Publications
Jenifer Morrissey has written several books and is a regular contributor to Rural Heritage magazine and The Fell Pony Express. Her articles have also appeared in Driving Digest, Small Farmers Journal, and Heavy Horse World (UK) magazines, as well as the newsletters of The Fell Pony Society (UK), the Fell Pony Society of North America, the Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry, and The Livestock Conservancy.
Below you will find information about each of her Fell Pony-related books. Below that you will find more places to learn about Fell Ponies!
Fell Pony Observations: Volume 2
Containing more than 300 full color photos and 330 pages, this book continues my exploration of the Fell Pony breed, its breed standard and the breeding of these fascinating ponies.
A Humbling Experience
Published in January 2009, A Humbling Experience chronicles the author's first seven years learning about and experiencing the Fell Pony breed. Through more than forty stories and over one hundred full color photographs, the author touches on breed history and conservation, natural horsemanship, sustainable agriculture, and draft power. The author’s first humbling experience was the birth of her first foal, a filly. The book concludes with a second humbling experience, the birth of that filly’s first foal. Stunning photography from the mountains of Colorado and the fells of Cumbria portray the many ponies that had crossed the author’s path. The book is available internationally by clicking the button below, or a signed copy is available from the author by clicking here.
What an Honor
The sequel to A Humbling Experience, What an Honor is dedicated to Sleddale Rose Beauty, a most inspiring mare. The title comes from the honors that Beauty bestowed on me. In the fall of 2007, Beauty gave birth to Willowtrail Wild Rose, a dream come true. The book then concludes with a second honor made possible by Beauty when I interviewed Beauty’s breeder in Cumbria, England. While Beauty’s life is over, she still continues to grace my life each day through all the other ponies and people I have met because of her. What an honor indeed. To purchase What an Honor, click the button below. To purchase a copy signed by the author, click here.
My Name is Madie
This remarkable true story about a Fell Pony filly is enjoyed by pre-teens and adults alike. It is available internationally by clicking below. Or you can purchase a signed copy by clicking here.
The Partnered Pony
The Partnered Pony: What's Possible, Practical, and Powerful with Small Equines celebrates the joy of being with ponies. It is available internationally by clicking the button below. Request a signed copy from the author by clicking here.
Once upon a time, I had thirteen ponies. Some people consider thirteen unlucky. But I love having ponies in my life, so thirteen must be a lucky number! This book includes photos and tells stories about each of the thirteen ponies and invites children 5-10 years old to engage by answering questions about them.
Fell Ponies: Observations on the Breed, the Breed Standard, and Breeding
This book contains 250 color pages filled with photos, graphs, and diagrams and collects over a decade of research about the Fell Pony together into one place that is easily accessible for all enthusiasts of the breed.
From the back cover: "The Fell Pony has long been stewarded by a community of individual breeders. This form of stewardship is in contrast to a centralized breeding program or strict rules on breeding. It can therefore be more difficult to get a sense of the breed. To begin to understand the breed, then, one needs to ask questions. This book is a collection of answers to questions that the author has posed since her stewardship of the Fell Pony began. Every day she encounters some new bit of information that either answers a question, prompts a new one, or refines an answer she previously obtained. It is her hope that providing these answers in the form of observations will encourage more questions to be asked and fresh answers to be discovered. The Fell Pony breed can only be strengthened by such inquiries."
The book is available internationally by clicking the button below. Request a signed copy from the author by clicking here.
More About Fell Ponies!
Fell Pony News
Fell Pony News is Willowtrail Farm's monthly e-newsletter about Fell Ponies. Each issue features current events about Fell Ponies generally as well as the individual ponies at Willowtrail Farm. Many of the topics found on the Observation page of this website first appeared in Fell Pony News. Fell Pony News has three times been a Constant Contact All-Star award winner for content that readers appreciate. To subscribe, please contact us.
FPSNA Breeder Profile Series
For several years I have contributed to the Breeder Profile series published in the newsletter of the Fell Pony Society of North America. To qualify for inclusion in this series, breeders must have been engaged with Fell Ponies for thirty years or more. Some of the breeders I've interviewed are from families whose involvement spans generations. Others came to the ponies more recently, and still others no longer have ponies at all. If you are interested in more information on any of these articles, just click on the name.
Bewcastle Fell Ponies and Mary Longsdon, MBE
Dene Fell Ponies and the late Ailie Newall
Greenholme Fell Ponies and Bill Potter
Stennerskeugh Fell Ponies and Bob Beaty
Tarnbeck Fell Ponies and the Williamson family
Heltondale Fell Ponies
Lunesdale Fell Ponies and Bert & Carole Morland
Linnel Fell Ponies and the Charlton family
Sleddale Fell Ponies and the late Henry Harrison
Townend, Carrock, and Haltcliff Fell Ponies
Kerbeck Fell Ponies and Christine Robinson
Hillhead Fell Ponies and Helen and Mark Gallagher
Wansfell Fell Ponies and Wendy Dickinson
Guards Fell Ponies and Ian and Margaret Dixon
Thankful Poems
Each November I write a poem at Thanksgiving expressing my gratitude for my life with ponies. The photo at right is from 2016. Click on the list items below to read some of them.
