How Big Can A Fell Pony Be?

The ideal fell pony is 13.2 hands, though up to 14 hands is acceptable. Typically, they weigh between 350 and 450kg.

Acceptable colours are black, brown, bay or grey, but not chestnut, piebald or skewbald. Some have a small star on their forehead, or a small amount of white on their hind feet.

Fells at the present are being used for pleasure riding and competitive uses, pack-work, trekking, and shepherding.

The Fell Pony can be seen in the horse show world, seen in in hand, under saddle, and working hunter pony classes. They also do well in driving and endurance riding.

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 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 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.