Garway Hill Common - Horses and Sheep

Horses and Sheep on Garway Hill

Garway Hill remains a working hill as well as a favoured place of recreation and nature study. The Commoners have long-established rights to graze animals on the common land, Stock is kept on the land in all seasons, mostly sheep and ponies.

The sheep are a hardy Welsh mountain breed, self-sufficient and able to live on the hill year-round in all weathers. They have complete freedom to roam. If you are visiting the hill with your dog, please be aware that you should keep it on a lead at all times. Visitors' dogs have been known to kill and injure the resident sheep.

The white horses are also from mountain stock They are used for breeding with other varieties of horse to add a bit of strength and a hardy constitution to the offspring. Mares with their foals can be seen at virtually any time of year. Often the foals are chestnut in colour and very different in appearance to their mothers. Although the horses may allow you to get quite close and appear indifferent to your presence they are unlikely to let you touch them and you should not try to feed them. Be specially careful approaching a mare with a foal as these horses are protective parents.

	More information:
	Birds 70 different bird species have been recorded on Garway Hill		Butterflies Garway Hill is an excellent natural habitat for many species of butterflies
	Reptiles and Amphibians The Black Pool on Garway Hill is a breeding area for rare Great Crested Newts		Plants The native species include Bluebells, Meadow Saffron and Stonewort, unique in Herefordshire
	Miscellany Other species of interest		Sheep and Horses Local farmers still use the Common as valuable grazing ground for mountain horses and sheep

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Garway Hill Location and Description .................................................
About The Commoners .................................................
Garway Hill Management Plan .................................................
Flora and Fauna .................................................
Archaeological Investigations .................................................
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