Across the globe, farmers put grazing livestock to work to help the environment and improve biodiversity

They may look like ordinary ponies grazing in a field, but these small horses are actually the frontline of protecting a rare ecosystem, and they're changing how conservationists view the role of farm animals in nature.

On the outskirts of Borris Heath, nestled between the Skjern and Omme Rivers in Denmark, the Shetland and Exmoor ponies are hired alongside cattle to graze the nearby forest.

Their role is to stop the forest from overrunning the heath, a 4,743-hectare, unique ecosystem used by the Danish military as a shooting range.

Nature interpreter Søren Frederiksen helps manage the relationship between the farmers and the ecosystem.

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Article written by Kallee Buchanan