Observations on Fell Pony Breeding

When I first got involved with Fell Ponies, I didn't intend to breed.  Fate had other things in mind, and I've since become fascinated by the art of breeding.  I've listed many of the articles I've written about breeding below.  Click on a title to see excerpts and to request a full copy of the article.

Master Breeders

• The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) defines a master breeder as someone with a passion for the breed, a commitment to the long-term success of the breed, adequate financial and other resources, a clear-headed commercial or utilitarian outlook without sacrificing breed type or heritage, personal integrity, an ‘eye’ for good stock and for type, pride without arrogance, and an ability to listen to and learn from diverse resources.
• ‘Becoming a master breeder is slow, complicated work.’ according to ALBC.
• In May of 2005, I found there is no better curriculum than seeing Fell Ponies on the fells of Cumbria and attending a Fell Pony Society event where you can mingle with breeders and see many different ponies all in one place. 
• ALBC states that, “Only by having older, experienced, successful breeders eagerly and generously convey the subtleties of points of selection is it possible to assure that this rich knowledge is not lost. Transfer of this sort of knowledge usually takes personal interaction, for much of the detail is difficult to condense into a written format.” 
• For more information, request Fell Pony News, November 2006.

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Fell Foal Syndrome/Foal Immunodeficiency Syndrome

• Formerly known as Fell Foal Syndrome, the name was changed to Foal Immunodeficiency Syndrome when foals in the closely related Dales Pony breed were confirmed to be affected a few years ago. 
• The syndrome only affects foals before 12 weeks of age, so it is primarily an issue for breeders of Fell Ponies.
• The syndrome is estimated to kill fewer than 4% of each year’s foals and is believed to be a simple recessive genetic condition.
• In late 2009, it was announced that a carrier test has been developed.
• The new test will now allow us to determine the carrier status of our breeding stock without suffering the loss of a foal. 
• If all carriers are suddenly removed from the breeding population, the breed will suffer a drastic narrowing of an already limited gene pool as well as a loss of top quality breeding stock. 
• I feel that breeders should continue to be allowed to choose their breeding stock and which members of the herds to breed to each other, with carrier status used as just one of the considerations in that choice. 
• For more information, request Fell Pony News, January 2010.

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Breeding True

• I have been involved with the breed long enough now that I have seen traits, both desirable and more often otherwise, skip generations.
• I am starting to understand the importance of breeding ponies so they breed true. It is not an easy job.
• On my trip to Cumbria, I saw nearly 200 Fell Ponies, but only three small herds of maries caught my attention; their breeders had focused on getting their herds to breed true to a type I preferred.
• These herds of mares had been bred by their owners for generations.
• Not all breeders strive for a consistency of type. Other characteristics, such as hardiness or feather or show records are more important.
• For more information, request Fell Pony News, August 2008.

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Breeding with Intent

• There is an unwanted horse problem in this country, with perhaps the most visible manifestation being mustangs removed from their native range and held in pens awaiting adoption.
• If we’ve decided to breed then as breeders we must be certain that we’re breeding with purpose, with clear intent, so we are not adding to the unwanted horse problem.
• Breeding the highest quality with the best training and then placing in the best possible homes are some of our responsibilities.
• A Fell Pony breeder has additional unique responsibilities.
• I have had the sad experience of knowing an unwanted Fell Pony.
• Each one of us will have our own purpose, our own breeding philosophy. From there we must also have a commitment to continue to learn about the breed so our breeding programs show progress in eliminating faults that inevitably appear.
• For more information, request Fell Pony News, March 2009.

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Timing Foaling

• Every breeding season I face a dilemma: do I risk exposing my next crop of foals to snow or to hoards of biting insects?
• A favorite cousin pondered similar issues on his cattle ranch in Wyoming. He finally decided to calve when the antelope gave birth, figuring that they had eons of experience on which to draw about appropriate timing. 
• I’ve concluded I can protect the foals from snow by bringing them in but I can’t protect them from insects.
• For more information, request Fell Pony News, Issue 4, 2007.

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A Breeders’ Dilemma

• How should we as breeders decide which ponies are worth keeping as breeding stock and which aren’t?
• One of the most fascinating topics I’ve been pondering as I’ve studied the breeding of Fell Ponies is how long it takes to get rid of particular faults. 
• From my discussions with breeders and judges, it is clear that some faults are easier to breed out than others. 
• In addition, there is general agreement that faults can skip generations, with foals manifesting faults not seen in their parents but perhaps seen in grandparents or further back. 
• Furthermore one must look back multiple generations, with special attention to the female lines, for the presence of faults that are best avoided. 
• There is also agreement that it only takes one bad choice of breeding stock to set a breeding program back for one or more generations. 
• I am thankful for learning how to resolve the Breeder’s Dilemma: choose my breeding stock, when all else is equal, based on how many generations it will take me to overcome their faults.
• For more information, request Fell Pony News, May 2009.

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The Conundrum of Judging Quality

• A judge’s job is to pick out the best pony put forward on that day in that class or show. As Alan Tabelin, judge at the Royal Show in 1991, stated, “For judges, the key phrase must always be….on the day this is my choice. At another show, on another day, a totally different pony may appeal.” FPS Newsletter, Autumn, 1991. p. 19.
• Judges have a mental image of what an ideal pony is, and as a result no two judges are likely to place any given class identically.
• The judge’s job is very difficult. He or she can only choose the best from what they see before them under the time and social pressure of the job.
• When I visited a herd of show-winning ponies, I was quickly disabused of any notion of a typical Fell Pony. There was no consistency of type in that herd. 
• The only way to create a homogenous herd from show winners is to start with winners under one particular judge, as then at least they’d all be representative of a single ideal.
• Using show winnings as a decision criteria for breeding stock doesn’t address the fact that faults can skip generations or that some ponies won’t breed well, despite their show records.
• Ultimately quality is in the eye of the beholder, and learning to judge quality is up to each of us with an interest in the breed and breeding.
• For more information, request Fell Pony News, June 2009.

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It’s the Mares Mostly

• While much advertising emphasizes stallions, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the mares that contribute more to the foals they produce.
• One Fell Pony breeder advocates that mares contribute 60-80%. He goes on to say that the mares behind the parents are important to evaluate when it’s time to consider a breeding pair.
• I have seen that it’s possible to breed a good mare to a moderate quality stallion and still get good stock. A friend goes even further to say you’ll breed a better pony from a good mare put to a moderate stallion than a moderate mare put to a good stallion. 
• My experience also emphasizes the importance of the mare in cross-breeding. Someone interested in cross-breeding should be thoroughly enamored with a non-Fell mare put to a Fell stallion, as the resulting foal will likely show that it’s the mares, mostly.
• For more information, request Fell Pony News 2007 Issue 5.

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And the Stallions Say

• From discussions with breeders a consensus emerged easily: a well-tempered stallion will likely pass his temperament to his offspring, and less-well-tempered stallions will pass that tendency as well. 
• The other place where stallion influence is often seen is in the face and eyes. 
• For more information, request Fell Pony News, 2007 Issue 8.

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Crossbreeding

• Characteristics that appear to attract prospective mare owners to Fell Ponies include size, sturdiness, movement, temperament, hardiness and good feet.
• If you are interested in a smaller equine, more hair (mane, tail, feather) and a calm temperament, why not consider a purebred Fell?
• Because there are so few Fell Ponies in this country, there is a danger that crosses could quickly outnumber purebreds, and erroneous conclusions might be drawn about the breed based on these part-bred equines.
• For more information, request Fell Pony News, June 2005 and Fell Pony News, January 2010.
   

Using Fell Pony Inbreeding Coefficients

• There is no threshold number against which to compare inbreeding coefficients.
• The average IC for the 2007 breeding population indicates lots of relatedness within six generations.
• The most important information an IC can give is that there is repetition in the pedigree; then one must ask 'is that pony worth repeating?'
• For more information, request Fell Pony News October 2010.

Progressive Breeding

• I was introduced to the idea of progressive breeding shortly after I got involved with Fell Ponies when I read Bert Morland’s book A Lifetime in the Fells.
• A recent article in the newsletter of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) caught my attention because it too talked about progressive breeding. The author’s experience was with sheep, and Richard Larson talked about being impressed with flocks that were consistent in conformation and uniform in appearance.
• Larson closed his article by repeating the reasons to pursue a progressive breeding program. Once again they resonated with me: predictability in reproducing and being able to use progeny to move my and other’s breeding programs in desired directions.
• For more information, request Fell Pony News May 2010.

Consistency and Predictability in Breeding

• My first Fell Pony mare set in my mind what a Fell Pony should look like. She showed me the type that I wanted to breed and helped me understand the variability in the breed around type. Yet, while her foals by my second stallion have good type, they still vary quite a bit in ways that matter to me. ...The variability I’m seeing in the foals from this mare is coming from the breeding practices behind her in her pedigree. 
• The second mare that I’ve bred to my second stallion has produced stock that is much more consistent in quality (these foals still have faults of course; every pony does). 
• I know what went into breeding this mare; the breeding practices behind her in her pedigree have been even more rigorous than those behind my stallion. 
• My second lesson in consistency is about what it takes to produce good quality stock predictably. Not only do I need to pay attention to type; not only do I need to pay attention to the quality of my mares and stallions; I also need to pay attention to the quality behind my mares and stallions. No wonder breeding good stock takes decades!
• Pondering my most recent set of four foals, I’ve developed a higher degree of respect for breeders who breed both consistency of type and predictability in breeding. It takes a long-term commitment and continuous vigilance in the choice of breeding stock. I feel fortunate again for having one of these master breeders as my mentor.
• For more information, request Fell Pony News August 2011.

Early Foal Training 

• There are two periods early in a foal's life that are optimum for training:  the first two hours and the first seven days.
• The first two hours are when classical imprinting, ala Dr. Robert Miller, is performed.
• Goals for these two early periods of foal training differ.  The first two hours should focus on ensuring that a foal views humans as non-threatening.  The goal of the first seven days should be to encourage a foal to follow their human's lead.
• I have found that my strong relationship with my mares allows me to let the mare and newborn foal spend their first two hours bonding with each other, with only occasional interaction with me.
• During that first week, however, I work regularly with the foal, resulting in an easy-to-handle youngster at weaning.
• For more information, request Fell Pony News Septemer 2011.

Teaching Boundaries to Foals

• Setting boundaries with foals is a huge topic, and I expect to continue learning about it as long as I breed.
• While this is an important topic for breeders with foals on the ground, I have found that all Fell Ponies, regardless of age, benefit from this training.
• Four sub-topics come to mind:  backing up, voice commands, blocking, and redirecting behavior.
• Foals will still like us after we discipline them.
• Some mares do a better job of teaching boundaries to their foals than others, but it always falls to us as a foal's first human to impart this lesson.
• For more information, request Fell Pony News March 2009.