PONY TYPES 171 



This score card is not ideal and needs revising, but thus 

 far it is the only official standard in use. It will be noted 

 that emphasis is placed on size and legs, each of these fea- 

 tures scoring twenty-five points. Size is certainly a very 

 important factor, and as a rule the smaller sized pony 

 meets with most approval. The legs of the pony should be 

 muscular and assume positions to conform to the standard 

 expressed in the scale of points of the draft horse. Judges 

 should discriminate especially against crooked hocks. A 

 neatly turned foot, of good size, wide and high at the heel 

 is desirable. Quality should be emphasized by the Shet- 

 land pony judge, and an abundance of fine hair should 

 cover the body. In cool weather this coat will be shaggy 

 and rough in appearance, a characteristic of the Shetland. 

 The thick, heavy coat of hair is a great protection to this 

 pony during the wintry months. 



The modern type of Shetland pony differs somewhat 

 from that of years ago, when drafty conformation was 

 carried to an extreme. Now more real grace of form, 

 quality and action is demanded. Eeferring to the subject 

 of type, a well-known British authority thus discusses the 

 Shetland:^ "At present, things are somewhat in a transi- 

 tion stage, which causes confusion in the minds of some 

 people as to what is the correct type. "When the show 

 career of the sheltie first commenced, the best paying de- 

 mand was undoubtedly for the pits, and the aim was to get 

 the biggest possible bulk as near the ground as possible, 

 while symmetry and true action had to take a secondary 

 place. Fortunately for the breed, however, the advent of 

 the foreign demand has created a higher standard. Beauty 

 of shape and smart, well carried head counts for more than 

 it used to, and true, close and springy action is deemed 

 essential. Occasionally, however, when a judge full of the 

 old traditions officiates, the prizes wiU go to ponies with 

 huge bodies on abnormally short legs, suggestive of moles, 



1 Ponies and All About Them. Frank T. Barton, London, 1911, p. 218. 



