Me and Harcala at Full Gallop before I introduced him to the water complexes. Here, I am driving him from behind. All sorts of reasons why you would want to drive your horse or pony from all zones... I'll get into it later, though.
Harcala at one of my house-sitting jobs. Doesn't feel like a job at all, when my horses are with me.
Harcala and India on my front lawn. I often let them roam around on-line, letting them graze and explore on their own.
Dachia Ph.D.
Mental, Emotional & Physical Fitness
for the Natural Horseman
The Fell Pony
Fell Ponies For Sale and Lease
One Size Fits All
Fell Ponies are a very rare breed. They are intelligent, versatile and hardy. Fell Ponies are compact, no taller than 14HH, but capable of carrying a full-sized adult for quite some time at a pretty good pace. They are known for their talents at all disciplines including; eventing, dressage, jumping, and hacking out. Their quiet calm demeanor makes them very good companions for those who wish a fairly unflappable, solid mount.
I was first introduced to the Fell pony in 2005. I loved them from the first minute. My goal was to raise a very small number of top quality Fells. I did not want to be the "biggest" breeder, or the oldest breeder, or any other label with no real meaning. Just a great breeder of these very rare and awesome ponies. Trying to find one for sale would prove a difficult task, however. There were only a handful available in this country, and they were all very young stock. In fact, most were in-utero. I did find a lovely little Fell filly in Oregon, and scooped her up quickly. Her breeder became a long-term resource for me and I so appreciate the relationship we have.
This is Braeberry Bonnie Lass just after foaling. 2005
And this is Braeberry Bonnie Lass a couple weeks later.
Look at the body. Look at the bone. Gorgeous.
As options in this country (and on this continent) were few, I decided to look across the pond. I filled out my Fell herd with Murthwaite Yelena and Inglegarth Harcala in England.
Both Bonnie and Yelena have produced several wonderful foals. I expect a beautiful black foal out of Bonnie Lass by BroughHill Hadrian's Wall in early Spring of 2012. He/she will be offered for sale, but I am perfectly happy to hang on to the little tyke for an extended period of time (even forever)- trail riding in the Black Hills and going all over the place.
My goal as a breeder is to be responsible, meaning not producing more than I can happily hold onto till the right home comes along. It also means that I may keep that pony for the rest of its life. It does not mean that I will cut my prices and unload that life on just anybody because I bred too many and cannot afford to keep them. I do not believe in cookie cutter horses. I have two mares with incredible breeding and I know they are both a wonderful addition to the very small gene pool of Fells in this country.
I am very conscious that having a very small gene pool, it is incredibly important to not only breed to increase that pool, but also to breed to compliment the sire and dam, producing better than them.
While there is a small glut of mediocre Fells on the market for peanuts, you'll never see one with the my name. I breed a very small number of top-notch Fells for the discerning Fell Pony enthusiast.
It starts with breeding, but doesn't end there. My foals are imprinted and handled regularly from birth. All my ponies are raised with their confidence and future in mind. I spend a great deal of time with each one of them, getting to know them. When they head off to their new homes, each pony has an excellent foundation and is ready for whatever their new partner wants to try. Now THAT is getting them off on the right hoof.
Having had Harcala for so many years, I have experienced the incredible joy of having a true equine partner. Not a day goes by that I do not thank the powers that be for allowing me to have him in my life. He is the perfect partner for me. He is curious, intelligent, sensitive and responsive (but not reactive), beautiful, and just a joy to work with and play with (around here, it's the same thing).
Both Bonnie and Yelena have produced several wonderful foals. I expect a beautiful black foal out of Bonnie Lass by BroughHill Hadrian's Wall in early Spring of 2012. He/she will be offered for sale, but I am perfectly happy to hang on to the little tyke for an extended period of time (even forever)- trail riding in the Black Hills and going all over the place.
My goal as a breeder is to be responsible, meaning not producing more than I can happily hold onto till the right home comes along. It also means that I may keep that pony for the rest of its life. It does not mean that I will cut my prices and unload that life on just anybody because I bred too many and cannot afford to keep them. I do not believe in cookie cutter horses. I have two mares with incredible breeding and I know they are both a wonderful addition to the very small gene pool of Fells in this country.
I am very conscious that having a very small gene pool, it is incredibly important to not only breed to increase that pool, but also to breed to compliment the sire and dam, producing better than them.
While there is a small glut of mediocre Fells on the market for peanuts, you'll never see one with the my name. I breed a very small number of top-notch Fells for the discerning Fell Pony enthusiast.
It starts with breeding, but doesn't end there. My foals are imprinted and handled regularly from birth. All my ponies are raised with their confidence and future in mind. I spend a great deal of time with each one of them, getting to know them. When they head off to their new homes, each pony has an excellent foundation and is ready for whatever their new partner wants to try. Now THAT is getting them off on the right hoof.
Having had Harcala for so many years, I have experienced the incredible joy of having a true equine partner. Not a day goes by that I do not thank the powers that be for allowing me to have him in my life. He is the perfect partner for me. He is curious, intelligent, sensitive and responsive (but not reactive), beautiful, and just a joy to work with and play with (around here, it's the same thing).
Harcala and me at an Event facility, utilizing their cross country course and water complexes.
We are taking a break before heading back into the water.
Harcala took the day in stride. He had not been asked to enter water before, and with some thought and trust in me, we went in. Fells are known for needing leadership, just like any other horse. But they are also known for quietly saying, "nah... I don't think so," if they feel your leadership is not up to snuff.
Back into the water, this time with me swimming, to encourage him to swim without the worry to him of something on his back... something he needs to watch out for. It did not take much to encourage him to leave the shallow end and swim out a ways.
If you are interested in having the very best equine partner, contact me for further details. Adding a Fell or two to your stable is not hard, if you are Fell material. It takes savvy, good leadership and emotional and physical fitness to be a good partner for any horse, but particularly a Fell. As you can see from the photos above, they are amazing companions. Willing attitudes and curiosity are just a couple of the wonderful characteristics you will find in a Fell. Email me and I'll show you why I have fallen for a Fell... and you will too.
Yelena and Bonnie are available for sale as well as breeding lease programs. Both mares would stay with me and foal with me. I would imprint and raise those foals just as I would my own. In this way, I can keep both mares working and in great physical condition and be certain their pregnancies and foaling are to my standards. I can help you select the right stallion for your needs- one that will compliment the mare. This is one reason why I do not have my own breeding stallion. With such a small gene pool, it is important to bring in fresh blood, but from good stock.
You can check out more information about these two wonderful mares here. Check out my blog Falling For A Fell.
Dachia Arritola
Contact me today!
Check out my blog, The Healthy Horseman.