.CHAPTER XXI 

 PONIES 



Formerly the dividing line between the horse and the 

 pony was vague and undefined, but in 1883 the Hackney 

 Horse Society of England designated all animals meas- 

 uring 14 hands or under as ponies, and registered them 

 in a separate part of the stud book. This height was 

 accepted as the standard by the leading horse show so- 

 cieties in England and America. Later the standard 

 height of polo ponies was increased to 14.2 hands, and in 

 1905 the American Hackney Society increased the height 

 of Hackney ponies to 14 hands and i inch. 



The Shetland pony. — Because of its intelligence and 

 docile disposition the Shetland is the more popular of the 

 imported ponies. He is useful for pleasure driving, es- 

 pecially for children. 



The native home of the Shetland pony. — This breed of 

 ponies was developed on the Shetland Islands, which are 

 situated about 200 miles north of Scotland. There are 

 about 120 of these islands, comprising a total area of 

 about 500 square miles. They are rocky, barren and cold. 

 Not more than fifteen of the islands are inhabited, the 

 principal one being Mainland, on which is located Ler- 

 wick, the largest port and a town of less than 4,000 peo- 

 ple. In addition to Mainland, Fetlar, Bressay, Fair Isle, 

 Yell and Unst also take an active interest in breeding 

 ponies. 



The history of the Shetland pony. — The early ancestry 

 of this breed of ponies is not known. When ponies were 

 first introduced to the islands is not a matter of record, 

 but they have been bred there for centuries. Perhaps 

 they are more or less related to the ponies of the British 

 Islands, or of Iceland and Scandinavia. As with most 



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