For anyone searching for a Fell Pony

[The Xmas Furry]

Showing my total ignorance here, so please treat me kindly, can I ask if a Dales is a sort of scaled up Fell pony with similar attributes?

No and yes.....
Fells go to 14hh, Dales had the 14.2 limit removed a few years ago which led (imho) to a loss of type in the larger ones. No minimum height for either breed.

Attributes? Yes, similar, but with the loss of type on the bigger 15hh+ Dales 'ponies' in particular, you have a much more horse type of frame and dare I say it, often a loss of the action the breed has.
Older breeders of each breed will talk about a Fell-type in the Dales, where they look more pony like, and a Dalesy-type Fell which is more plain in the head etc.

Having had Fells from 82 and some Dales intermittently right through and produced to top end, they are very much different breeds but similar in some ways..... clear as mud eh? ??

 

[HBB]

I’ll be down hoping to buy. I do hope these mares cope better with the sales etc than some of the Murthwaite ones did ?

 

[Nudibranch]

I do think both Fells and Dales have some considerable variation in type. I've hit lucky with mine as she stands 15.1 but has a lovely refined head and good proportions, and proper Dales action (imo!). She was a rubbish 3yo, rangy and lanky but you could see the potential in the frame. She's the second-last of a proper old boy breeder and carries some very traditional lines. There's someone on here who can't resist posting that bloodlines don't matter for showing (I can't remember who) any time anyone mentions anything similar. But I beg to differ when it comes to a breed as rare, and with as small a genetic pool as the Dales. And if I see one more social media comment admiring the action of the Welsh cob type trot which seems to be creeping in, I'll scream. There are way too many judges around at all levels who don't truly know the breed enough to judge correctly in mixed large breed classes (again, imo...I'm sure many people will disagree).

Anyway back to Fells - I didn't mean for Dales to steal the thread!

 

[1523679]

This thread has the wrong title.

It should be, “For anyone who wasn’t actively searching for a Fell, but has a latent long-range itching to buy one ... RESIST THIS heh heh heh” ?

On a serious note, very sad to see a stud winding up. And Fells are awesome ponies for adults. So much fun, so versatile. I’d love a purebred - mine is a cross, but I think has a lot of the Fell personality.

 

[I'm Dun]

What sort of prices are people expecting them to go for?

 

[Tiddlypom]

I'm presuming that the older fells will be used to their free ranging moorland life, and may not take kindly to moving to a lowland yard with small fields, part stabling etc, however well managed?

 

[HBB]

What sort of prices are people expecting them to go for?

It will be difficult to say as most will be semi feral broodmares with foals at foot. It will be the usual excitement at the sale from inexperienced buyers that will drive the prices up and I imagine some mares will probably end up in very stressful situations once they arrive at their new "homes" and expected to cope with livery yard situations etc.

 

[HBB]

I'm presuming that the older fells will be used to their free ranging moorland life, and may not take kindly to moving to a lowland yard with small fields, part stabling etc, however well managed?

Not just older ones, when the Murthwaite herd of ponies were sold, there were quite a few that succumbed to stress induced illness such as colic and grass sickness due to being moved, handled and separated from their herd and way of living.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I'm presuming that the older fells will be used to their free ranging moorland life, and may not take kindly to moving to a lowland yard with small fields, part stabling etc, however well managed?

Quite a good number adjust very well in their later years provided they are managed well by folk who know and understand the breed. The auction however will be very stressful for all of them, it's a huge shame they have to go there in the 1st place.

 

[suestowford]

Not just older ones, when the Murthwaite herd of ponies were sold, there were quite a few that succumbed to stress induced illness such as colic and grass sickness due to being moved, handled and separated from their herd and way of living.

I remember that, it was incredibly sad.

 

[southerncomfort]

Quite a good number adjust very well in their later years provided they are managed well by folk who know and understand the breed. The auction however will be very stressful for all of them, it's a huge shame they have to go there in the 1st place.

My mini shetland was bred at a stud that was apparently renowned for taking the foals off the mares just as they were sent in to the sale ring. Breaks my heart to think how traumatic that must have been. She's doesn't have a very high opinion of humans which I can completely understand.

ETA not suggesting it will be as stressful as that for the Bybeck herd!

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

Everyone needs a fell! Will hopefully go for a nosey but I definitely don’t need another ??

 

[Gloi]

Everyone needs a fell! Will hopefully go for a nosey but I definitely don’t need another ??

There is likely going to be a live feed from the auction which I'll watch as the mart will likely be very busy.

 

[minesadouble]

I do think both Fells and Dales have some considerable variation in type. I've hit lucky with mine as she stands 15.1 but has a lovely refined head and good proportions, and proper Dales action (imo!). She was a rubbish 3yo, rangy and lanky but you could see the potential in the frame. She's the second-last of a proper old boy breeder and carries some very traditional lines. There's someone on here who can't resist posting that bloodlines don't matter for showing (I can't remember who) any time anyone mentions anything similar. But I beg to differ when it comes to a breed as rare, and with as small a genetic pool as the Dales. And if I see one more social media comment admiring the action of the Welsh cob type trot which seems to be creeping in, I'll scream. There are way too many judges around at all levels who don't truly know the breed enough to judge correctly in mixed large breed classes (again, imo...I'm sure many people will disagree).

Anyway back to Fells - I didn't mean for Dales to steal the thread!

I haven't seen the person who said that bloodlines don't matter for showing, but I guess they mean the judge on the day can't see the breeding so can only judge the animal that's in front of them.

Is yours a Nipna Dales? They are doing phenomenally well in the ring this year.

I know little about either breed but one of our liveries has a nice young Fell who is VERY opinionated and would give a Welshie a run for it's money any day when it comes to attitude! ?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Realistically bloodlines don't actually matter in the show ring because the judge doesn't see that they see the animal in front of them. But I get where your coming from. Some bloodlines are more fashionable than others and produce ponies of a certain type that are more likely to do well in the show ring. What are good bloodlines to one person may not be another's cup of tea. Its the same in any breed. There are certain lines of shetlands that some people see as the be all and end all of bloodlines but I wouldn't touch them because they do not produce the type of pony I want therefore they are not good to me.

SC it's not just shetlands that are weaned on sale day, many other breeds do it to. We bought a mini many years ago out of pity as he was so upset at his mother being in the pen right beside him but he could get to her. He nearly killed himself trying to get out when she went off to the sale ring. We bought him for meat money and the following spring he went off to America to be used as both a stud and as a therapy pony.

 

[Nudibranch]

Mine's not a Nipna. There are a couple of lines doing really well at present but they're not all my cup of tea. There's probably one stallion I'd use doing the current rounds, looking at both confo and lineage, and he has done very well performance wise but is from a much smaller stud.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Mine's not a Nipna. There are a couple of lines doing really well at present but they're not all my cup of tea. There's probably one stallion I'd use doing the current rounds, looking at both confo and lineage, and he has done very well performance wise but is from a much smaller stud.

There is one that has appeared up here and its current producer has done nothing but slag off the previous one even though the pony went to HOYS and Olympia numerous times, might have even won hoys? I am not a fan of the mare, too much white and a big ugly head on her.

 

[JoannaC]

Ooh i'd love a Fell pony, my first pony was a Fell and my BF has five Fell ponies. I am finding just having the two very easy at the moment though so don't really need a third!

 

[southerncomfort]

The stud dispersal sales list is out!

 

[PSD]

Definitely going to try and get there for a look! Only up the road from me so I’d love to catch a glimpse of this beautiful herd. I definitely don’t need a semi feral fell though, no matter how beautiful ?

 

[Gloi]

Definitely going to try and get there for a look! Only up the road from me so I’d love to catch a glimpse of this beautiful herd. I definitely don’t need a semi feral fell though, no matter how beautiful ?

Rubbish. Of course you do.

 

[PSD]

Rubbish. Of course you do.

There are some beautiful ones from that stud, who knows what will happen ??‍

 

[sarahann1]

I want one! Am away to see if online bidding is possible.

It’s going to be live streamed with online bidding available. So, those of you better versed in Fell ponies, how much are these likely to be? Ball park figures for youngsters?

 

[PSD]

I want one! Am away to see if online bidding is possible.

It’s going to be live streamed with online bidding available. So, those of you better versed in Fell ponies, how much are these likely to be? Ball park figures for youngsters?

It’s so hard to say really. At the minute most youngsters are going around the 3k mark but these are semi feral so I’m unsure if they would be less?

 

[tda]

Is it possible to look at sold prices from last years auction? I heard they made better money than previous years.
I do not need a fell pony really, but it would be rude not to have a look ?

 

[Gloi]

Is it possible to look at sold prices from last years auction? I heard they made better money than previous years.
I do not need a fell pony really, but it would be rude not to have a look ?

Top prices shown here
http://www.nwauctions.co.uk/auctions/sales-reports/j36 crooklands livestock auction/2020/october/31/fell-pony-society-sale.aspx

I think someone posted a marked catalogue on the fell pony Facebook page back then.

 

[piebaldproblems]

I do not need a fell pony really, but it would be rude not to have a look ?

Exactly what I'm thinking now I've seen they have some geldings too...

 

[Rosemary28]

I really want to show OH this, but there is a very good chance we might come back with one.....!

 

[Bearsmum]

Well I did cash in an ISA, but hubby would kill me, so I wouldn't get to enjoy it, it would certainly muck up our retirement travel plans & I haven't ridden in more than 10 years, but there is a livery vacancy where Yogi is, so I could have both on one yard

 

[PSD]

Has anyone gone today?