“The village of Dufton, in which the hill farm of Keisley is situated, was quite a centre of pony breeding, and for many generations the Fell-side farmers in this district have been noted for their ponies; they bred them to the best Fell pony stallions, most of which were trained trotters of great speed. Each of the three mares originally purchased to found the stud at Keisley were got from well-known locally bred dams and grand-dams, and all were selected to match each other in character and style. The mare from which two of them were bred was from a very old strain by a stallion pony called Long Cropper, a record trotter; and all the three mares were themselves by a pony called Blooming Heather, another well-known pony stallion of a few generations younger. These mares have been put to a stallion got by Mars from a pony mare belonging to Col. Stirling, Kippendavie, and the present stud, with the exception of two of the mares originally purchased, are all by him. Last season, and this, a pony stallion by Little Wonder II. has been in use, and five or six of the mares have foaled to him, the end of May and beginning of June being quite early enough for these mares to foal, as they are never under cover unless broken-in, especially as they very readily stand to their service at first season after foaling. “When safe in foal they are turned out to the higher allotments and the open fell with their foals, where they run from July to November; save in exceptionally hard winters they get no hand feeding in the shape of hay, as they thrive and do well in the rough open allotments, to which they are generally brought down in November to remain until the end of March. “In height these ponies run from 12 to 13 hands, and with the exception of two blacks all are of uniform rich dark bay colour with black points. Just at first, when brought in wild to break, they are a little nervous, but if kindly treated soon become very docile and easily handled. They are very easily broken both for riding and driving, and ponies comparatively quite small carry with ease men of ordinary stature. They are the most useful means of locomotion in crossing the mountain ranges and traversing the hilly roads of the district. Although of no great size these ponies are very muscular, their bones and joints are fine, hard and clean, and, generally speaking, they have good middles. Some are perhaps a little short in quarter, but with a fair shoulder, and their legs, ankles and feet are all that can be desired. There certainly seems to be very fair field in the district for breeding ponies, as they are very cheaply and easily reared, and when fit to break in can be disposed of for a very fairly good figure.”