Eriskay ponies, among the world’s rarest native breeds, remain critically endangered, with only about 300 to 400 believed to be purebred. Their survival is closely tied to Eriskay’s small island community, whose residents own and care for the ponies as part of the place’s cultural heritage.

The ponies once helped with crofting and moving peat and seaweed, but mechanisation drove their numbers down to around 20 purebreds by the 1970s. A local pony society, founded in 1972, has supported recovery efforts. Residents say wetter, longer winters and rising tick numbers are creating new challenges, even as the ponies’ hardy coats help them cope with the island’s changeable weather.