CHAPTER XX 



THE SHETLAND PONY 



The native home of the Shetland pony is on a group of rocky 

 islands about 200 miles north of Scotland. These lie between 

 59 and 61 north latitude, slightly to the east of north, and 

 comprise a total of about 120 islands, with a total area of some 

 550 square miles. Only about twenty-seven of these islands are 

 inhabited. The principal island is Mainland, on which is located 

 Lerwick, the largest town and port, with about 3700 inhabitants. 

 Others of importance are Fetlar, Bressay, Fair Isle, Yell, and Unst. 

 These islands are rough and barren as a rule and are situated 

 in a turbulent sea, under unfavorable climatic conditions, where a 

 comparatively low temperature prevails for much of the year. No 

 trees or brush of significance grow on the islands, and what land 

 is cultivated lies in the valleys. On the islands the ponies are fed 

 grass and hay, not often receiving any grain, and it is said that 

 sometimes they are even obliged to eat seaweed on account of 

 shortage of hay. 



The ancestry of the Shetland pony is of course uncertain. The 

 drawings of the prehistoric horse in the caves of France show 

 considerable resemblance to the Shetland type, and it is supposed 

 that they are descendants of this prehistoric form. How long they 

 have been bred on the islands is not a matter of record, but they 

 have been bred there for centuries. In their early history they are 

 doubtless more or less related to the ponies of Iceland and 

 Scandinavia and perhaps Wales and Ireland. 



The type of the Shetland pony is really that of a small draft 

 horse, although many are seen that are fine of bone and slender 

 of body, more after the trotting-horse type. However, the ponies 

 on some of the Shetland Islands are of a different type from those 

 on others. In fact, it is claimed that a different type is found on 

 each of the following islands : Mainland, Unst, Fetlar, Fair Isle, 

 and Bressay. For example, on Fetlar, Lady Nicholson, a Scotch 



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