Next Sales August 13th 2009 Download Sales Catalogue Here when available

Welcome to the New Forest Livestock Society.

Introduction

The Commoners of the New Forest have always sought to control the sale of their stock through sales in the forest. Over the years this has taken many guises and in the last century sales took place in several locations around the Lyndhurst area. Finally, it seemed that the place for pony sales was to be Beaulieu Road, and sales of semi feral and handled stock have taken place here for over 60 years. Originally, the site was on the opposite side of the road to the current sale yard, which was probably due to the train station being located there. Commoners, Agisters and Railway Stewards all helped with the sales and to move stock through the sale yard with many being loaded on to carriages once sold and transported out of the forest.

Sometime after the second world war the yard moved to its current location and the basis of today’s sales started to develop. The yard itself also grew in size with the changes in demand and underwent several partial rebuilds and refurbishments under the auspices of the New Forest Pony Breeding & Cattle Society. By the beginning of the new millennium the sale yard and the market in general were enduring tough times. It was clear that in order to ensure the survival of the semi feral sales in the New Forest something dramatic would need to be done.

The Commoners Defence Association and the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society joined forces to start a new organisation, the New Forest Livestock Society with a view to concentrating on the sales and their survival. The initial set up of the new society was made with equal numbers of nominations of members from each of the two founder organisations with an independent chairman.

The NFLS was formed, and since 2001 has gone from strength to strength becoming a company limited by guarantee and forming close working relations with the New Forest Trust who manage its lease with the Forestry Commission and some of its other financial arrangements while continuing to work with its founder organisations where required. The NFLS now run the sale yard, provide stewards for the sales and keep a maintenance schedule in place with the sales run in association with Southern Counties Auctioneers

The largest project undertaken to date by the NFLS was the rebuild of the sale yard. Completely rebuilding the yard was a massive undertaking but was considered essential for the survival of the sales as ever increasing health & safety and welfare regulations were making it impossible to continue to use the existing facility.

The new yard had to satisfy the following criteria:

• up-to-date construction and in good condition for future preservation
• clear division of public, vendor and stock movements
• adequate pennage and handling facilities
• upgraded facilities on site for public, vendor and stock requirements sympathetic to the landscape
• construction using sustainable methods and materials which also lend themselves to work with semi feral stock.

After months of hard negotiation, campaigning and the completion of many forms, the NFLS finally got the funding and go ahead to redevelop the sale yard, the results of which speak from themselves.

The yard is now one of the most up to date semi feral sale yards in the country which has been endorsed by a number of equine and welfare organisations. The construction was made from natural, sustainable materials which were in the main produced within the forest and there is no concrete or steel structures in sight! There is a clear division of stock and people - an essential to satisfy todays health and safety requirements; and the new design allows easy movement and selection of stock while still allowing good access and viewing by the public and buyers alike. There are areas set specifically for the showing of handled stock and a separate area for trade stands. At the same time the New Forest Pony Publicity Group have also helped with considerable promotion of the sales and have held annual pre sale shows at the yard, all of which have helped with the market tremendously.

So it would seem that the sale yard has been saved and preserved for the future. Certainly the initial ground work has been done, but time does not stand still and activities change as does demand. While the NFLS is committed to preserving the sale of semi feral stock within the forest, it cannot ignore the passing of time and external influences and demand. The organisation takes the view that it has to build on the solid foundation provided by the redevelopment of the sale yard to enhance the facilities available and ensure the popularity and suitability remains for future generations.

Sam Dovey, Director. 2006