SHETLAND AND WELSH PONIES. 233 



absorbed all offerings good, bad and indiffer- 

 ent. The seal of approval has been set on the 

 Sheltie by the American people, his extreme 

 docility, picturesque appearance and trust- 

 worthiness giving him the best sort of a recom- 

 mendation as a child ^s mount. 



All colors known in horseflesh are 'to be found 

 among the Shetlands, gray and roan being by 

 far the most scarce. Piebald and skewbald in 

 all the various combinations of bay, brown, 

 black, chestnut and white are common and so 

 are duns, mouse-colors, bays, chestnuts, browns 

 and blacks. The ponies of the Faroe Islands 

 and Iceland run tqucIi to parti-colors and it is 

 unquestionable that some of those strains have 

 been mixed with the Shetlands both in Scotland 

 and in this country, but not of later years. 

 These two types differ markedly from the Shet- 

 land in conformation, that of the latter being 

 infinitely preferable. The pony in the frontis- 

 piece is the champion of the breed in Scotland ; 

 the American champion is. the second from the 

 end in the group of four. It will be observed 

 that there is some slight difference in the type 

 favored here and in Caledonia. 



The Welsh pony, the only other pony breed 

 for which a stud book exists in this country, is 

 of great antiquity — a little larger than the 

 Shetland, a little better set up about the head 

 and neck and generally a better actor. Many 

 of the Welsh ponies have a considerable degree 

 of speed, which is perhaps to be accounted for 

 in the fact that in a very early day small Nor- 

 folk Trotters were crossed into the breed on the 



