Rylestone Black Knight

The Fell Pony dates back to the time of the Romans. It is believed that the Vikings and the Normans used the ponies for field work and transporting goods. Today’s Fell Pony is an all-around family pony capable of carrying child or man. Fell Ponies, raised on the Fells, are sure-footed over even the roughest terrain, with a smooth even gait. Fell Ponies are good jumpers, excelling at the cross country trials with their agility and “cleverness on their feet”. Unflappable and tireless, Fell Ponies make wonderful combined driving ponies. The main limitation of a Fell Pony in competitive work might be their lack of speed, but their general willingness to perform and sweetness of nature is a great compensation.

The Fell Pony is an all-around, versatile Family Pony; a pony to be proud of, loved and admired. Only about 6000 are left in the world.

The following is the Fell Pony Breed Description, and the Scale of Points by which they are judged:

BREED DESCRIPTION:

HEIGHT
 Not exceeding 14 hands (142.2 cms).
COLOUR & MARKINGS
 Black, brown, bay and grey. Chesnuts, piebalds and skewbalds are debarred. A star and/or a little white on or below the hind fetlock is acceptable. An excess of white markings is discouraged, but such ponies are eligible for registration.
HEAD
 Small, well chiselled in outline, well set on, forehead broad, tapering to nose.
NOSTRILS
 Large and expanding.
EYES
 Prominent, bright, mild and intelligent.
EARS
 Neatly set, well formed and small.
THROAT & JAW
 Fine, showing no signs of throatiness nor coarseness.
NECK
 Of proportionate length, giving good length of rein, strong and not too heavy, moderate crest in case of stallion
SHOULDERS
 Most important, well laid back and sloping, not too fine at withers, nor loaded at the points - a good long shoulder blade, muscles well developed.
CARCASE
 Good strong back of good outline, muscular loins, deep carcase, thick through heart, round ribbed from shoulders to flank, short and well coupled, hind quarters square and strong with tail well set on.
FEET, LEGS AND JOINTS
 Feet of good size, round and well formed, open at heels with the characteristic blue horn, fair sloping pasterns not too long, forelegs should be straight, well placed not tied at elbows, big well formed knees, short cannon bone, plenty of good flat bone below knee (eight inches at least), great muscularity of arm.
HIND LEGS
 Good thighs and second thighs, very muscular, hocks well let down and clean cut, plenty of bone below joint, hocks should not be sickle nor cow-hocked.
MANE, TAIL AND FEATHER
 Plenty of fine hair at heels (coarse hair objectionable), all the fine hair except that at point of heel may be cast in summer. Mane and tail are left to grow long.
ACTION
 Walk, smart and true. Trot well balanced all round, with good knee and hock action, going well from the shoulder and flexing the hocks, not going too wide nor near behind. Should show great pace and endurance, bringing the hind legs well under the body when going.
GENERAL CHARACTER
 The Fell Pony should be constitutionally as hard as iron and show good pony characteristics with the unmistakable appearance of hardiness peculiar to mountain ponies, and at the same time, have a lively and alert appearance and great bone.

SCALE OF POINTS:

HEIGHT & COLOUR
5
HEAD, NOSTRILS, EYES, EARS, THROAT/JAW & NECK
10
SHOULDERS
15
CARCASE
20
FEET, LEGS & JOINTS, & HIND LEGS
25
ACTION
25
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
25