HORSES OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS 125 



How and when these ponies, or rather the ancestral 

 stock from which they are derived, reached the 

 Shetlands is unknown, although some writers have 

 suggested a Scandinavian and others a Scottish 

 origin. From the circumstance that the " Bressay 

 Stone," discovered at Bressay in 1864, includes 

 amono- other desio^ns the ficjure of a man on horse- 

 back, it has been inferred that ponies were found 

 in Shetland previous to the extermination of Celtic 

 Christianity by the Norwegian invasion of 872,^ 

 but the value of this evidence seems doubtful. 



The general characteristics of " Shelties " have 

 been already indicated when discussing the so-called 

 Celtic pony. The average height is about 10 hands, 

 io| hands being the maximum show-standard ; but 

 many do not exceed 9 hands. As regards colour, 

 bay, brown, and dull black are the most prevalent 

 shades, but these may be mingled with white, 

 and in rare instances the whole coat may be white. 

 Although in winter the coat is long, close, and 

 shaggy, in summer the hair is quite short and 

 sleek. It is stated that Shetland mares frequently 

 have tusks as long as those of the stallions. As 

 already mentioned, some Shelties are cart-horse-like 

 in make, while others are of a more slender and 

 Arab-like type. The frequent presence of black 

 in the colouring is considered to be indicative of 

 Norwegian, and thus of Barb blood. 



^ Gilbey, op. ciL, p. 103. 



