Image source, thebestofexmoor.co.uk Image caption,

The Exmoor Pony is a hardy breed, which has been on the moor since ancient times

By Rachel Candlin and Janine Jansen

BBC News

A society established to protect the future of Exmoor ponies has set up a gene bank to help the ancient breed survive.

Mentioned in the Doomsday Book they are now considered an endangered breed.

The Exmoor Pony Society is creating a gene bank to secure the future of the Exmoor ponies and up to 25 stallions are donating semen to the project.

Scientists will select different stallions to ensure a cross-section of genetic material is preserved.

Elsinore Alan Partridge, a 15-year-old registered Exmoor pony, was the first to donate at the equine fertility clinic in Suffolk.

His owner, Madeline Haynes, said she was very proud.

Image source, Madeline Haynes Image caption,

Alan Partridge is a 15-year-old Exmoor pony that has won prizes at many shows