Training the Fell Pony

Tags: Fell Pony, Training, Temperament

 

The Fell Pony is reputed to be gentle and willing to work with children as well as adults, but the truth is that this breed, which has survived for centuries in the harsh landscape known as the Cambrian Mountains, may not be the best choice for those inexperienced with the breed. This sense of survival has created a pony that is fiercely intelligent, independent, curious, strong, energetic and that doesn't always appreciate the concept of working for others. We can learn a few things about this clever pony by taking a closer look at its temperament and its rate of maturity, which can give us clues about the best ways to train the Fell Pony.

First of all, it is important to understand that the Fell Pony matures very late in comparison with other pony or horse breeds, around the age of seven. This plays a very large part in knowing the best time to begin training. Some experts believe that the Fell shouldn't be handled too much as a foal, as those that become "petted foals" find it harder to accept human domination than those that are left to be with their herds when they are quite young. In its native Britain, it has been the practice for the last twenty years or so to take a two year old and begin its very rudimentary training by handling it, getting it used to a halter and other accessories, and then releasing it back into the wild. This early training is done very lightly but the pony doesn't forget it.

Saddle training often begins when the pony is rising to four years old and is also begun very slowly. In order to keep the training light and the pony interested, the concentration is only on standing with the saddle, walking, trotting straight or in large circles, and then perhaps short canters with a lighter rider. Harness training also starts off very simply and lightly, although this can be more difficult and complicated because of the extra accessories required. Even so, very light driving can be beneficial to those ponies that are destined to become driving ponies in the future. The reason that training in these disciplines is taken so slowly is that there is a danger of damaging the pony if pushed too hard at too young of an age.

In addition to the physical reasons to approach the training of the Fell Pony slower than others, there are other considerations to remember as well. Because these ponies still exhibit the strong survival instincts that have helped them thrive for thousands of years, they still do not take lightly the idea of being dominated by humans. The best way of thinking is to approach training with the Fell as a partnership as opposed to one of domination. Also, because Fell Ponies are so intelligent, they get bored quickly, so take care to keep training sessions short and sweet. At the same time, these ponies are meant to be hard workers, and they need to be kept busy in order to be happy - those that are looking for "lawn ornaments" may do better to choose another breed.

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