CLASSES AND BREEDS OF BRITISH HORSES. 515 



and it was not until the loth century that they became sub- 

 ject to the Scoto-Saxon Princes. Their first and most inti- 

 mate connexion having been with Norway, it is reasonable to 

 suppose that their horses were derived from that country ; 

 or that, if an anterior race existed in the country, it was 

 mixed in blood with that of the horses of the Northmen. 

 The more recent intermixture may be supposed to have been 

 with the horses of the adjoining islands of Orknqy, and in 

 later times with those of Scotland proper. But tradition 

 refers to a further intermixture with the horses of Spain, 

 when the terrible Armada of Philip pursued its disastrous 

 flight round the extreme north of Scotland. Many of the 

 huge galleons and smaller vessels of that ill-fated expedition 

 were stranded on the Zetland shores, and others found refuge 

 in the creeks and natural bays of the country. It is further 

 known that the Spanish ships were largely supplied with 

 horses ; and it may therefore be believed that some of these 

 Spanish horses were left behind, which could not fail to im- 

 press their characters on those of the Islands, probably few 

 in number, and held in little esteem. But this supposition 

 is almost confirmed by the aspect and properties of many of 

 the existing race, numbers of which are extremely handsome, 

 are fleeter in proportion to their size than any of the Bother 

 ponies of Scotland, and tend very generally to the brown or 

 bay colour, characteristic of the horses of southern climates. 



But whatever be the origin or degree of mixture with other 

 races of the horses of Zetland, their diminutive size marks 

 the influence, of a rigorous climate and scanty nourishment. 

 Their ordinary height is about 36 inches, or 9 hands ; many 

 of them do not exceed 7i hands, or 30 inches ; and some fall 

 even below the latter standard. 



These little horses in their native islands are left almost 

 in the state of nature until they are caught for use. They 

 have no shelter from the continued storms of tempestuous 

 seas, beyond what the crags, ravines, and sides of hills, afford ; 

 and they scarcely ever receive any food but what they can 



