The Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust’s Ambassador Malcolm Snelgrove is an IT consultant and professional photographer whose images of Dartmoor and its ponies have brought him international acclaim.

His route to his current career and to Dartmoor, where he lives with his wife Juliette, came via agriculture college and farming. Malcolm worked in the South Downs helping manage a 2000 strong flock of sheep and mixed arable crops while also studying Animal Husbandry at Brinsbury agricultural College in West Sussex where he attained City and Guilds level three.
At Plumpton Agricultural College he gained a National Certificate and Diploma in Agriculture with the focus on shepherding and animal husbandry. A career change to the IT industry followed and he joined Canon UK.

Malcolm and Juliette moved to Devon 24 years ago. Malcolm started exploring Dartmoor’s wild and rugged landscapes, studying the pony herds that graze there. This prompted him to pursue a second career in photography, alongside his IT consultancy work.

Dartmoor has always been his passion and today his respect and admiration of the landscape has led to a particular focus on how the ponies are being used in conservation. The images he captures are astonishing and have led to a huge world-wide following on Social Media.
Malcolm said: “I am fascinated by the ponies and how they live in their natural environment and using social media, I’ve been able to engage with people and capture their interest too.

“The DPHT is carrying out fantastic work at Bellever where they lease 450 hectares of land from Forestry England, here they use ponies for conservation grazing and it’s been fascinating recording the very positive impact they are having in developing biodiversity.

As an Ambassador, I offered my images to DPHT to encourage people to understand both how integral they are to the environment, and why it is critical that we protect and manage our landscapes for posterity while encouraging people to come and enjoy Dartmoor safely and with respect for nature.

I’m so honoured to have been appointed chairman as it means we can use my business acumen to drive this fantastic charity forward in its core aims.

My main energies will be directed in producing a strategic plan with board members and executive team, supporting our pony keepers and driving forward our conservation and educational aims.”

Malcolm first became involved with the DPHT in 2016 when he supported the charity’s Fresh Tracks programme enabling 18 young people with a range of life challenges to walk across some 15 miles of Dartmoor as part of the Ten Tors challenge accompanied by ponies.

He recorded their personal journeys, starting at the DPHT Centre at Parke, Bovey Tracey, where they were taught map reading, first aid, pony skills, how to put up and take down a tent, and prepare their own gear and pack their bags.

Each young person was presented with a book of their own images as a record of their momentous achievements in completing the challenge.

Malcolm said: “The DPHT is a wonderful charity, not only in the work it is doing to help ensure a future for Dartmoor ponies through promoting their roles in conservation, but also because it has successfully found a way to promote the versatility and temperament of the Dartmoor pony to benefit so many people through its equine assisted learning programmes.

“I’m very excited to be working with the charity, particularly as it continues to develop its activities inspiring and connecting people to Dartmoor’s wildlife, landscape and heritage.”