A December deadline that shocked the community
According to Robert Morgan, who runs Rhossili Sunflowers and Gower Fresh Christmas Trees, a letter was sent last week giving farmer Nicky Beynon until 1 December to find a new home for the horses.
Morgan said the decision followed pressure from some residents and the Gower Society, despite widespread local support for keeping the animals where they are.
The herd has been part of Rhossili’s landscape for decades, once cared for by the late Ernie Beynon, who tended the horses across Gower until his death aged 94. Supporters say the animals are not only a much‑loved sight for visitors but also play a vital role in grazing vegetation, keeping paths open, and supporting biodiversity.
Memories, fears and calls for action
The Facebook post by Rhossili Sunflowers has drawn thousands of responses, with many locals and visitors sharing memories and concerns.
- “This is awful, it’s been their home for years and years… May I suggest a petition to show the National Trust of the hundreds of people who still think the horses should stay on the cliffs of Rhossili. I would happily sign it,” wrote Mia Lizzie.
- Michael Macintosh admitted he worries about safety: “While I love the horses there, it fills me with fear every time I see them roaming down the cliff paths and edges… It’s definitely not fair forcing them off the land but would absolutely love the edge to be fenced for them to be that little bit safer.”
- Visitors from abroad also shared their affection. Andrea Kreft, from Germany, recalled: “Forty years ago we spent our honeymoon in Gower… we woke up to the sound of grazing ponies around our tent. Now our grandchildren have seen them too. If there will be a petition, I’ll sign.”
- Others spoke of lifelong ties. Hilary Stephenson said: “I grew up in Llangennith 40 plus years ago. The ponies grazing across Llanmadoc and Rhossili were part of the landscape. The Beynons have known and worked this land for so many years. It is such a shame.”
- Laura Cotton suggested conservation grazing may be at the heart of the issue: “Perhaps the NT feel they are overstocked. Be interested to hear their reasons.”
- Rebecca Tilly Rose added: “Incredibly sad decision and one I feel has been made without any thought to the ponies… They brought such joy to us this summer.”
- Lesley Hilliard described how seeing ponies on Gower as a child inspired a lifelong love of Welsh ponies: “Please don’t take these ponies off the common.”
- And Monica Jane McCarthy speculated safety concerns may be driving the move: “Gotta be because of tourists approaching them when being told not to… They’ve lost horses over the edge due to this, so it probably is for their own safety.”
Councillors step in to show support
Reform UK councillor Francesca O’Brien also posted about the issue, saying she and her father — Conservative councillor Richard Lewis — were “more than happy to support in any way we can.”
National Trust says safety and numbers are the issue
In a statement to Swansea Bay News, a National Trust Cymru spokesperson said:
“Following complaints about a stallion, which is part of the herd of horses on the common, we have written to the commoner who owns the horse asking them to move it elsewhere due to public safety concerns.
We are also reviewing the number of horses currently grazing on the common, which we believe exceeds the agreed limit in the commoner’s rights to graze.
Our priority is to ensure the safety of visitors, the welfare of the grazing animals and the ecological health of Rhossili.”
The Trust added that it is engaging with the owner to “further understand the number that can remain on the common.”
A landscape shaped by ponies and people
While the National Trust owns the common land at Rhossili, the management and care of livestock is the responsibility of commoners, who each hold rights to graze a set number of animals.
The horses have long been a defining feature of the headland, but recent years have seen tensions over safety and welfare. Earlier this year, two horses died at Rhossili — one falling from the cliffs, another losing an unborn foal after eating dog waste — prompting warnings from farmers and the Trust about the risks posed by visitors and dogs.
