THE FAMILY PONY. 141 



The pure bred ones rarely exceed twelve hands, and the smallest, 

 are pretty toys, sometimes no taller than an ordinary mastiff. 

 Their usual colour is black, though other colours are met with,, 

 and the coat — as might be expected — is shaggy, with a long, 

 thick forelock, mane, and tail. 



A writer who, a few years ago, visited the Shetland Islands,, 

 thus refers to these little animals. " Every one nses the ponies 

 of the country. The Norwegian colours — dun, with black 

 mane and tail, and a black stripe down the back — are in 

 request ; bays and blacks are most common, greys and chestnuts- 

 scarce. Piebalds are to be found, but are not in favour with 

 many native buyers, from the opinion that they partake of an 

 Iceland cross, and are softer and slower than the true native 

 Shetlander. They are often imported in great numbers at. 

 Granton (near Edinburgh) and Aberdeen. The best Shet- 

 landers come from Unst. They are bred on a thin soil, studded 

 with large red stones and kinds of rocks, amongst which one 

 sees scores of ponies picking the green grass which the light of 

 heaven and the breath of the Gulf Stream force up from a 

 barren-looking bed. Unst may be regarded as the heart of 

 Shetland — a sunny, genial-looking spot when other parts of the 

 country are dismal enough in the late spring. If well kept the 

 ponies reach forty-four inches (eleven hands), but the average 

 is thirty-eight to forty-two inches. Each cottar has generally 

 a few ponies on the hill, which they catch and offer to the 

 dealers for sale in May and October. When the trade in 

 ponies for coal-pits was at its height, five hundred were taken 

 every year (not thirty mares amongst them), and about two 

 hundred for general use, of all ages, from two to twelve years. 

 These heavy sales, continued for some years, drained the Shet- 

 lands of aged ponies. Of late, the dealers' purchases have 

 fallen off. In 1867 a good horse pony was worth £7 ; a mare, 

 unless a wonder, was £2 less. The chief demand of mine- 

 owners is in January and February. In the Durham collieries 



