PONIES.] 



THE HOESE, AND 



[ponies 



bred English horse. This is a circumstance 

 with regard to which there is no dispute. It 

 is a matter of history, and it is highly credit- 

 able to our sporting-men and breeders," 



This national principle of horse-breeding 

 consists in matching the horse and mare in 

 respect to size, substance, blood, and a certain 

 conventional symmetry, so as to obtain a form 

 in the foal, in which may subsist a union of 

 strength and ability for labour, with the 

 powers of activity and speedy progression. 

 We proceed on the principle that, generally 

 speaking, "like produces Hke," although to 

 this rule, like most others, exceptions appear. 



As we imported foreign horses, invariably 

 improving upon those models, so we originally 

 imported the art of farriery and veterinary 

 science from the schools of Italy and Erance, 

 improving upon them likewise. In the earlier 

 periods of which we have been treating, the 

 farriers of note, and the riding-masters in 

 England, were generally Italian and French. 

 They were, indeed, sufficiently barbarous and 

 unenlightened ; but our native artists were in- 

 conceivably more so, when the length of time 

 is considered, through which their art had been 

 in universal practice m all its branches, 



PONIES AND GALLOWAYS. 



There is still one breed of horses, which 

 may be considered aboriginal in Great Bri- 

 tain, and which is the Slietland ponies — called 

 SheUies by the natives of Scotland. The de- 

 scription of these astonishing little animals 

 almost exceeds belief. They are less in size 

 than the Orkney horses ; for some are but nine, 

 others ten hands high ; and they are thought 

 big horses if eleven ; but although they are 

 BO small, they are full of vigour and life. Some 

 of the smaller sizes often prove the strongest. 

 Many of them are so diminutive that an able 

 man could lift them up in his arras ; yet it is 

 said they will carry him and a woman behind 

 him eight miles forward, and as many back. 

 Summer or winter they never enter a house, 

 but, in some places, run upon the mountains, 

 in troops ; and if, at any time, in winter they 

 are straitened for food, they will descend from 

 the hills when the ebb is in the sea, and feed 

 upon the sea-weed. Winter storms and 

 scarcity of food, bring them frequently so 



about the end of June, when they are at their 

 best. They live to a considerable age, reach- 

 ing twenty-six, twenty-eight, or thirty years; 

 and are good for riding at twenty-four. Those 

 of a black colour are esteemed the most capa- 

 ble of endurance. The pied often prove not 

 so good. The smallest of the breed are in the 

 northern isles of Tell and TJnst. The coldness 

 of the air, coupled with their scanty provender 

 and hard usage, may influence their growth 

 to a large extent ; for, even if bigger horses 

 are brought into these islands, their offspring 

 will, in a little time, degenerate. 



After viewing these little shelties, which are 

 almost of as much importance to the cotter of 

 their country, as the fleet Arabian of the 

 desert is to his master, we feel lost in admira- 

 tion at the wisdom of that Power who has 

 adapted animals just to suit the situation in 

 wliich they can be of most service to man. 



Vie, now and then, see some of these small 

 creatures in the southern parts of England, 

 harnessed to a light garden chair, or some- 

 times carrying an almost baby rider. There 

 are several of them in Windsor-park. It would 

 be curious to watch the stock of these little 

 animals, and to see what improvement, in size, 

 a richer pasture would have upon the small- 

 ness of their original breed. 



Besides the Shetland, there is the Highland 

 pony, which is not pleasant to ride, except at 

 a canter. His habits make him hardy, for 

 he is rarely housed in the summer or the 

 winter. The Rev. Mr. Hall says, that when 

 these animals come to any boggy piece of 

 ground, they first put their noses to it, and 

 then pat on it, in a peculiar way, with one of 

 their fore-feet ; and from the sound and feel of 

 the ground, they know whether it will bear 

 them. They do the same with ice, and deter- 

 mine, in a minute, whether they will proceed. 

 The Welsh pony is one of the most beau- 

 tiful little animals that can be imagined. He 

 lias a small head, high withers, deep, yet round 

 barrel, short joints, flat legs, and good round 

 feet. He runs with great speed ; has a wild 

 and roguish look ; and is just such an animal 

 as a spirited girl of sixteen would delight to 

 I be perched upon. When seen tossing his 

 ' mane on the sides of his native mountains, no 

 quadruped can be more attractive. The A¥elsh 



low that they do not recover their strength till , ponies are said to be indebted to the celebrated 

 54 



