PONIES 75 



Russian, Iceland, and Basuto ponies. All these various 

 types of ponies possess certain distinctive features, more 

 conspicuous in some than in others. The thoroughbred 

 or blood pony is, so far as make and shape are concerned, 

 the lightest built animal amongst the whole of the ponies, 

 and next on the list comes the hackney pony, which has, 

 of course, descended from the thoroughbred. The breed 

 first named is a saddle horse pure and simple, consequently 

 we find that it is usually advertised and sold as a boy's 

 hunter. It is practically a replica of its larger prototype, 

 the thoroughbred, and really represents the blood horse. 

 The hackney pony is essentially one employed for 

 harness purposes, and if the reader will trouble to refer 

 to our description of the hackney he wiU find this pony 

 therein referred to. The Arab pony is closely allied to 

 the thoroughbred and possesses great staying power. It 

 is an extremely handsome animal and commonly bright 

 bay or grey in colour. It makes an excellent saddle pony 

 and has been used both as a sire and for play in polo. All 

 the hill ponies are very hardy, and very sure-footed. 

 They are willing workers when properly broken, and 

 capable of a large amount of endurance. In action, 

 pace, and manners they vary considerably, some being 

 much better than others, and not a few useless for 

 any purpose, unless it be for removing the herbage from 

 some barren mountain-side. The Shetland ponies are 

 hardy little creatures, very suitable for children, either 

 for saddle or harness, and being small they are inexpensive 

 to keep and inexpensive to purchase. We have seen 

 them sold for as little as £4 apiece, but a good Shetland 

 pony can be bought almost anywhere for £12 or £15, at 

 which price it should have good manners, be five or six 

 years old, and thoroughly broken. Soundness in these 

 ponies is a mere matter of detail. The Welsh ponies are 

 most excellent animals, and being a little larger than the 

 breed last named, are really more useful for work in a 

 small governess car. Some of them can get over the 



