Sorry for the late reply but only just seen thread lol

No way is 9/10 too old to compete! I have just bought a 16.3tb Mare, 12yo, and I am starting to compete her next year! She also sat in a field for 2 years, couldn't tell you why because I was never told, and other than the occasional hack she lived out 24/7 eating! She was also in a bad way when I got her i.e. underweight and had no muscle at all (she wears a 5'9 rug!!!)

I looked at her once, sat on her for couple minutes and then bought her because I knew I had to take her home and had a gut feeling it would be a good decision. Turns out it was!!
Yes, she needed physio and few other bits so did take a bit of time but in 5 months I have now got her up to weight (if not a little fat), muscle buidling up, coat in good condition, riding her 6 days a week, some of which out on hacks (which she is brilliant on may I ad) and she is also now jumping over 3ft while being let loose in the school and has an unbelieveable amount of talent!
I dont think you can think something through too much, try and find out as much infor as pos but also go with what your gut is telling you.

Let us know how u get on

[QUOTE=DUSTY;About 4 years ago I fell in love with a 14hh fell pony t
His brother who refused to sell the pony. Now I have the opportunity to have the fell. It is now about 9 or 10. I don't know anything about his life before only that for the last 4 years he's been turned out to grass.
He's friendly and will let me stroke him and groom him. I had a pony many years ago so the actual looking after one isn't an issue, I know the costs ( the vets made a living from me )and commitment involved and I have my own land. My concern is whether he is too old to work with and to look at riding him? As I'm the wrong side of 40 now I don't bounce as well as I used to so falls will hurt::[/QUOTE]

Simple Question: Can a 40+ lady with good intentions ride a 10 year old 14H Fell gelding
Simple Answer: Yes, if the woman knows what she is doing

Better Question : Is this a wise course of action for a lady who has not ridden for a decade or more?
Honest Answer : Who knows without seeing the lady ride a different but more recently used 14Hpony.
Who knows without seeing the Fell pony in question
Who knows without seeing the Lady mounted on the Fell
Who knows without assessing the knowledge and nature of the woman

The very fact you have asked such a complicated question over the Internet would suggest that you do not have the required knowledge but at the same time it also indicates that you yourself question whether you have the ability.
and the knowledge required.

BUT the fact also remains that the Fell needs a better home than it has got
& The Lady seems to have both good intentions and the land on which to keep the pony.

The big consideration in this case is what is best for the Pony?

May I suggest that before you enter into a committment to a living creature which is 100% dependent on its owner for its well being that you sit down with pen and paper and ask yourself exactly why you are prepared to tke this step. Owning a Pony is a significant responsibility not to be undertaken lightly.
Secondly Please look around amongst you local friends and acquaintances as to whether there is anyone with a recent knowledge of owning a horse which they have kept on their own land. You will need their help and supervision.

You can be taught to ride.
The pony can be sent away to be rebacked.
Your land can be re-equipped to house the pony.

But the undeniable problem is whether you can acquire on your own sufficient knowledge and ability to be safe to take the pony out onto the nearby lanes without company.

What we are discussing here is not so much what you do know about horses but what you do not know.

Owning a horse, whatever its size, is not a sport or a hobby, it is a way of life. A Fell could live you out.

The fundamental question in this case is not: 'Can you take on this pony?'
it is: 'Should you take on this pony bearing in mind your lack of experience?'

I am sorry but I tend to disagree with your post Barry G.
Asking for some advice online is not a fact of not being capable of looking after a horse. I have owned horses years but still ask advice on here and between people I know because I think it is better to ask than to get it wrong especially with, as you say, a living creature which is highly dependant on ourselves. She should not be critisized for asking advice from fellow horse owners and lovers when as we all know, in the horse world EVERYONE has a difference of opinion. Loads of people made an opinion in my choice of horse but it was my horse, my choice and turns out it was the best choice I ever made.

I agree that obviously you have an opinion and your opinion is blatantly in the best interest of the horse which is how I think more people should act but I also think that you can never truely understand owning until you do.
I have found with my horses that each one if soooo different that it makes no difference if you have experience with the previous one's as you will find that you are looking after the new one completely different anyway.

Dusty... This is your decision so either way I'm sure it will be the right one. Just have lots of people around who have lots of experience so that you always have help if you find he is a bit much at first. Even if he is you will soon get used to it. My moto is that you have to put your worries at the back of your mind when you have no choice but to look after an animal like a horse. You cant just leave him so scared or not he will have to be fed, groomed, mucked out etc so just gotta get on with it!

Best of luck and let us all know what you decide xx

Thank you so much for all the positive replies.

BarryG, I appreciate you taking time to reply and assume your tone was not meant to be patronising but having owned a horse for 10 years previously whom I had to reschool from reading books and asking others as I wasn't fortunate enough to be able to go to 'proper lessons' having learnt to ride from the ----that's the head end school of horsemanship I'm well aware of the pitfalls of horse ownership and yes i'm surrounded by others with horses who will support but have no experience of my issue.

I'll rephrase my question to "IS IS POSSIBLE FOR A TEN YEAR OLD FELL TO BE BROKEN IN "

As I don't know or have any way of knowing if he has already been broken that was my first consideration.

I don't want to compete, just have a good hack.

The day I stop asking questions is the day i'm 6 foot under as in all walks of life that's the only way to improve in whatever you do!

Dusty, well said. I think there should be more people like you who are considering taking on a horse they know nothing about just to know it has a good home with you.
I personally think it is much better to rescue than to buy one that doesnt need a home! Since rescuing mine (my first rescue, not a ready made horse) I will only ever rescue from now on because I believe it is so much more rewarding! Everyday I find out something new about my horse and I have had her 5 months now, This is the best bit if you ask me. I neither learnt from "the best" and learnt all that I know from asking other people and if I needed help I always asked and always will, I like to think of this as injury prevention for you and the horse!

Make sure you keep us updated on what you decide and if you do decide to go ahead, make sure you put lots of pics on here

Dusty
Taking the responsibility for rescuing a neglected horse is a very significant committment.
"Falling in love with Fell pony" is understandable in a young teenage girl. I have found that mature ladies of 40plus are usually more reserved in declaring their affections. However in a sense your words help set the scene to we readers of a post over the internet. Fells can be cute.

What I have been trying to say - in my aged male speak - is that this project calls for considerable expertise - the sort not always found in books and certainly not in 5 line answers over the internet - even from well wishers.

Can a mature Fell be taught manners? - in theory yes - but there must be a question mark about whether the animal is too independent. Presumably if you knew more about the pony's early life you would have told the Forum. The early years in a horse's life can be the most influential and you will have difficulty in erasing those memoriies - good and bad - which this pony has experienced. Noone on this forum can make a judgement as to the trainability of a horse without
getting close to it, touching it and working with it - certainly not a valid judgement for you to have to pay the price over the long term for.

From my point of view - if you are prepared to give the horse a good home - once you learn what that is -it doesn't matter whether you ever ride the animal, it will be better off with your giving some tender loving care than it will ever be standing out neglected in some field. But the knowledge any long term horse owner and rider has acquired doesn't come easily - it takes years to acquire about not only what to do but what not to do. The big risk with you is that of your become a doting owner and spoiling the animal.
If it really is cute and crafty it will run rings round you.
If your land is too lush and you over feed it, then it will get laminitis.
And just in the handling of a stubborn, ill trained independent moorland pony on the ground you might get hurt. Fells can be tough little devils.

If you have some local experienced help then maybe go ahead - the pleasure from owning a horse goes way beyond just riding it. But please don't take the creature on and then dump it in a year's time because you can't cope. A pony can live over 30 years.

Incidentally - few other suggestions:
Get the pony examined by a well respected horse vet - legs, feet, back, teeth, movement - the works and take careful note of what the vet says.
Find a local Pilates exercise group - you'll need to be strong round the centre core area - stomach muscles, lower back, thighs - with flexible hamstrings and calves.
Buy a hard hat and a body protector.
Cancel all holidays, re-arrange your daily schedule and get ready to spend a fortune on tack.
And as a mature lady, don't even think of falling off.

If you really want to join the international horsey club - then do so - just make sure you pick the right horse for you and your circumstances.

Barry G I think you are way to negative and obviously one for ready made horses!
Like I said, I bought a horse in March which I knew nothing about and she was the best thing I have ever bought!!
Just because she hasn't owned horses recently does not mean she doesn't have a clue what she is doing, just means some things may need refreshing in her mind but that comes in no time with dealing with the horse daily!

Like I have said every horse is different and some more of a task than others but you will never know until you try, so Dusty, go with what you think! You know that you are not stupid like you are being made out to be so do what you think is right!! xx

Mel who has experience of rescuing horses writes I am being too negative. Dusty writes that I am patronising. Me, well I see too many inexperienced owner /riders getting into serious trouble because they chose the wrong horse at the wrong time in their lives. And hacking out into this modern world is no safe and simple exercise.

The scenario is exactly as Monty Roberts warns against. His website receives repeated requests for help over the internet but he has now decided as policy never to reply because so often the background information given by the enquirer is either incomplete, inaccurate or generally misleading. He doesn’t actually say that few people like hearing what they don’t want to hear, but he implies it.

I suspect Dusty has made her decision and I wish her well with her project. But I have a good idea of what she is taking on and I am not sure she does - yet.

Well i'm impressed BarryG is you can read the tea leaves and see what's ahead for me.

You too had to start somewhere.

I have owned a horse before having been around horses previously for many years and brought a very green soul on so that he came out with ribbons at every showing and x country event we went to, having learn't from books and talking to people

Unfortunately you are the sort of person I forgot inhabit shows and equestrian centres, being negative and looking down on others.

However to everyone else who's taken time to reply, a big thank you.

I have recently moved house and have met a lovely lady who has two horses and has welcomed my interest in getting back into horses and invited me to ride and help her so I can 'refresh' my memory of the pleaures and pain of horses in readiness for next year when i'm fortunate enough to be able to retire in my late 40's.

Barry G, is it good to see you can read! There is a difference to giving your opinion and talking down to someone. Dusty has asked for advice, which the rest of us have replied to with courtesy, you have spoken down to her and decided that just because you do not know her she is incapable of bringing on a horse.
In my opinion, most people that make out they are high and mighty in the horse world tend to do alot worse than those of us who ask and enjoy it. Going it alone can be very difficult including dangerous, you are suggesting that she is in the wrong for asking our opinion's when in fact she is probably doing what most new owners dont do and finding out the facts.

I personally did not sign up to this forum to have people who talk down to others and think they are better than everyone else commeting horrible suggestive comments just because "thats what Mnty Roberts says".

People on here will give you there help if you need it, so please have the same respect for others.

Dusty... Have a great time and start a new post with pictures :-) xx