The Fell pony is a versatile working breed of mountain and moorland pony originating on Cumberland and Westmorland farms of northwest England and is used for riding and

driving Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and bicycles. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to ...

. The breed is closely related to its geographic neighbour, the Dales Pony, but is a little smaller and more pony-like in build. The Fell Pony is noted for hardiness, agility, strength and

sure-footedness Sure-footedness is the ability, especially when hiking or mountain climbing, to negotiate difficult or rough terrain safely. Such situations place demands on a person's coordination and reserves of strength as well as requiring sufficient appreciat ...

Breed characteristics

Fell Ponies vary a good deal in weight and size, so ponies may be found to carry almost any rider. The average height of the breed is , and the upper height limit for the breed is . The breed was bred for the unforgiving mountainous environment of Cumbria in north-west England, so they are adaptable to almost any temperate climate. The colours accepted in the breed are black, dark chestnut,

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a nar ...

grey Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be compos ...

, and

chestnuts The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelated ...

(if both parents are registered). Piebalds, and skewbalds are not allowed. A star on the head and/or a small amount of white on or below the hind

fetlock Fetlock is the common name in horses, large animals, and sometimes dogs for the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints (MCPJ and MTPJ). Although it somewhat resembles the human ankle in appearance, the joint is homologous to the ba ...

is acceptable. However, excess white markings are discouraged. The Fell Pony should be hardy and show good

pony A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...

characteristics, including strong, flat bone. It should exhibit intelligence and self-preservation considered common to British mountain and moorland pony breeds, and at the same time, have a lively and alert attitude. The breed generally has a steady temperament. The Fell Pony has the regular gaits, noted for correct movement and is considered sure-footed in rough terrain. Fell Ponies are reliable jumpers and agile, which makes them useful for cross-country riding or

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

. Most animals of the breed lack the scope to make top-class jumping ponies, but Fells generally are well up to local show or

Pony Club Pony Club is an international youth organization devoted to educating youth about horses and riding. Pony Club organizations exist in over thirty countries worldwide. Origins Pony Club began in Great Britain in 1929 when the Institute of the ...

event standards.

Breed history

The Fell Pony shares its origins with the now-extinct

Galloway pony The Galloway pony is an extinct horse breed, once native to Scotland and northern England. It was said to have "good looks, a wide, deep chest and a tendency to pace rather than trot." In the 18th century Galloways were bred in Swaledale, to ...

, which was also the root of the Dales Pony. It is believed to have originated on the border between England and Scotland, quite probably antedating

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

times. The Fell Pony Society makes no claims about any input from imported Roman war stallions being crossed with these ponies. In the early

stud book A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders ...

s, 50% of ponies were brown in colour, though over the last few decades, black has become predominant, followed by brown, bay, and grey. They are primarily a working breed of pony with activity, stamina, hardiness, and intelligence that enables them to live and thrive in tough conditions out on the fells in the

Lake District The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or '' fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...

Use as packhorses

The Fell Pony was originally used as a

packhorse A packhorse, pack horse, or sumpter refers to a horse, mule, donkey, or pony used to carry goods on its back, usually in sidebags or panniers. Typically packhorses are used to cross difficult terrain, where the absence of roads prevents the use of ...

, carrying

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

and

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cut, ...

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pink ...

, and

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the ...

s. They were also used for light agriculture and the transportation of bulky farm goods such as

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...

. With their sturdy bodies, strong legs, and equable disposition, and being good, fast walkers, they would travel up to a week. They were favoured by the

Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

as packhorses, as well as for ploughing, riding, and pulling sledges. Their use as pack ponies continued into the 20th century, when they were also used in pack-pony trains and by postal services. Some Fells were famed in the north as fast trotters. Tales are told of distances covered at great speeds by these ponies.

In recent times

Fells at the present are being used for

pleasure riding Pleasure riding is a form of equestrianism that encompasses many forms of recreational riding for personal enjoyment, absent elements of competition. In horse show competition, a wide variety of classes are labeled pleasure classes with judging st ...

and competitive uses, pack-work, trekking, and shepherding. The Fell Pony can be seen in the

horse show A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer ...

world, seen in in hand, under saddle, and working hunter pony classes. They also do well in

and

endurance riding Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled long-distance races. It is one of the international competitions recognized by the FEI. There are endurance rides worldwide. Endurance rides can be any distance, though they are rare ...

. They are very suitable for riding and driving for persons with disabilities. A Fell Pony can be used as an all-round family pony. It is capable of carrying both children or adults, and versatile enough to fulfill a variety of jobs otherwise carried out by two or three more specialised animals. The rise of

carriage driving Carriage driving is a form of competitive horse driving in harness in which larger two or four wheeled carriages (sometimes restored antiques) are pulled by a single horse, a pair, tandem or a four-in-hand team. Prince Philip helped to expand ...

as a recreational activity has provided the Fell a renewed job, which it traditionally performed for centuries. A few Fell Ponies are still used in Scotland carrying the stags and grouse panniers down from the moors. Some of the ponies of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

are sometimes used for this purpose at Balmoral, while others are used for both riding and driving by the royal family. Fell Ponies have recently been used to carry equipment into the hills for repair of footpaths in the Lake District and they are increasingly being used for British Dressage "Team Quest" competitions (FPS Magazine, Spring 2016, p61)

Fell Pony Society

The Fell Pony Committee resolved to become a society in 1916, "to keep pure the old breed of pony that has roamed the northern hills for years". However, with the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, the resolution became reality. In 1922, the society restructured itself on "more liberal lines" to attract more members to the support of the Fell Pony.The Fell Pony Society in the 20th century
at Fell Pony and Countryside Museums Nonetheless, the breed's numbers decreased considerably, until 1945, when a breeding "stallion enclosure" program and a grading-up system were started. The program was discontinued in 1970. In the affluent 1950s, riding for pleasure began to gain popularity, securing the future of many British native breeds. The number of ponies being registered with the Fell Pony Society has risen gradually. All Fell Ponies are registered through the society, with an annual

published each year. The society's patron was

References

External links

The Fell Pony Society (United Kingdom)The Fell Pony and Countryside Museums, Dalemain, Cumbria, EnglandImages
of the Fell Pony and Countryside Museums at

Dalemain Dalemain is a country house around 5 miles south-west of Penrith in Cumbria, England. It is a Grade I listed building. Dalemain is part of the Lake District UNESCO World Heritage Site. History There is evidence of a settlement at Dalemain in Sa ...

, Cumbria, England
Fell Pony Society and Conservancy of the Americas Fell Pony Society of North America
{{Authority control Horse breeds originating in England Horse breeds Conservation Priority Breeds of the Livestock Conservancy Animal breeds on the RBST Watchlist