Driving Radio Show Interview

This article originally appeared in the July 2014 edition of Fell Pony News from Willowtrail Farm.

Highlights:

• In June 2014, I accepted an invitation to be interviewed by the Driving Radio Show, a production of the Horse Radio Network.
• In preparation for the interview, I pulled together some information about Fells and driving, including several stories that I felt highlight what makes a Fell a unique driving partner.
• I am thankful to the Driving Radio Show for taking an interest in Fell Ponies.  To listen to the interview, click here.
• The photograph here was used by the Driving Radio Show to illustrate the interview on their website.

To read the full article including several stories about what makes a Fell a unique driving choice, click here.

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Foaling and the Moon

This article originally appeared in the June 2014 edition of Fell Pony News from Willowtrail Farm.

Highlights:

• After my two foals in April, I began to wonder about foaling and the phases of the moon.  Then after I looked at the patterns in my own herd, I began to wonder about the breed as a whole.

• The moon is known to have influence over water, such as the tides of the oceans, and given that the birth sac is filled with water, it’s reasonable to wonder how the moon might influence the birthing process.

• In my own herd, I observed that foal dates did not cluster around moon phase transitions (new, full, etc.)

• When I looked at the breed as a whole using the 2007 foal crop, I learned that foals are born on every day of the moon cycle.

•  There are slightly more foals born during the waxing crescent moon and just before full than on other days in the cycle.

To read the entire article, click here.

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Slow Sleddales 2/Maturation

This article appears in the May 2014 issue of Fell Pony News from Willowtrail Farm.

Highlights:

Bowthorne Matty and Willowtrail Mountain Ranger

• This past winter, Matty visibly changed and matured as she turned from seven to eight years old.

• I watched Matty’s bone increase, leaving her in wonderful proportion throughout in the bone and substance department.

• Willowtrail Mountain Prince, Matty’s two year old son, gave me reason this spring to ponder the slow maturing rate of ponies with Sleddale blood.

• One of the concerns I had about Prince as stallion potential was that he seemed to lack bone.  

• At the same time that I was scheduling Prince's castration appointment at two years old, I realized his bone was increasing.

• I began pondering how we choose stallions in this breed today..

• Colts must mature in the bone department relatively quickly if they are to pass the licensing exam at two years old. 

• After my experience with Prince, I began wondering how many good quality colts are neutered just because they are slow to mature.

To read the complete article, click here.

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The Fell Pony Enclosure Scheme and a Narrow Gene Pool

This article appeared in the April 2014 edition of Fell Pony News from Willowtrail Farm.

Highlights:

Wet Sleddale enclosure circa 1970.  Photo courtesy the late Henry Harrison

• In place from 1945 to 1976, the enclosure scheme was unique to the Fell Pony breed.  It was used to encourage breeding of ponies in the post world-war years
• The enclosure scheme involved the Fell Pony Society securing land where a stallion could run with a herd of mares during the breeding season. 
• The stallions were chosen at the Stallion & Colt Show each year, often by people planning to send mares to the enclosure for breeding.
• Three consequences of the enclosure scheme could have led to a narrowing of the Fell Pony gene pool. 
• It’s certainly likely that some narrowing of the gene pool resulted from the enclosure scheme.  However, we as modern stewards of the breed are fortunate that this adverse impact of the enclosure scheme hasn’t left us with a dangerously narrow gene pool.  We can thank past breeders for their breeding practices, whatever they were, that have ensured a healthy genetic diversity in the breed today.

To read the complete article, click here.

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