152 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



Shetland Pony Studbook quite a number of ponies ranging from 

 30 to 36 inches have been registered. The American Shet- 

 land Pony Club in its standard gives twenty-five out of a 

 hundred points to height. Ponies over four years old should be 

 42 inches and under, and two points are deducted for every inch 

 over this up to 46, above which height they are disqualified. 

 Catherine Sinclair, in Shetland and its Inhabitants, says that 

 when well fed the ponies will reach the size of a donkey, and in 

 contrast notes that a Mr. Hayes raised a perfectly formed pony 

 only 20 inches high. As the Shetland is used to a considerable 

 extent in coal mines in England for hauling coal cars, a small pony 

 is preferable to a large one. The weight of a good specimen of 

 the breed may be about 350 pounds for one 40 inches high. 



The head of the Shetland should not be too fine, the eye 

 should be prominent, the neck incline to be short and strong 

 with some crest in stallions, the shoulders should be strong and 

 drafty, the breast prominent and full, the body short in coup- 

 ling, wide on the back, with considerable spring and depth of 

 rib, the croup broad, fairly level, and wide, with the tail set high, 

 the quarters full and strong, the legs short and of superior bone, 

 though perhaps appearing heavy, and the feet round, dark, and 

 of excellent bone. A long heavy coat of hair occurs on the body 

 in cold weather, while at all times a long, heavy foretop, mane, 

 and tail are characteristic. No breed of horses carries so much 

 hair naturally as does the Shetland. If the pony is leggy and 

 lacks in body, this will be due to Icelandic or other blood. Nar- 

 row chests and cow hocks are far too common with specimens of 

 the breed seen in America. The color is quite variable, black, bay, 

 and brown being common, but there are gray, roan, and chest- 

 nut, with combinations of- white with all these colors. In fact 

 piebald or spotted ponies are quite common. 



The improvement of the Shetland pony was begun in 1873 by 

 the Marquis of Londonderry of England, who owns extensive coal 

 mines. He purchased the island of Noss and part of Bressay, and 

 maintained studs there and at Seaham Harbor on the northeast 

 coast of England. The work of the Marquis of Londonderry 

 resulted in greatly improving the uniformity of type and color, 

 reducing size, but increasing bone without detriment to quality. 



