Agisters

Agisters are employees of the Verderers of the New Forest

What is an Agister?

The Agisters are employees of the Verderers of the New Forest. They are often commoners in their own right, and as such depasture stock themselves, thus giving them an intimate knowledge of the area and the workings of the Forest. The word agist means to take in to graze for payment, and this explains part of their role. The post of Agister is medieval in origin, when they were also known as ‘marksmen’. As officers of the Crown they were required to collect grazing fees from ‘strangers’, those who wished to depasture animals but had no right to do so. New Forest commoners with rights of pasture did not have to pay a fee at that time.

To be an Agister a person must be adept at handling all types of livestock, an excellent rider, and able to work, very often on their own, in the rough and tough conditions found out on the Forest. The hours are long, and they can be called out at any time and in any weather to deal with an emergency. They also have the general public to deal with, and are required to be good ambassadors for the Forest in general, and commoning in particular.

What do they do?

Their work is to assist in the management of commoners’ stock on the Forest, and carry out instructions given to them by the Court of Verderers. Much of their time is spent out on the Forest, often on horseback, observing the conditions of both land and stock. They are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to any problem involving the stock on the Forest.

In the spring, they collect the ‘marking fee’, which is the payment a commoner has to make for each animal he wishes to turn out onto the Forest. This helps to offset the cost of their employment. They are also required to report to the Verderers any breaches of the Verderers’ byelaws, which could include such things as unbranded or unpaid for animals.

How do they do it?

In the late summer and early autumn the Agisters organise the ‘drifts’ or round-ups of the Forest ponies At the time the ponies are ‘tail marked’, a certain cut of the hair of the tail of the pony is put in to show the pony has been paid. Each Agister has his own mark, and to signify on which Agisters’ area the owner of the pony lives.

The Agisters are called out to deal with all sorts of problems. Animals stuck in bogs, ditches, fences or cattle grids, straying into peoples gardens or onto fenced roads, ponies with colic after eating lawn mowings or other garden refuse, or cows choking on discarded plastic bags. Sadly one of the more common call-outs is to road accidents.

It is often the Agister’s unpleasant but necessary duty to put the animal out of it’s suffering, and then inform the owner of their loss.

More about Agisters

Commoning

Commoning in the New Forest refers to the traditional practice where local people, known as “commoners,” have the legal right to use the land for specific purposes, such as grazing their livestock or collecting resources. This centuries-old system is central to the cultural and ecological fabric of the New Forest.

The Verderers

The Verderers of the New Forest are an ancient and unique governing body responsible for protecting and managing the traditional rights, landscape, and ecology of the New Forest in southern England. They play a central role in overseeing commoning practices

Agisters

An Agister in the New Forest is an official responsible for managing the welfare of livestock grazing on the open forest. They play a key role in supporting the traditional practice of commoning and ensuring the well-being of the animals that roam freely within the forest boundaries.

Latest News

The Verderers publish regular announcements that include, protecting communing rights, managing livestock, conservation and environmental issues, resolving disputes, education and monitoring developments with the New Forest.

Report an Incident

Report Road Traffic incident involving Forest stock call 999. For sick, injured or dead Forest stock call 02380 282052 (normal office hours) or 0300 067 4600 (outside office hrs).

Report an Incident