57 



kinds of work. Like mules, they are very sure-footed, 

 which no doubt is a hereditary acquirement after 

 running- over these rough islands for so many cen- 

 turies. They are practically free from hereditary 

 diseases which is probably due to the comparatively 

 wild state in which they are reared. With natural 

 food and shelter they are more immune from disease 

 than horses under greater domestication. In colour, 

 they vary from dun, chesnut, bay, brown, and black. 

 The last-named colour predominates, and is con- 

 sidered the characteristic colour of the breed. There 

 are also skewbalds and piebalds, but these form an 

 unimportant minority, and are not desirable as a rule. 



BREEDING. 



Shetland ponies have been much improved in 

 quality, conformation, and bone, and this, to a great 

 extent, is due to owners of large studs who have 

 the means and material at command. Crofters, who 

 breed these ponies in the islands, are too poor to 

 give fancy prices for pedigreed pony stallions, and, 

 in consequence, a good deal of indiscriminate breed- 

 ing is prevalent. The ponies are allowed to run over 

 the rough outer commons during summer, and are 

 brought into the inner commons during winter. 

 Unless the ground is covered with snow they prac- 

 tically receive no artificial food, and are never brought 

 under cover at all, which treatment no doubt explains 

 the wonderful hardiness of their constitutions. In 

 their natural habitat the hair on their bodies grows 



