Appleby fell ponies

[Holidayhomehell]

Sorry sorry! It’s not an AIBU really.

We are in Cumbria, staying around an hour from Appleby. DD loves horses and someone told her that you can see wild ponies in Appleby.

DH thinks it’s a waste of time and we might go and not see any.

Can anyone help? Waste of time?

A waste of time and a dodgy AF road to drive down. Not sure Appleby is especially known for wild horses but I could be wrong

Head up towards Mungrisdale and there are quite a few around there

Whereabouts are you staying? There could be some closer?

I'm not sure about Appleby.. There are definitely some on Askham Fell. If you drive to Pooley Bridge at Ullswater probably about a 30 minute drive, and walk up to Roe Head Lane you can get onto the fell and walk up and across to Askham. There are some beauties up there usually.

Definitely none in Appleby she may be getting confused with the horse fair in June.

Come down to the new forest next time! They are everywhere! A right pain if you're trying to have a picnic!!! 😂

They are near Tebay too
www.countryfile.com/wildlife/wildlife-stories/history-of-cumbrias-fell-ponies/

That’s what I was thinking - don’t tell everyone though 😉

Appleby is where the annual horse fair is held each year.

its within the Lake District national park they roam wild, which is a totally different area, as per the suggestion above you’re probably a lot closer to them than you realise!

There are some wild fell ponies on Cartmel Fell near Fell Foot. You’d just need to park in Staveley in Cartmel and walk up the footpath, they are in the first part of the fell you get to.

We are near Silloth. My uncle told her he saw them - 20 years ago!! So I’m guessing he is mixed up! She is 8 and horse max

Leaving this morning and wondering if anyone with local knowledge knows if there are any closer?

DD would love them disturbing our picnic!

Wherever you go - please don't feed them or encourage them to come near to roads. People just refuse to stop feeding and pursuing the New Forest ponies and donkeys. They encourage them to come to roads to get the treats, which inevitably results in ponies dying. Sorry if it's a damper, but ponies and horses ranging free aren't there for our entertainment or as a petting zoo.

@Holidayhomehell , you might see white fell ponies on Great Mell Fell.

We absolutely wouldn’t do that. We are animal lovers and would love to see them
in their habitat. But thank you for highlighting

Appleby is famous for the horse fair, traditional travellers in horse-drawn caravans make their way to Appleby, from all over the UK. In the weeks leading up to it, they camp on the roadside on their journey, and you can see the horses tethered when they stop for the night, or get stuck in a traffic jam on narrow roads behind a traditional canvas covered caravan, with extra horses trotting behind. They show off their trotting horses in the lanes around Appleby, and wash them in the river that runs through the centre.
However you don't see wild fell ponies on the streets or the in the country side around Appleby as far as I know.

New forest always has tons for a visit another time!

And the forest has donkeys as well, who are beyond cute and often very friendly.

There is a herd of fell ponies near Appleby. They are up on the fells on the Pennines.