Konik

At Wicken Fen, we have 39 wild ponies known as Koniks. Koniks are an unusual breed of small horse, or pony, originally from Poland. This stocky and hardy breed shows many of the characteristics of the Tarpan, which was the original wild horse of Europe's Forests. Koniks have proved to be ideally adapted to year-round grazing on grassland and wetland habitats and they have been used by several conservation organisations to help manage nature reserves both in Britain and Europe.

Our Koniks came from Hickling Broad in Norfolk (The Broads Authority helped bring them to Wicken Fen) and from Holland. In both places, these ponies had been grazing wetland sites.

Our Konik ponies are in two main groups. There is a breeding herd, now 26 strong, on the Adventurers' Fen part of the Wicken Fen nature reserve. These are in two groups, but will be combined to form one herd in early 2008. In 2007, there were four foals born and in 2006 there were seven foals. On Adventurers' Fen, the Koniks can range freely across about 120 hectares (300 acres) of wetland and grassland habitat.

There is also a non-breeding group of 13 Koniks on Verrall's Fen, at the west end of the reserve, where their grazing helps to manage the fen vegetation.

Why are there Konik ponies at Wicken Fen?

The Wicken Vision is an exciting, landscape-scale 100-year plan to extend Wicken Fen by over 1000% to create a large nature reserve for wildlife and people. The long-term aim is for the soil and water conditions to primarily determine the habitats, with free-ranging large herbivores adding variety to the habitats and to be a sustainable management tool for developing this dynamic landscape.

The large grazing animals must be fit for this purpose. Thus, the animals need to be hardy for year-round grazing, suited to the ground and vegetation conditions, with appropriate experience of open landscapes with water in pools and ditches. The Konik ponies we have at Wicken are ideally suited. They are very hardy, cope admirably with the wet ground and thrive on the available vegetation.

We selected Konik ponies because they are an 'echo' of the type of wild horses that would have been living in the fenlands before the early humans eradicated wild horses from Britain. They are also proven to be very fit and healthy in wetland environments and all of the Koniks at Wicken came from wetland conservation grazing schemes, or have been born at Wicken.

We operate within the parameters of animal welfare. This underpins all of our work with all of our grazing animals. We have an experienced Vet who guides and advises us in our work and we adhere to the 'Five Freedoms' of the farm Animal Welfare Council. These are:

1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst - by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
2. Freedom from Discomfort - by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease - by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
4. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour - by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind.
5. Freedom from Fear and Distress - by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.