The British native ponies are bred to think for themselves, take charge of themselves, and survive. Fells are survivors par excellence; constitutionally tough, but sweet natured and willing to work with you. Trust, plus soundness and intelligence, are the Fell's biggest assets.

The Fell is a large pony averaging 13-2, with the upper height limit at 14 hands. Like several other British breeds, manes and tails are left to grow long, and the feather on the lower legs should be straight and silky. Hooves are hard, "blue" (dark grey) in colour, well formed, round, and open. Fells usually have 8.5 inches of bone and often more, but flat bone is preferred to round. Colours are black, brown, bay and grey. White markings are small and limited to a small star on the head or a little white on the hind feet below the fetlocks. 

Fell action is from the shoulder, only moderately high and rounded, not snapping the knee like a Hackney or extending the toes like an Arab. Movement is usually very correct. Fells are built right, to do a good day's work. A Fell, no matter how sweet natured, is NOT a pushover by any means. A Fell is smarter than the average horse and has the attitude to match. You cannot gain a Fell's respect and trust simply by sending them to a trainer; on their return they will quickly size up your capabilities and behave accordingly. 

A Fell requires that you be a good, firm yet kindly horseman and also have a sense of humour!

Please see also various FPS-approved articles published in North America (PDFs) including Temperament and Maturity. There is also a great deal of information on this website and at the Fell Pony Society website.

Fells are survivors per excellence; good doers (easy keepers) and constitutionally hard. They love their food! However, their nutritional needs must be understood and they are not capable of "living on fresh air". They are bred to live on hard going, ranging over quite large tracts of land, keeping active as they feed on a variety of hardy grasses. They will maintain their condition on grass hay, and often prefer it to other types. If they have to work they will need some "hard feed" in the form of oats, other grains, or commercial feeds. How much depends on the work. 

Equally, too much grain is bad for them. It's expensive, can cause the pony to be too lively and create accidents, and in extreme cases can even make the pony ill. If the pony is having no other grazing, then he needs roughly 16 pounds of hay per day, split into at least 2 feeds with the bigger portion given in the evening. Plenty of clean water must be given, and mineralized salt - not mixed with feeds, as a pony will clean up his feed yet may not need the minerals. He will take water or minerals when they are necessary if they are both available "free choice, 24/7". 

If he gets more than an hour or two of good grazing, take away some of the hay from the ration. In spring and autumn when the grass grows well he will need less hay or feed than in winter or very dry weather when there is little goodness in the grazing. Watch out then for him eating too much very young sweet grass which can sometimes cause laminitis (inflammation inside the hoof.) If the pony is doing some work he will need a small feed, a pound or two, which you should give at least an hour before he works. If he's going to work hard, say on a trail ride or a long carriage driving competition, you should condition him slowly to the work over several months and gradually adjust his feed to more protein and carbohydrate (grain or cubes) and less fibre (hay). 

This kind of feeding advice can be found in detail in many specialist books and on web sites but the old horsemen's principle of "100% feed in, 99% work out" is still wise advice. The best guide is to observe your pony yourself every day; is he bright eyed and happy? Is he keen to work? Is he maintaining his body condition? Then you have got the balance right. If he is cheeky and bumptious and putting on weight, you are giving him too much. If he looks dull and miserable, doesn't want to work, and loses weight, there are five combinations you should consider: you are overworking or underfeeding him, he has bad teeth or needs worming, or he is ill.

The Fell Pony Foal Syndrome expresses itself outwardly in foals at around around three weeks of age.  It is a disease that severely compromises the immune system and affected foals die of pneumonia or another viral disease within the first few months of life.

The veterinarians in England who are researching the disease have given their opinion that it is a recessive genetic disorder. This means that a pony can carry the gene for the disease, and not become sick from it. So, if you have an adult pony, he’s out of danger.

However, if it is bred to another pony carrying the FPFS gene, the chances of their foal dying of the disease are 1 in 4. There are 2 in 4 chances that their foal could simply be another carrier. There is a 1 in 4 chance that their foal be "clear" of the affliction and as a carrier meaning it will not carry the gene and will never produce a foal that dies of the Syndrome. So there are 3 chances out of 4 that a foal will live. This is the same chance for every breeding from carrier parents.

If only one of the parents is a carrier, and the other is clear, then NONE of the foals will die from the Syndrome. There is no test yet for the faulty gene, though the researchers have published results in May 2003 that could give usable tests for confirming the disease in its early stages.

In 2006, the Fell Pony Society issued a statement of advice on how breeders should react if they discover (by losing a foal to the disease) that they have a pony who is a “carrier” of FPFS, which we have linked to below.

Breed and We will Succeed

What kind of work are you using him for? Fells, like other normal, healthy equines, have good strong horn and it seems that hooves adjust to the amount of wear they get without shoes, so long as the pony is kept healthy and fed a sensible ration. Most Fells move well and correctly, but their feet are not indestructible! 

Even if your pony never works on hard ground or roads, you still need to ask a farrier to check the feet are balanced. Common faults are that the feet grow too long at the toe or at one side. Unless their hooves are kept well shaped, horses or ponies can do damage to themselves when working fast; the damage may range from the obvious case of actual interference of one hoof against the opposite leg, to the less visible stress on ligaments from feet being too long at the toe or low at the heel. 

Shoeing can then help by improving the angle of the foot. A young pony also will need trimming and may need shoeing on a temporary basis to prevent its limbs growing crookedly at certain stages of its development. 

Also, if you are taking part in a sport such as carriage driving, you may be working for long distances at a trot on pavement or other man made surfaces, so you may find your pony’s hooves just wear too fast for his comfort and you need to have him shod. Your farrier is the person to ask about these things, because every case has different individual points which must be taken into account to reach a decision.

With thanks to Mr A W Morland for his advice on this subject.

Definitely, if you’re going to a show, don’t braid or “plait” in the few days beforehand. The mane and tail hair is supposed to be straight, and shown in its natural state, but clean and brushed out. 

Physically challenging competitions such as cross country riding or driving may mean that the pony needs to be body clipped for effective cooling. You might also braid the mane to allow air to circulate over the neck for the same reason, or plait up the tail to keep it from getting muddy. 

The pony’s comfort is the main consideration. It’s possible to compete without compromising the normal look of the pony on its non-competitive days. You wouldn’t show a pony that is clipped in summer time if you were in the UK, but for competitive events or for farm work in a hot area it may be a necessary choice.

Although at first glance, many people are attracted to the Fell pony because they think it resembles a small version of a Friesian horse, this perception is misplaced and potentially fraught with danger. If the word 'danger' seems too dramatic a word, consider the case of the British Shetland pony breed. 

What originally came to America's shores as a small tough hairy animal, has now been split into two breeds; the American Shetland pony has become a separate breed and far from its original breed type of the authentic Shetland pony. Other breeds have also suffered similar injustices, such as the Morgan. 

Aside from this danger (which we will come back to later), the Friesian misperception is also based on faulty scholarship. If a person who is familiar with the Friesian horse is mostly exposed to Fell ponies in the color black, then the false assumption is understandable. 

But consider the following: The historical relationship of the Fell pony to the Friesian horse runs thus; approximately 2,000 years ago the Romans brought in foreign mercenaries to help man the walls which divided Scotland from England. When these mercenaries left – many of them are believed to have left their war stallions. Some of these stallions may have been Friesian horses. 

It is then believed that these stallions, including some Friesians, bred with the native ponies developing some of the British pony breeds including the Fell pony. If this theory is true, then Friesian and other foreign blood was introduced to the native ponies over 2,000 years ago. This is hardly cause to consider these two breeds "related" in modern terms. 

The Friesian horse type, which would have been left behind after the Romans pulled out, would have been a very different breed type than the Friesian horse we know today. 

Consider this quote from breed historian Clive Richardson: "The Friesian is acknowledged to be one of the oldest breeds in Europe. It was described by the Roman chronicler, Tacitus, as 'slow and ugly'. He was not describing the type of horse we now know as the modern Friesian which is essentially a road horse whether in harness or under saddle. 

There were few roads at that time and people did not need to travel as they do now. Tacitus was talking about a cold-blooded and coarser type of animal which had achieved increased carcass size through selective breeding in one of Europe's most fertile areas. When the Friesian Stud Book was opened in 1879 the first animals registered would not have resembled the Friesian of Roman times but neither would they have had the quality and movement of present-day representatives of the breed." 

If you took a brown Fell pony and shaved off its feather and heavy mane and tail – what then would you use to compare it to the Friesian horse? Do they really share the same body type, conformation, and gaits? A few visits to the Fell ponies’ native land of Britain, especially in the areas where you can still see the hill breeders farms, will dispel the Friesian/Fell perception. 

It will make a huge difference if a person visits and sees a larger population of Fell ponies in their natural and native environment, in all their colors (black, brown, bay, and gray), and in all of their different body types.

The Conservancy is especially pleased that you are exploring this issue prior to purchase. This is a question which is very dear to the heart of the Conservancy because it pertains to the safety and well-being of children. 

Although a Fell pony appears to be a big warm loveable teddy bear, especially in photos, all British native ponies are bred to think for themselves and survive. Therefore not all Fells are for children or timid riders – don’t assume. 

Like all equines some are appropriate and some are not. Fells of any age are very likely to test a new rider. This trait is linked to a strong sense of responsibility. 

It is interesting to note, however, that there are many known examples of Fells “looking after” small children or helpless people. Fells are very successfully utilized, under supervision, in disabled riding programs in their native land of Britain where their temperament is more widely understood.

You might take the time to peruse these articles on this topic:

The Fell pony is listed as "Vulnerable" by the Equus Survival Trust and as "At Risk" by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. There are fewer than 1,000 annual registrations, and fewer than 500 active registered breeding females.