where water is less likely to evaporate. Standing in shallow water helps them regulate body temperature as well as stay close to a water source.

The New Forest itself helps make this possible. Its peat-rich soils and valley mires act like natural sponges, storing water & releasing it slowly, so some streams & wet areas persist even during prolonged dry spells.

This is not just instinct. Foals learn where to find water and how to recognise these cues by following their mothers and the wider herd. Over time, this becomes shared knowledge, a kind of cultural memory of the landscape. As older mares lead and younger animals observe, this information is passed between generations, allowing the herd to collectively “remember” where water is likely to be found even in difficult years.

So even when the Forest looks bone dry to us, ponies are responding to a much richer set of signals & they are carrying forward generations of learned knowledge about how to survive in it.