Miniature Pony Centre

The Miniature Pony Centre is a farm tourist attraction based in the center of the Dartmoor National Park. Located just 2 miles outside, Moretonhampstead, the Miniature Pony Centre is a 1-minute drive from Bovey Castle. It is situated on the B3212 which is the main road running through the Dartmoor National Park and leads to Postbridge and Princetown.
Originally, the land was owned by W.H. Smith of the retail chain and he was the first Lord Hambleden who also owned Bovey Castle, formerly the Manor House.
The Miniature Pony Centre first opened its doors to the public in 1986 when it was founded by Tony and Jane Dennis. The Dennis’s bought various breeds of equines to Dartmoor along with other farmyard animals. They founded the Kerswell stud in 1970 and they continued to breed their pedigree line of Kerswell ponies. The breeding of Miniature Shetland Ponies still happens to this day at The Miniature Pony Centre under the Keensacre and Bottriell stud names.
The Miniature Shetland Pony is a very small Shetland pony. Anything under 34inches in height is classed as a Miniature Shetland whilst 34” to 10.2 hh is called a standard Shetland. The Centre also breeds Miniature Horses and Miniature Mediterranean donkeys. In 2020, the centre also welcomed its first pair of Miniature Pigs.
Following the sale of the centre, to the Hutchinson family, the centre thrived as one of the original family farm attractions on Dartmoor National Park. In 2003, the centre was sold to a family who relocated from Surrey, the Ginsberg family, still run the centre to this day. 