HORSES OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS 121 



race. . . . They are hardy, active, surefooted in a 

 remarkable degree, and retain the peculiar amble 

 of the Spanish jenet." 



The existence of a large amount of Barb blood 

 in Connemara ponies is admitted by Professor 

 Ridgeway,^ who gives reasons for believing that 

 the ponies of Iceland, the Hebrides, and the Faroes 

 were derived from Ireland, subsequently to the 

 infusion of Barb blood into the latter country. 



Now, as mentioned in the last chapter, the ponies 

 of Iceland, Finland, the Faroes, Shetland, Hebrides, 

 Connemara, Wales, and parts of England are 

 regarded by Professor Ewart as indicating a special 

 type for which the name Equus caballus celticus 

 was proposed in 1903.- These ponies, of which the 

 Iceland breed appears to be regarded as the typical 

 representative, are collectively characterised, when 

 pure bred, by the following features: — The height 

 is about 12 hands, and the general colour very 

 similar to that of the Mongolian tarpan. The head 

 is small and delicately formed, the legs and hoofs 

 are fine, and the hind chestnuts are lacking, as are 

 also the ergots on all four fetlocks. The coat in 

 winter is long and thick, the mane and forelock 

 are properly developed, and the tail is luxuriant, 

 with short hairs at the side of the base, which form 

 a pad to protect the inside of the buttocks, and are 



^ The Thoroughbred Horse, pp. 419, 420. 

 ^ Vide supra, p. loi. 



