Highly contagious virus not seen in the UK for decades kills 35 ponies in the New Forest

Officials in the New Forest have been forced to cancel August’s traditional roundups, known as drifts, because of an outbreak of equine flu (Picture: Cover Media)

A highly contagious virus has killed at least 35 ponies in the New Forest, prompting an urgent warning to visitors.

The equine flu was first identified in ponies in the Woodgreen area, but ‘soon spread’ to other areas north of the A31, infecting ‘a large number of both ponies and donkeys’.

Cases have since been identified in ponies in the Ashurst, Brockenhurst and Burley.

The traditional autumn ‘drifts’, in which ponies are rounded up for health checks, were due to begin in August but early drifts have been cancelled.

Subsequent round-ups are under review, pending further updates about the virus.

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