Academic using 'pony power' to combat wildfires

A researcher at Coventry University who is leading a project focusing on using native ponies to prevent wildfires, found herself battling a blaze on her farm in Wales.

Dr Donna Oldbury-Thomas, said the incident on Friday made her "furious" because her friends and firefighters, who helped to tackle the blaze, were risking their lives and "the threat of Parkinson's and dementia in the future."

Oldbury-Thomas is involved in the Power Ponies project examining how ponies can be used to create natural firebreaks and prevent fires spreading, such as by dragging sustainable equipment to break bracken.

Wildfires led to a government phone alert warning people not to light anything which could spark one.

Firefighters in the West Midlands tackled multiple blazes on Thursday, the hottest day of the year, including one in Stourbridge where 19 homes in five streets were fully destroyed.

Oldbury-Thomas said: "Somebody somewhere will die in these fires, and we are doing our very best to put in short and long-term solutions so that does not happen".

The Power Ponies project in Wales, supported and funded by Coventry University, involves training native ponies, so they can drag sustainable equipment which breaks bracken in a certain way to create a firebreak.

Oldbury-Thomas said this will stop the spread of fires and gives the fire service the option to leave a fire up until the break, so they can stay safe, as well as the option to run other animals down it to safety.

"The only way to resolve this landscape nation scale issue is with our animals and this is what Pony Power at Coventry University are working on," she added.

Oldbury-Thomas explained that bracken is poisonous and when it is on fire it emits dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

She said it is worrying that people are exposed to such high levels of the poisonous gas.

"My concern is the risk in 20 years time, if we are breathing in these levels of carbon monoxide - it causes degradation to brain cells increasing risks of Parkinson's and dementia," she said.

Oldbury-Thomas said it is a "serious" issue and using native ponies to break down the bracken will help stop the spread of fires and reduce future health risks.

She added that native ponies also know where stones and deep holes in the ground are, and when trialling the research ponies were pushing handlers to safety.

Pony Power Project was named Coventry University's Most Impactful Project of 2025 and Oldbury-Thomas praised the institution for its "absolutely incredible" support.

The fires across the West Midlands region last week comes off the back of a record July for fire crews in England and Wales, who responded to 393 wildfires – making it the busiest month on record.

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