What Are Fell Ponies?
So, in my post about riderless horses, I mentioned that Emma, the pony looking so lonely at Windsor, is a Fell Pony. (Note that the U.K. announcer said she was probably a Highland. He was wrong).
And I suspect most readers of this blog have no idea what a Fell Pony is, so I figured I’d do a brief introduction to this breed.
What is a Fell?
Fell comes from Fjall, the Old Norse for mountain. It is used to talk about high and barren landscapes in Iceland, the Isle of Man, Scandinavia, Scotland and parts of northern England.
So a “Fell Pony” is simply a “Mountain Pony.”
Where Are Fell Ponies From?
Fell Ponies are one of a group of breeds that are referred to collectively as “Mountain and Moorland Ponies.” This includes Highland Ponies (of which the Queen was also very fond), Shetlands, etc. The most familiar of these breeds to most Americans is the Welsh Pony, as it’s popular to cross them with Quarter Horses to make a nice little riding pony.
Each of these breeds is from a specific geographical area, and it’s in the name. In this context “Fell” refers to the English Fells, which are a hilly area in the north east of England within the Lake District, and to the broader area.