There have been Fell Ponies at Lownthwaite since at least 1889, when Thos Wales and his mother Mary moved to Lownthwaite at a time when equines were the “power house” of agriculture. Today the Lownthwaite ponies are one of the last semi-feral herd of Fell Ponies to roam the Northern Pennines and are managed by mother and daughter who are the 5th generation of the family.

So I would like to introduce my guests Christine Morton and Alison Bell, Christine is President of the Fell Png Society, and Alison site on the Fell Pony Society Council.

In this show Tom talks about the history of Lownthwaite, ponies forecasting the weather, Clydesdale v Shire horses, Pit Ponies, Gallowas and Jaggers, the cycle of the seasons, and asks “Why do we do it?”