59 



which are produced in south-country studs at the 

 present day. In selecting mares and stallions, par- 

 ticular attention should be given to their hocks, 

 because it is in that region where the heavy strains 

 of the coal mines generally first show themselves. 

 Crossing Shetlands with other ponies has occasionally 

 been tried, but with little success. The cross gener- 

 ally tends to increase the height, which is the one 

 thing of all others which must not be done ; there- 

 fore, small ponies can only be produced by purity 

 of breeding, and there are no ponies small enough 

 to push the Shetlands out of their well -deserved 

 position. 



USES OF PONIES. 



The chief work for which these ponies are required 

 is for drawing coals in the mines. Owing to their 

 small size they are specially adapted for hauling 

 trucks along the branch lines where the seams 

 of coal are low. In many coal pits the smallness 

 of ponies is a sine qua iioti, and, generally speaking, 

 the smaller they are they are the dearer. There are 

 many seams of coal in the north of England so low 

 that only ponies of from nine to ten hands are capable 

 of working in them. They are all entire, it being 

 generally believed that their strength is increased 

 thereby, and the maximum of strength and the 

 minimun of size combined is the fundamental re- 

 quirement of coal mines so far as horseflesh \s 

 concerned. 



