Height: Not exceeding 14 hands (142.2 cm). (No lower height limit).

Colour: Black, Brown, Bay or Grey preferably with no white markings, though a star or a little white on the hind feet is allowed. Chestnuts, piebalds and skewbalds are debarred.

Head: Small, well chiselled in outline, well set on, forehead broad, tapering to nose.

Nostrils: Large and expanding.

Eyes: Prominent, bright, mild and intelligent.

Ears: Neatly set, well formed and small.

Throat and jaws: Fine, showing no signs of throatiness or coarseness.

Neck: Of proportionate length, giving good length of rein, strong and not too heavy, moderate crest in case of stallion. Shoulders Most important, well laid back and sloping, not too fine at withers, not loaded at the points - a good long shoulder blade, muscles well developed.

Carcass: Good strong back of good outline, muscular loins, deep carcass, thick through heart, round ribbed from shoulders to flank, short and well coupled, hind quarters square and strong with tail well set on.

Feet, legs and joints: Feet of good size, round and well formed, open at heels with the characteristic blue horn, fair sloping pasterns not too long, forelegs should be straight, well placed not tied at the elbows. Big well-formed knees, short cannon bone, plenty of good flat bone below knee eight inches at least, great muscularity of arm. Hooves have distinctive blue horn.

Hind legs: Good thighs and second thighs, very muscular, hocks well let down and clean cut, plenty of bone below joint, hocks should not be sickle nor cow-hocked.

Action: Walk, smart and true. Trot well balanced all round with good knee and hock action, going well from the shoulder and flexing the hocks, not going too wide nor near behind. Should show great pace and endurance, bringing the hind legs well under the body when going.

Mane, tail and feathers: Plenty of fine hair (coarse hair objectionable) all the fine hair except that at the point of heel may be cast in summer. Mane and tail are left to grow long.

General Character: The Fell pony should be constitutionally as hard as iron and show good pony characteristics with the unmistakable appearance of hardiness peculiar to mountain ponies, and, at the same time, have a lively and alert appearance and great bone. Ponies to be shown unplaited and untrimmed; including head and face, mane and tail which should not have been previously plaited as the hair should be straight and silky. Ponies may be shod or unshod. White rope or webbing halters may be used to show the youngstock, brood-mares and geldings in hand. Foals to be haltered and led. Stallions and colts 2 years old and over should be shown in a leather show halter or bridle. Stallion tack is optional. Yearling colts not to be bitted. Brood mares suckling foals not to be shown under saddle or in harness.

Trimming Rules: Eye make-up and hair dying is not allowed. Clipping of winter coats on working ponies whilst not encouraged for showing classes is not debarred. Ponies not to be penalised if they have been freeze-branded. Although eligible for licensing from 2 years old, colts must be licensed for showing at 3 years old.