Research and analysis

UK native breeds at risk list (NBAR)

Updated 2 June 2025

1. Cattle

Number of breeding females (threshold 7,500).

Breeds of cattle at risk include:

  • Aberdeen Angus (Orig – see Note 1)
  • Belted Galloway
  • British Friesian (Orig – see Note 1)
  • British White
  • Chillingham
  • Dairy Shorthorn (including Orig – see Note 1)
  • Dexter
  • Galloway
  • Gloucester
  • Guernsey
  • Hereford (Orig – see Note 1)
  • Highland
  • Irish Moiled (see Note 2)
  • Lincoln Red (including Orig – see Note 1)
  • Longhorn
  • Northern Dairy Shorthorn (see Note 4)
  • Red Poll
  • Shetland
  • Sussex
  • Vaynol
  • Welsh Black
  • White Park
  • Whitebred Shorthorn

2. Equines

The number of breeding females (threshold 5,000).

Breeds of equines at risk include:

  • Cleveland Bay Horse
  • Clydesdale Horse
  • Dales Pony
  • Dartmoor Pony
  • Dartmoor Hill Pony
  • Eriskay Pony
  • Exmoor Pony
  • Fell Pony
  • Hackney
  • Highland Pony
  • New Forest Pony
  • Percheron Horse
  • Shire Horse
  • Suffolk Horse
  • Welsh Mountain (Section A semi-feral – see Note 5) Pony
  • Welsh Pony (Section B)
  • Welsh Pony of Cob Type (Section C)

3. Sheep

Number of breeding females (threshold 10,000).

Breeds of sheep at risk include:

  • Badger Face Welsh (Torddu)
  • Badger Face Welsh (Torwen)
  • Balwen
  • Black Welsh Mountain
  • Border Leicester
  • Boreray
  • Castlemilk Moorit
  • Clun Forest
  • Cotswold
  • Dalesbred
  • Derbyshire Gritstone
  • Devon and Cornwall Longwool
  • Devon Closewool
  • Dorset Down
  • Dorset Horn
  • Epynt Hardy Speckled
  • Exmoor Horn
  • Greyface Dartmoor
  • Hampshire Down
  • Hebridean
  • Herdwick
  • Hill Radnor
  • Jacob
  • Kerry Hill
  • Leicester Longwool
  • Lincoln Longwool
  • Llanwenog
  • Lonk
  • Manx Loaghtan
  • Norfolk Horn
  • North Ronaldsay
  • Oxford Down
  • Portland
  • Romney
  • Rough Fell
  • Ryeland (including Coloured)
  • Shetland (Mainland)
  • Shropshire
  • Soay
  • Southdown
  • Teeswater
  • Welsh Mountain
  • Wensleydale
  • Whiteface Dartmoor
  • Whitefaced Woodland
  • Wiltshire Horn

4. Goats

Number of breeding females (threshold 10,000).

Breeds of goat at risk include:

  • Bagot
  • Cheviot Goats
  • Golden Guernsey
  • Saanen
  • Toggenburg

5. Pigs

Number of breeding females (threshold 15,000).

Breeds of pig at risk include:

  • Berkshire
  • British Landrace
  • British Lop
  • British Saddleback
  • Gloucestershire Old Spots
  • Large Black
  • Large White
  • Middle White
  • Oxford Sandy and Black
  • Tamworth
  • Welsh

Notes

Note 1

‘Orig’ means pedigree-registered animals listed as being part of an ‘Original population’ of that breed, usually in a separate ‘closed’ sub-register within the relevant breed society’s herdbook. 

Note 2

Native breeds at risk in both the UK and in the Republic of Ireland (Eire).

Note 3

‘Galloway’ includes pedigree-registered Black and Dun Galloway.

Note 4

Northern Dairy Shorthorn cattle are registered as separately-identified animals within the Dairy Shorthorn breed of cattle.

Note 5

‘Section A semi-feral’ refers to a particular and separately identified sub-population of pedigree ponies that are registered within the studbook of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society (in accordance with their approved rules). To retain their semi-feral status they are required to remain within their designated environment and have individual passports officially annotated to show their semi-feral status. Confirmation as to their individual eligibility should be checked with the Welsh Pony and Cob Society which retains lists of all potentially eligible ‘Section A semi-feral’ ponies.