38 PONIES. 



enormous amount of work, proving to the pro- 

 prietor that they can be of more real use than 

 animals of much larger proportions. 



Shetland ponies are very suitable for children, 

 provided that they are properly broken. It is a 

 very good plan to purchase an unbroken Shetland 

 pony, and then break it for children's use, both 

 for saddle and for harness. Select a pony from 

 nine to ten hands, or a trifle over the latter, either 

 black, or brown in colour. White specimens of 

 Shetlands are exceedingly rare, but bays, browns, 

 blacks, chestnuts, and roans, are the usual colours. 



The prices of these ponies range from four or five 

 pounds up to twenty or thirty, or even more ; but 

 one can purchase a first-class Shetland pony from 

 seven to twelve pounds. Some of them are very 

 fast ; in fact, a Shetland pony, which the writer 

 used to drive, was one of the fastest ponies he has 

 known for its size. 



No matter whatever variety of pony be selected, 

 the purchaser should see that the animal has good 

 knee and hock action ; and that both these joints 

 are free from disease, such as stiffness, and the 

 latter free from bone-spavin, swelling, etc. The 

 head should be small, covered by thin skin, and 

 line in its oulHnc ; any tendency towards coarse- 



