Exmoor Horn Sheep

Exmoor Horn Sheep

The wealth of Exmoor lay in its sheep and wool. South Molton was a cloth making and market town, which depended on the moors to provide the raw materials for its trades. The seal and arms of the old borough of South Molton included a fleece. Until the 19th century the markets were held in Broad Street. The market hall was built in 1863 and when the railway opened sheep and cattle markets were held in a field by the station. Fat lambs were bought at Simonsbath by butchers and dealers or driven to South Molton between August and November for slaughter and carriage to London hung in special meat vans. Exmoor hill lamb was said to be of superior flavour. It was from South Molton station that the famous rabbit trains set out to supply London poulterers.

The Exmoor Horn sheep of today are direct descendants of the horned sheep that roamed Exmoor for centuries. The Exmoor Horn can be found in the uplands areas of South West England. They have a white face with close forelock and black nostrils. They have white wolled legs and both the male and female have horns. They have a good fleece of medium length wool that has a unique and invaluable felting property. Used for hosiery, knitting yarns, tweeds and felts. The Exmoor Horn ewes are excellent mothers and very good milkers, producing a quality upland lamb. The draft ewes, when taken to better ground produce a higher lambing percentage.

Exmoor Horn Sheep

The Exmoor Horn is classified as a true hill breed and is correctly described as a dual-purpose upland sheep. It is a very hardy breed, thriving on grass. The ewes are valued for their ability to produce finished lambs of the highest quality and are also excellent mothers and good milkers. Although a hill breed, the Exmoor Horn is a docile sheep, easy to handle and contain. The Exmoor Horn produces a grass-finished lamb both pure and crossbred. The meat is of the highest eating quality having excellent flavour and texture. The lambs can be finished on upland pasture and will also respond very well when bought down to lowland grassland.

The Exmoor Horn has always been prized for its mutton, which is considered to eat extremely well. The renaissance in the market for mutton signals a very positive step for the breed. Unusually for a hill breed, the Exmoor Horn produces a very fine quality fleece which is of excellent pure colour, good staple length and of very good quality with a micron count of 36.7 The resulting half-bred when the Exmoor Horn ewe is crossed with a Blue Faced Leicester ram is considered to be one of the best mules produced in Britain. The Exmoor Horn ram is also an excellent terminal sire on a wide variety of crosses, passing on its attributes of docility and the ability to produce finished lamb from low input grass based systems. Exmoors can be fairly descrived as dual purpose sheep. Being an excellent grass sheep, they are very hardy and cheaply maintained, and are therefore an ideal breed to keep pure on the highest moors. They are quite rightly classified as a hill breed. They are among the most prolific of all hill breeds, being excellent mothers and very good milkers, producing a quality upland lamb.

Sheepdog trial

The Exmoor Horn sheep of today are direct descendants of the horned sheep that roamed Exmoor for centuries. Exmoors can be fairly descrived as dual purpose sheep. Being an excellent grass sheep, they are very hardy and cheaply maintained, and are therefore an ideal breed to keep pure on the highest moors. They are quite rightly classified as a hill breed.

The Exmoor Horn is an excellent crossing ewe. A large percentage of the flock are crossed to breed a halfbred ewe that is much in demand by lowland sheep producers looking for a prolific ewe capable of providing prime lamb for the modern market. The majority of these halfbred ewes are Exmoor Mules, sired by the Blue Faced Leicester. This cross is considered to be one of the finest The Border Leicester has also been used on the Exmoor Horn for many years with great success. Draft ewes, purebred and crossbred lambs, are sold at various Exmoor markets throughout the Autumn. The Exmoor Horn is a white faced, horned breed of sheep. It was developed on Exmoor, but is a descendant of sheep that had roamed on the moors for several hundred years.

Research by the Exmoor National Park has found that numbers have gradually declined: it estimates that in 1947 over 27% of sheep in the Somerset part of Exmoor were pure bred Exmoor Horns. As the number of sheep in the region has increased, so the percentage has dropped, and today breeding Exmoor Horn ewes represent only about 10% of the total on Exmoor. The National Park reports that there are about 19,000 registered breeding ewes today, of which around 15,000 are on Exmoor. Small numbers are also found on neighbouring Dartmoor. Exmoors are a hardy breed, so well suited to the high moors. They are ‘dual purpose’ - bred not just for their wool, but also for the fact that they are prolific sheep and good mothers, producing quality lamb.

Exmoor _Horn_Sheep

Exmoor Horn Sheep

Exmoors can be fairly descrived as dual purpose sheep. Being an excellent grass sheep, they are very hardy and cheaply maintained, and are therefore an ideal breed to keep pure on the highest moors. They are quite rightly classified as a hill breed. They are among the most prolific of all hill breeds, being excellent mothers and very good milkers, producing a quality upland lamb.

Sheepdog trial

The Border Leicester has also been used on the Exmoor Horn for many years with great success. Draft ewes, purebred and crossbred lambs, are sold at various Exmoor markets throughout the Autumn.

For further details of the breed, and for the sales and dates, please contact the Secretary:

Mrs Yvonne Webber
Exmoor Horn Sheep Breeders' Society
Holtom & Thomas
The Elms Office
Bishops Tawton
Barnstaple
Devon EX32 OEJ
Tel: 01271 326900 / Fax: 01271 326692

The Exmoor Horn is a white faced, horned breed of sheep. It was developed on Exmoor, but is a descendant of sheep that had roamed on the moors for several hundred years.

Exmoor _Horn_Sheep

Exmoor Horn Sheep

In late October/November rams are put in to mate with the ewes so that they will lamb round about April when the worst of the winter weather will be over. Mating is called ‘tupping’. There is one ram to 40 or 50 ewes and each ram has a coloured patch or raddle on its chest to mark the ewes when they mate. The colour of the raddle is changed each week so that the farmer will know which ewes will lamb in each week. Traditionally ewes and rams are kept out through the winter and are generally fed hay and silage from mid January depending on the weather and the amount of grazing available. Some farmers now keep their sheep in huge sheds during the winter instead of putting them out. In the six weeks up to lambing the ewes will be fed special concentrated food which will be increased over the period up to lambing. Some traditional farmers still lamb their ewes outside although lambs can be lost from exposure and predators like foxes. Where buildings are available ewes are brought inside shortly before lambing and once they have lambed the ewe and lamb are put into individual mothering pens for up to 24 hours, to ensure bonding. They are then put into larger pens with other ewes and lambs before being turned out into the fields of fast growing spring grass. Lambing and the weeks following are the shepherd’s busiest time. Once in the fields the ewes and lambs have to be checked several times a day to pick out any sickly or delicate lambs and make sure no lambs have been separated from their mothers. Some farmers provide their lambs with little jackets (lamb macs) to help keep them warm and dry. About 65% of the ewes will have a single lamb, the rest of the flock will have twins and occasionally triplets. Each lamb is marked at birth, generally by a coloured number, so that it can be identified with its mother who is also marked.

On the spring grass the ewes naturally produce plenty of milk and the lambs grow very quickly. The ewes and lambs are moved around the farm onto clean grass every three weeks. This breaks up the life cycle of the parasitic worm which is one of the worst killers of young lambs. After six weeks lambs are wormed regularly to make sure that their growth is not checked by this parasite. They are also given a 7 in 1 injection to protect them against various diseases.

Ewes are ‘dagged’ to remove all the mucky wool around their bottoms in the spring! Shearing (removing the sheep’s heavy wool coat or fleece) takes place in early June. This is followed by ‘dipping’ the sheep in a special solution to prevent flies from laying eggs on the fleece and the sheep being eaten alive by maggots. (Dipping is no longer compulsory but most farmers think it’s essential).

Silage (pickled grass!), for feeding beef cattle, and hay are made during June and July. The precise timing depends on the weather. After this the lambs will be weaned from their mothers. By the end of August the first of the lambs will be ‘fat’; they will weigh 18-20 kilos (dead weight) and be ready for the butcher. Many will be sold direct to the wholesaler. Fat lambs will continue to be sold throughout the Autumn with the lighter lambs being kept as ‘stores’. These will be fattened over thewinter to be sold after Christmas and in the spring. Once the lambs are weaned the ewes are left out to graze in fields or on the open moor until tupping begins again in late autumn. 2005 saw sees the Exmoor Horn Breeder's Society celebrating its 100th year. Today's Exmoor Horn sheep are direct descendants of the horned sheep that have roamed the hills and moors of Exmoor for centuries. Like the wild Exmoor Pony, Exmoor Horn sheep are an integral part of the landscape and history of Exmoor.

The Exmoor Horn is a hardy upland dual-purpose breed that was as much prized for the excellent quality of its wool as for the succulent and flayoursome eating quality of its meat. Numbers, however, gradually declined as more intensive farming practices were introduced in the post war years. Research by the Exmoor National Park Authority shows that in 1947 over 27% of sheep in the Somerset part of Exmoor were pure bred Exmoor Horns. This had dropped to arouridT 10% in 2005 as the overall number of sheep in the area has increased. There are some 19,000 registered Exmoor Horn breeding ewes today, of which around 15,000 live on Exmoor. Changes in European support funding for areas such as Exmoor may well result in reduced number of farmed livestock being kept. Consumers are also much more aware and concerned about the origin and production methods used in the food they eat The hardy Exmoor Horn is ideally suited to low input upland farming systems and sheep kept in this way, in the natural Exmoor environment, also produce meat products that are both healthy and wholesome. Though a traditional upland breed, when crossed with the Blue Faced Leicester, the resultant "Exmoor Mule" is considered to be one of the finest half-bred ewes in the country. The Exmoor Mule is a highly prolific ewe, producing fast growing good conformation lambs, whilst retaining many of the strong maternal and hardiness characteristics of its pure bred counterpart The Exmoor Horn Breeder's Society aim to use its much appreciated grant funding to promote the breed to the widest possible audience to ensure the long-term future of this important element of Exmoor heritage.

For more information contact Secretary Alison Bulled Tel:01271 882860, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Though ancient in origin, the Exmoor Horn, which has existed since time immemorial in the west of England, is well adapted to modern requirements. The Exmoor can be described as a dual purpose breed to keep pure on the higher moorland; in fact, they are classified as a hill breed. The Exmoor Horn is an excellent crossing ewe. The Bluefaced Leicester cross produces the Exmoor Mule which is docile and prolific in lowland areas. The Exmoor is white faced, with horns, cherry colored skin, and a white fleece of medium length and good quality. Breed categories: hill, dual purpose

Exmoor Horn Ram

General information:
International breed name: Exmoor Horn
Local breed name: Exmoor Horn
Breed status: acknowleged
Group of similar breeds: Main group Mountain group; Subgroup British Hill group
Main location: Exmoor and Dartmoor
Breed society: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, R. 421 (West Block), Whitehall Place (West), London SW1A 2HH, United Kingdom, Fax: +44-171-2708713, Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The descendants of the Exmoor Horn have been on Exmoor since time immemorial. In his report on the Agriculture of Devon in 1808, Charles Vancouver wrote: "The Common Exmoor Sheep are the breed most generally preferred in the open and more exposed parts of Exmoor. This preference arises from their extra-ordinary hardiness, and the activity with which they continue working in search of food. The wethers of this breed at two and a half or three years old are fattened to their frame, and make delicious mutton."

He continues to remark on the quality of the wool: "A horned animal, with moderately long staple of wool, before the cloth fled from this country into Yorkshire, was much used by the clothiers of North Molton and South Molton, Dunster, and Wivesliscombe."

The qualities of the Exmoor Horn valued in 1808 are just as relevant now at the beginning of the 21st Century.Indeed, the significant changes to British farming policy, bought about in equal part by the mid-term review of the CAP and the outbreak of Foot & Mouth in 2001, have made those timeless qualities of the Exmoor Horn Sheep more relevant and important than at anytime in the past 50 years.

The breed has always been prized for the quality of its wool, being one of the very few hill breeds to produce a fleece of such fine quality. Whilst the global market for wool has seen a decline in prices over several decades, marketing initiatives for regional wool products are becoming more influential as farmers seek to market added value products direct. In this marketplace, the Exmoor Horn is well placed to see the quality of its fleece once again becoming a valuable asset to keepers of the breed.

Exmoor Horn Sheep

The Exmoor Horn Sheep Breeders' Society, formed in 1906, celebrates its Centenary year in 2006. In the 1908 Flock Book, the Report for the Year states:
"The Exmoor Horn Sheep Breeders' Society has now been in existence two years. During this period 25,000 pure Exmoor Horn Sheep have been inspected and branded with the Society's trade mark (an anchor). There are now 132 members. In addition most of the gentlemen of the Exmoor Districts . . . have joined the Society as vice-Presidents.
On August 20lh, 1907, the first Registered Sale and Show was held at Winsford, Somerset, when 1,200 ewes were sold by auction, at an average price per head of 42 Shillings."
The last Flock Book of 2005 shows returns for 82 flocks and there are approximately 19,000 registered ewes. Membership is again growing with several new members establishing pedigree flocks.

Like the Exmoor Pony, the Exmoor Horn helped to create and maintain the Exmoor landscape we all know and love.
Its ability to produce premium quality finished lamb from the grass of Exmoor has always been an attribute valued by farmers. However, the influence of the Exmoor Horn on its native landscape goes much further than its role in livestock farming.

Exmoor Horn Sheep

Its ability to graze Exmoor is an important factor in maintaining the open moorland whilst maintaining indigenous heathers. The Exmoor Horn fits well into any setting where the conservation value of the land is a priority. They are ideal grazers of marginal and wildlife-rich grassland. As such they have an important role to play in a changing agricultural environment, which is now placing an increasing emphasis on conservation management of farmland.
They are indeed a "dual purpose" sheep, providing an effective management solution for conservation grassland, whilst at the same time delivering profitable returns from lamb.

Exmoor seems always to have been associated with sheep; there is even some evidence that Bronze Age people had a small horned variety. By the Norman Conquest, many of these areas had become royal hunting grounds providing sport and meat for the king's table. The Royal Forest of Exmoor was too remote for much royal hunting but, with the elimination of wolves, was perfect for summer grazing for sheep. They would thrive on the herbs, heathers and moorland grasses and this freed up the lower pasturelands for cattle.

From Saxon times a Forester or Warden held the Forest from the king and it was his responsibility to see that it was properly managed. Under-foresters probably bought their appointment from him and had to make their living from charges imposed on local people for breaking the Forest laws. From 1184 these laws protected the Forest vert and venison and laid many restrictions on the people living near the Forest boundaries. By the thirteenth century other officials included two verderers to keep law and order, twelve regarders to report occasionally to the king on the state of the Forest and woodwards who did the work on the ground.

While certain local farmers - the free suitors - had the right to graze their animals for free, all other people had to pay for grazing rights and so it was important to count the animals on and off the moor. Tellers had the job of counting stock from their telling houses and collecting the pasturage fees. The remains of one of those telling houses could once be seen on the way up to Pinkery Pond or so I have been told. With the booming wool trade in the later Middle Ages the number of sheep in the area expanded exponentially and, for example, in one year in the 1700s over 37,000 animals were counted off the moor. They were brought in via old drovers' roads particularly from North Devon and several public houses of very doubtful repute sprang up along these routes, The Acland Arms at Moles Chamber being one. These out-of-the-way places proved very useful for smugglers too.

Sheep continued to graze in the traditional way on the Forest until in 1818 a wealthy industrialist, John Knight, bought most of the old Royal Forest from the Crown and other landowners for over £100,000. Then started the seventy-year hard slog by John and his heir to tame the moor and make it profitable. John Knight never quite achieved either, but he built roads, planted miles of beech hedges and broke up acres of the acid moorland ground in order to grow grass and root vegetables for animal feed. He also built farmhouses and cottages and even set up a mining enterprise which eventually came to nothing. He did get sheep farming started rather hesitantly, mostly with

the old Exmoor Horn, hoping it would be hardy enough to survive on the moors year round but it couldn't withoul him providing too much winter feed from off the moor to make it pay. Forty years later, his son Frederic had anothe go. He had learnt that the Cheviot sheep from the North of England and Scotland were extremely hardy and, whilst on a trip north to purchase some breeding stock, managec to persuade several shepherds to move permanently to Exmoor with their flocks. By 1871, 5000 Cheviot and Scottish Blackface sheep with their shepherds and families had settled on the moor. The skills and experience of thes shepherds put Exmoor sheep farming onto a sounder footing, though even they found some winter feed necessary. Today many descendants of both the shepherd and their animals still live on or near Exmoor.

Since the Knights' time, hill farms have mostly passed into private ownership and many more breeds and cross breed: have been introduced, at least a dozen in total now, each farm choosing the ones best suited to their particular situation. I read recently that Jacob sheep first came here at the time of the Armada but this is surely apocryphal. I've also learnt that there is a small flock of salt marsh lamt near Barnstaple on the Taw Estuary and that is true and thi meat tastes good as well!

The Exmoor Mule is derived from using a Blue Faced Leicester Ram on an Exmoor Horn ewe. The resultant crossbred ewe is considered by many as one of the finest mules available.

Exmoor Mule Sheep

The Exmoor Mule retains many of the qualities of the Exmoor Horn; it has a quiet temperament and is easy to contain and handle, whilst exhibiting the improved hybrid vigour performance of the crossbred animal. The lambs achieve good weight gains from grass and finish easily at around 18-22 kgs deadweight. The influence of the Blue Faced Leister produces a good sized, long animal of good confirmation and excellent fat to weight ratio.

Exmoor Mule Sheep

Key Points of the Exmoor Mule
Prolific - Lambing percentage of 160-200%
Longevity - Hardwearing ewe that holds its teeth. It will thrive from sea level to 1,500ft
Maternal Ability - Excellent mother. Very milky ewe which give lambs an excellent start
Premium Quality Lamb - Produces lambs of approx 18-22g deadweight 2-3L fatness and U / R+ conformation
Hard Feet - Sound feet and legs giving very little foot trouble
Low Flock Depreciation - Long lived and cheaply maintained with lower replacement costs relative to other comparable crossbreds. The Exmoor Horn makes a big contribution to overall flock profitability

Exmoor has three native breeds of livestock; Devon Closewool sheep, Exmoor Horn sheep and Devon cattle. Sheep have grazed the moors for thousands of years. There have been several local breeds in the past and often they would be simply divided into 'horns' or 'notts' — sheep without horns. The Exmoor Horn is the oldest surviving local variety.

Exmoor Horn Sheep

Traditionally such sheep were pastured on moorland in the summer. Ewes and lambs were brought down in the autumn but wethers were left until winter set in or left out all year for three or four winters until they were fat. Their meat was actually lean, close-grained, full of flavour and nationally prized, ending up in some of the top restaurants in London. Now lambs are either sold as stores or kept for breeding. Some of the hardier, introduced breeds and crossbreeds can be fattened on high ground but most native lambs are sold in autumn to lowland farmers for fattening. Exmoor Horns do not fatten well in lowland areas and are usually put to rams of heavier breeds such as Leicesters or Suffolks to produce heavier 'mule' lambs. Exmoor mules are considered amongst the most productive sheep around.

Hence, it is rare for anyone to eat pure-bred Exmoor Horn lamb, which is a pity, as it has many good characteristics. The breed is low maintenance, which means that it needs little feed other than the grassland and moorland vegetation of Exmoor, which affects the flavour of meat. To the consumer Exmoor Horn meat is a tasty and natural product. To the farmer, butcher and restaurateur practically the only disadvantage is in terms of economics: the carcass tends to be lighter and has a little more fat, so the resulting trimmed meat tends to be more expensive. The Exmoor Horn is a white faced, horned breed of sheep. It was developed in Exmoor, Devon, in the 19th century, but is a descendant of sheep that had roamed on the moors for several hundred years.

Exmoor Horn Sheep typical habitat on Exmoor

Exmoors are a hardy breed, so well suited to the high moors. They are ‘dual purpose’ - bred not just for their wool, but also for the fact that they are prolific sheep and good mothers, producing quality lamb.

www.exmoorhornbreeders.co.uk

For all of its beauty, Exmoor's climate requires hardy sheep that can withstand harsh winters, and thrive on sparse upland hill pasture. Over many generations the Exmoor Horn has adapted itself perfectly to this environment and is a very effective grazer for sensitive landscapes like Exmoor, whilst thriving and finishing fast when brought to lush lowland pastures. By grazing these distinctive upland pastures, the Exmoor Horn Sheep produces lamb of outstanding flavour and texture. The breed is also famous for its mutton, considered the finest mutton available by the London restaurant trade in the 1800s.

For the first time in its 100 year history the Exmoor Horn Sheep Breeders' Society are now able to market branded lamb directly to the consumer. The Exmoor Horn lamb brand was launched on 8th October 2008 at the Culbone Stables Inn, where the unique qualities of the Exmoor Horn meat were appreciated by all present. Full of flavour, and tender, the only debate among guests was as to whether they preferred the lamb or the mutton.

For further information on how you too can enjoy Exmoor Horn lamb in your own home, contact the Society Secretary, Mrs Gina Rawle, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Exmoor Horn is one of Britain's heritage sheep breeds. It is an ancient breed but still has an important role in today’s farming practices, particularly in its own area. It is classified as a dual purpose hill breed and displays typical hill breed qualities of toughness and ability to thrive on poor quality land. It fits well into conservation landscapes and indeed has helped shape the Exmoor landscape into what it is today.

It is endemic to the hills of Exmoor National Park which, for all its beauty, produces harsh winters and sparse grazing. Luckily the Exmoor Horn is well able to cope with tough conditions and will thrive on grass alone at levels up to 450 metres.

Although some heritage breeds lost favour for a while (and some became extinct), the value of these breeds is again being recognised. The Exmoor National Park Sustainable Development Fund is working at raising the profile of the breed and endeavouring to restrict the influx of non-native breeds. Mutton from the Exmoor Horn is a traditional specialty product and with awareness being raised by the Mutton Renaissance Club, Exmoor mutton is again being regarded as a delicacy. Lambs are traditionally fattened on grass without supplementary feeding. This produces cuts of excellent flavour and texture.

Description
The Exmoor is a horned breed with a white fleece and white face. Rams weigh around 73kg and the ewes 50kg. The skin is cherry-coloured. Both ewes and rams have large curling horns. The nostrils are black. The feet and legs are sound and strong. Like the Dalesbred, it has good tooth retention enabling it to keep its condition and maintain production longer. It is docile and quiet, easily managed and contained. The ewes are exceptional mothers supplying plenty of milk for their offspring.

Cross-breeding
The Exmoor Horn is regarded as a superior breed for crossing with other breeds. A very popular cross is with the Blue Faced Leicester. This cross produces the Exmoor mule which is in heavy demand by lowland farmers wishing to produce prime lamb.

Another common cross is with the Border Leicester. The result of this breeding is a good sized animal with the docile qualities of the Exmoor Horn.

Significant Events
1906    Exmoor Horn Sheep Breeders’ Society formed and Flock Book established
1907    First Registered Sale and Show held at Winsford, Somerset
1908    132 members recorded in Flock Book and 25,000 purebred Exmoor Horn sheep inspected
2006    Celebration of the Centenary of the Exmoor Horn Sheep Breeders’ Society
2007    80 flocks registered and 19,000 registered ewes

Fleece
The medium length fleece is white and of fine quality, light in grease. It is attractive wool with a count of 48 to 56, of good colour and sound staple. It has unique felting qualities and is also used to make hosiery yarn and fine tweeds. A ram’s fleece weighs from 5 to 6 kg and that from a ewe 3 to 3.5 kg.

The Exmoor Horn breed seems assured of a place in its native region. It is perfectly adapted to the local environment and plays a major role in maintaining the delicate balance of the moor.

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Exmoor Horn Sheep

Exmoor Horn Sheep