1. TITLE The name of the Society shall be “THE NEW FOREST PONY BREEDING AND CATTLE SOCIETY” (Registered Charity No. 1064746)
2. OBJECTS The objects for which the Society is established are:
(a) To encourage the preservation and breeding of the best type of New Forest ponies.
(b) To undertake to record New Forest ponies, and enter them in the New Forest Pony Stud Book.
(c) To hold two Annual Shows, one for entered New Forest stallions, and one for the encouragement and improvement of the breed of entered New Forest Ponies. The dates to be determined by the Council.
3. MEMBERSHIP The membership of the Society shall be open to all, subject to a written application, the approval of the Council on payment of the appropriate fee and minimum annual subscription. The Council shall have the power to suspend or terminate the membership of any Member who is deemed to have acted in any way that is contrary to the objects of, or may prejudice the interests of the Society. A Member whose membership has been suspended or terminated by the Council shall not be entitled to the refund of any subscription unless the Council in its discretion decided otherwise. Any Member whose membership has been suspended or terminated by the Council shall have the right to appeal against the decision at the next Annual General Meeting provided that the notice of such appeal is given in writing to the Honorary Secretary not less than 28 days before the date of the Meeting. The decision of the Meeting shall be final.
4. HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS Honorary Life Membership may be awarded to a Member for valuable service to the Society. The election of an Honorary Member shall take place at the Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of the Council published with the Notice convening the Meeting and only by a unanimous vote.
5. SUBSCRIPTIONS The rates of subscription for members shall be determined at an Annual or Special General Meeting. The appropriate entry fee and subscription shall be due on joining the Society; thereafter the annual subscription is due on the 1st January each year. Any member who has not paid the membership subscription for the current year or arrears before the 31st July shall cease to be a member, or until such arrears together with the appropriate entry have been paid. Subscriptions paid after 31st March shall be subject to a surcharge.
6. OFFICERS The Officers of the Society shall consist of a President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Solicitor and Honorary Veterinary Surgeon(s) who shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting.
7. THE COUNCIL The affairs of the Society shall be managed by the Council which shall consist of
7.1 (a) from the annual general meeting in 2009 to the annual general meeting in 2010 30 members;
(b) from the annual general meeting in 2010 to the annual general meeting in 2011 24 members; and
(c) from the annual general meeting in 2011 18 members; Society Rules 2009 page 2
in each case elected by ballot at the Annual General Meeting by way of the procedure set out in 7.3 (nominations will close at a date to be decided at the discretion of the Council).
7.2 The officers of the Society ex 0fficio (namely the President, Secretary, Treasurer and honorary Veterinary Surgeons).
7.3 (a) At the annual general meeting in 2009 12 of the elected trustees shall be subject to retirement by rotation;
(b) at the annual general meeting in 2010 10 of the elected trustees shall be subject to retirement by rotation;
(c) at the annual general meeting in 2011 8 of the elected trustees shall be subject to retirement by rotation; and
at every subsequent annual general meeting after 2011 one-third of the elected trustees are subject to retirement by rotation or, if their number is not three or a multiple of three, the number nearest to one-third shall retire from office; but if there is only one trustee who is subject to retirement by rotation, he shall retire.
7.4 The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council, who will be Officers of the Society, shall be elected annually, and from the elected members at the first Council Meeting following the Annual General Meeting.
7.5 The full time Agisters as employed by the Verderers.
7.6 Not more than two co-opted Members who shall serve until the next Annual General Meeting.
7.7 Accountants will be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
7.8 Should any of the Members elected to the Council fail throughout a period of 12 months, running from January to December, to attend two of the four Council meetings, Members of the Council shall have the power to declare their seat vacant and co-opt another Member to fill the vacancy thus created for the remainder of the term. Members will be expected to attend as many General Purposes Meetings as possible with the exception of the two away co-opted Members.
8. SUB-COMMITTEES The Council shall have the power to appoint the Sub Committees to deal with such business of the Society as may be delegated to them.
9. QUORUM A quorum of the Council shall not be less than seven and a Sub Committee not less than three. At least one Officer of the Society to be included in each case.
10. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Annual General Meeting shall be held as soon as possible after the 1st of January in each year, at which the President and Officers for the ensuing year will be elected, and the result of the ballot for the Council will be announced. The notice convening the Annual General Meeting shall be sent to all Members not less than 14 days before the date of the Meeting, at which the Annual Report and the Accounts for the past year will be presented. Items will be placed on the Agenda for the Annual General Meeting if requested by at least 10 Members and received in writing at least 28 days before the Annual General Meeting.
11. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING A General Meeting may be summoned by the Council at any time, or shall be summoned by the Honorary Secretary on a requisition in writing from any 10 Members of the Society and must state the reason for which the Meeting is to be convened. The Meeting must be held within 28 days of the receipt of the requisition and Members must be given at least 14 days notice of an Ordinary or Special General Meeting.
12. DEFINITION OF A NEW FOREST PONY A New Forest Pony is one which is entered as such in the New Forest Pony Stud Book.
13. ENTRY INTO THE STUD BOOK The Council shall examine and when thought fit approve the applications for entry of eligible ponies into the Stud Book as New Forest ponies. Applications for entry to be received by 31 December of the year of its birth. On payment of the appropriate fee, as prescribed from time to time by the Council, the owner of a pony approved as eligible for entry into the Stud Book shall have such pony entered in the Society’s Stud Book. The Council shall have the right to cancel the entry into the Stud Book of any pony Society Rules 2009 page 3
entered in the Society’s Stud Book if it is satisfied that after entry or transfer the entry was authorised as a result of a mis-statement by the owner or any person acting on the owner’s behalf, or fails to comply with the conditions of entry into the Stud Book. Where there is any doubt over the parentage of an animal as stated in the registration document issued by this society, the Society may insist that the animal be blood/DNA typed at the owners expense to confirm parentage. The name of a pony in the Stud Book shall not be changed after entry into the Stud Book. An entry into the Stud Book Certificate is only valid if it is in the correct owner’s name. (For further details on Entry into Stud Book see conditions 1.)
14. WITHDRAWAL FROM APPROVED SECTION OF THE STUD BOOK Any animal that is believed to be over height must provide a JMB certificate showing that it does not exceed the maximum height allowed for the breed or it will be withdrawn from the Approved Section of the Stud Book and moved to the Unapproved Section of the Stud Book (the X-Register). Any animal found to have excessive white markings beyond those permitted by the Society at the time of submission of its application for Entry into the Stud Book will be withdrawn from the Approved Section of the Stud Book and moved to the Unapproved Section of the Stud Book (the X-Register).
15. EXPORT Any animals born in this country and not entered into the Stud Book before leaving this country will not be accepted into the Stud Book. In the case of foals under 8 weeks of age being exported with their dams, the Council may consider an emergency entry into the Stud Book for a special fee as set by the Council. Inspection may be required at the owner’s expense.
16. ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION The maximum number of inseminations per stallion each year is limited to 30. Collection and insemination must be done by an operator approved by the Society. Frozen semen may be used after a stallion has died, provided the Society has a record of the DNA type of the deceased stallion. The sire, dam, and foal may be DNA typed before Entry into the Stud Book.
17. PREFIXES The Society shall compile and maintain a register of prefixes to be used in conjunction with the names of ponies included in the Stud Book. Any Member may register a prefix consisting of one distinctive word subject to the approval of the Council and the British Central Prefix Register. A prefix shall be included with the name of the pony only when the pony has been bred by the holder of the prefix. In the event of an owner ceasing to use a prefix the Council may consider allowing the prefix to be transferred on receipt of the written permission of the owner, their family or executors.
18. FOREST FED PONIES Each entry will be considered by the Council whose decision will be final.
19. YOUNG COMMONERS People aged under 35 known to be depasturing ponies for which marking fees are paid and which are registered in their own name. A declaration form to be signed and lodged in the Society office.
20. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES/NON-DISCRIMINATION The Society operates on the basis of equal opportunities and non-discrimination on behalf of employees, members and customers. None of these receives more or less favourable treatment on the grounds of: race, colour, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or religion.
21. RULES No alteration or addition to the Rules of the Society can be made except by a majority vote at an Annual or Special Meeting. 28 days notice of such proposed alterations or addition(s) must be given to the Honorary Secretary who will give notice on the Agenda of the General Meeting. Provided that no alteration to Clauses 2 (Objects), 25 (Dissolution), or this Clause shall take effect until the approval in writing of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having charitable jurisdiction shall have been obtained; and no alteration shall be made which would, have the effect of causing the Society to cease to be a Charity at Law. Society Rules 2009 page 4
22. ACCOUNTS The Accounts shall be audited annually.
23. ANNUAL REPORT The Annual Report and Statement of Accounts for the previous year shall be sent to all members.
24. INTERPRETATION Any question as to the interpretation or application of the rules of the Society shall be determined by the Council whose decision shall be final and binding on all Members.
25. DISSOLUTION The Society may be dissolved by a resolution passed by a two thirds majority of those present and voting at a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose, of which 21 days notice shall have been given to the Members. Such resolution may give instructions for the disposal of any assets held by or in the name of the Society, provided that if any property remains after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities such property shall not be paid to or distributed among the Members of the Society but shall be given or transferred to such other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to some or all of the objects of the Society as the Society may with the approval of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having charitable jurisdiction determine. Society Rules 2009 page 5
CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION: THE NEW FOREST PONY (2009)
1. The requirements for entry into the Approved Section of the Stud Book are as follows.
A pony is eligible for entry if its sire and dam are entered in the Stud Book, and provided that in all cases the pony is neither piebald, skewbald, spotted (appaloosa), or blue eyed cream. White markings other than on the head and lower limbs: loss of, or absence of, pigment in hair or skin that is not known to have been associated solely with skin trauma is not acceptable. So, for the purposes of entry into the approved section of the Stud Book a pony shall not have any white markings behind the head, above a horizontal line level with the bony protuberance of the accessory carpal bone at the back of the knee in the forelimb, and the point of the hock in the hind limb, unless proven to be due to trauma/injury. The pony must not exceed the maximum height for the breed (148cms). All ponies must be open to inspection and DNA typing, and photographs may be required showing front, back and both sides of pony. All applications for entry to be lodged with the Honorary Secretary at the end of the month preceding the GP meeting, dates given in the Annual Report.
2. No foal can be entered into the Approved Section of the Stud Book unless the sire has been entered and licensed. This licensing will normally be done at two years and again at five years old, except in exceptional circumstances when the decision of the Council shall be final. All stallions must be DNA-typed at their first inspection. Stud stallion owners must make a return of all mares served. No foal may be entered into the Stud Book until this return or a covering certificate is received, excluding forest run foals.
3. Foals born after 30 November 2003 shall be registered with a passport before 31 December of the year of its birth.
4. The Unapproved Section of the Stud Book (the X-Register) is open to ponies whose sire and dam are registered in the stud book but who do not fit the criteria for the approved section and have been notified to the Society within the correct timescale. Examples of ponies would be those with too much white, those that grow too big, or stock by unlicensed stallions. Such ponies are not eligible to be shown in registered New Forest or registered Mountain & Moorland classes.
5. DEFINITION OF FOREST BRED STATUS. A lawfully depastured pony that is known to the Council and agisters as being both sired and foaled on the open forest , and which remained on the open Forest until 1 August in the year of birth (except in extenuating circumstances).
6. FURZEY LODGE GOLDEN WONDER. The Council was satisfied that the pony standing at stud in Holland as Furzey Lodge Golden Wonder was not the pony entered into the Stud Book under that name by our Society. We therefore refused to enter his descendants but as a compromise agreed to accept ponies that have not got more than 6.25% of Golden Wonder blood.
