SHETLAND PONIES. 541 



can help in the way of exertion, though, if put to it, he evinces 

 great power of endurance, and will go through an immense 

 amount of work for his size. The Iceland variety is altogether 

 inferior, shorter-lived, narrower in build, and generally fallacious, 

 but, with all this, he is quicker, livelier, and lacks that air of pen- 

 sive melancholy which haunts every Shetland pony. Our advice 

 is to avoid the inferior animal, however highly recommended. 

 Their price is, roughly speaking, about half that of the Shetlander, 

 but the money is ill-saved. The average life of an Icelander is 

 about twelve or thirteen years, while the other will live to twenty- 

 five or even more. 



During the earlier months of spring, before the snow has fairly 

 disappeared from the Shetland uplands, the American buyer trav- 

 els over the length and breadth of the isles, picking up every likely 

 animal he can find for the foreign market. In order to secure a 

 good selection it is necessary to forestall him. Hence mid-winter 

 is the best time to buy. Just at present there is a comparative 

 scarcity of fine animals in the islands. Within the last three 

 years, and even before that, a disease affecting the ponies, incur- 

 able save in the earlier stages, and called sarcoptic mange, ravaged 

 many districts. Infected animals were freely slaughtered, and 

 the epidemic may be said to have spent itself. Still, the ponies are 

 fewer than they once were, and the price all round is considerably 

 higher. At present it may be said to range from 10 to 30 and 

 upward for three-year-olds. It is impossible, however, within the 

 limits of this paper to instruct intending buyers. The prices are 

 very variable, as the animals often pass through several hands be- 

 fore reaching the ultimate purchaser. The latter will probably 

 be victimized if buying from so-called agents in the south, as the 

 latter will endeavor to extort 18 or 20 for an animal which has 

 cost them little more than half that sum in Shetland. The only 

 safe plan is to purchase through a respectable dealer on the spot. 



The variety of coloring in these tiny animals is extraordinary. 

 Almost every possible and some all but impossible shade of 

 horse color may be seen during a day's ride through the mainland, 

 from the lightest fawn, almost white, by gray and slaty shades of 

 gradation to brown and black. There are no dapple-grays that 

 we wot of. There is a tradition, of the usual value, that brown is 

 the " true and original " hue. Cream ponies, if otherwise good, 

 fetch a higher price than others, as being a " fancy color," and the 

 same may be said of " piebalds." The theory that light-colored 

 animals are not so robust or hardy as dark ones is not borne out 

 by observation. A stripe, or ribbon-like mark, down the spine is 

 a sign of Norwegian blood, the infusion dating many years back. 

 If the Caucasian legend is to be relied upon, however, the Norway 

 pony is at least first cousin to the Shetland one. 



