Dartmoor pony meat has gone on sale in the form of sausages and steaks.
In a move hoped to conserve the animals Dartmoor Hill Pony Association are selling the meat at Tavistock farmers' market. It is also being sold at a local restaurant, and pony sausages are available to buy online.
On their website Dartmoor Hill Pony say the plan for pony meat to be used for human consumption is to save the breed from extinction.
It adds: "Due to the economic problems being felt in this country and abroad, the sale of horses and ponies has dramatically decreased. For semi-feral herds across the UK this has become a huge problem.
"Dartmoor relies on its herds of ponies to keep the careful ecological balance. Without the ponies, the moorland would become vastly overgrown, not only preventing the vital income brought by tourists but also greatly damaging the habitats of a number of insects and birds and other animals.
"During the last few years many Dartmoor farmers have stopped keeping ponies as they are no longer seen as viable. Unless a way can be found to make them profitable the remaining farmers will have to do the same."
It adds: "This project already has support from some of the hoteliers on the moor and we are confident that others will follow as pony meat, like venison, is low in fat, high in omega 3, organic and delicious. It is really versatile, and can be eaten as steak or roasted, both of which the French enjoy or made into sausages or savoury meats such as salami and pastrami.
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