SHETLAXDS AND SCOTS. 67 



which is probably merely the Turkoman horse stunted by 

 the hard fare and severe winters of the hill country. And 

 lastly, in America we have the Indian Pony of the nortl], 

 of the Canadian type, the Mustang of the south-west, 

 and in South America a very singular-looking breed of 

 horses, of very diminutive size, which is found in the 

 mountains of Venezuela. 



On these various families of ponies we shall touch more 

 at length, and on the qualities for which they are famous 

 and worthy to be more generally cultivated in our own 

 country. 



We admit that we wish we were more a race of horsemen, 

 and less a race of sulky, buggy or wagon-drivers. The 

 saddle is the true use of the horse ; and riding is the man- 

 liest, freest, boldest of exercises. We can hardly fancy a 

 good rider to be a fool or a fribble ; a coward he cannot 

 be by any possibility. It is for this reason that we would 

 gladly see ponies more largely introduced, and even bred 

 in this country ; nor would it be amiss to introduce premi- 

 ums for the encouragement of this breed at agricultural 

 fairs. 



SHETLAXDS AND SCOTS. 



Unquestionably, the most remarkable of all the Euro- 

 pean pony races, and the best adapted for one of the 

 principal uses to which ponies are applicable, are, the little 

 Shetlanders, which are natives of all the northern Scottish 

 isles, but which are found of the smallest size and of the 

 most perfect form in the extreme northern isles of Yell 

 and Unst. None of the Shetlanders exceed in the average 

 nine or ten hands — that is to say, from three feet to three 

 feet four inches in height ; and none are considered truly 

 bred which exceed eleven hands, or three feet eight inches. 

 Many are found which do not exceed thirty or thirty-two 

 inches, and which are consequently inferior in size to 



