Shetland ponies

Shetland Ponies
Shetland ponies are one of the most favourite breeds for children. Their small size and good temperament are appreciated by many parents thus these ponies are one of the most popular choices as first ponies.

Shetland Ponies
Perhaps the oldest breed of horse in the United Kingdom is the Shetland Pony that was named after the Scottish islands where the breed originated.

Shetland Ponies (2126 words)
The first stud book stated that Shetland ponies 'are foaled in the fields, live in the fields and die in the fields' and so they are still seen today on their native islands.

Modern Shetland Ponies combine the beauty and hardiness of the Classic Shetland and the excitement and animation of a Hackney pony. These sophisticated ponies with their extreme action and spirited personality are at home in the show ring.

Shetland ponies originated in the Shetland Isles, located northeast of mainland Scotland.

Shetland ponies, also known as shelts, are small (on average up to 42 inches to the wither) but strong for their size. Ancient equids had lived in Shetland since the Bronze Age, and later breeders crossed them with ponies imported by Norse invaders.

Shetland ponies are thought to have inhabited the islands just north of Scotland for thousands of years. Although they are small, they are very strong in relation to their size.

Shetland Ponies are hardy and strong due to the fact that the breed evolved in the harsh conditions of the Shetland Islands. Even today, they survive in rain, strong wind, snow, very cold temperatures, and rough terrain.

Shetland ponies may be any colour known in horses, except spotted, but the most common colour is black.

Shetland Ponies were used as pit ponies in 1842 after an Act was passed making it illegal for women and children to work down the mine. In 1913 seventy three thousand ponies worked down the British mines, in 1982 there were one hundred and one.

American Shetland ponies are most often used for breeding and performance, for harness work, and as children's pets. They are present in show jumping competitions for young riders, in horse shows and in halters.

Uses
Shetland ponies are often used as an all round children's pony and for driving.
The Shetland Pony Stud Book Society
The society aims to preserve, protect and promote this wonderful breed of horse.

Very small Shetland ponies have featured in the Shetland Pony Stud Book since the first edition in 1890.

Shetland ponies provided the raw materials for fishing nets and lines; fishing provided the main diet for most islanders. An old Shetland proverb states that a Orkney man is a farmer who has to fish and a Shetland man is a fisherman who has to farm.

It is believed that Shetland ponies may be the descendants of the Tundra Ponies
the harsh environment and sparse vegetation of the Shetland Islands has caused the ponies to decrease in size from ...

Up until recently the heavy black Shetland pony probably dominated the show classes outside of the Shetland Islands, due to the fact that many Shetland ponies on the British mainland may have derived from the heavy black pony exported for use in the ...

was originally applied to Shetland Ponies, in which the color is
fairly common (at one time it was even thought that the gene only
occurred in Shetlands), because it frequently has the extremely ...

The Falabella was produced by crossing Shetland ponies with the herd produced by Patrick Newtall. There were then further infusions by a very small English Thoroughbred and a small Criollo.

The price range for American Shetland ponies is immense. In some areas, one can acquire a sound pony for very little money. On the other hand, prices can be extremely high.

Pit ponies were essentially Shetland ponies that had been selectively bred to produce a small animal capable of working in the coal mines of Wales.

The Australian Miniature Pony was established as a result of crosses with small Shetland ponies and an Argentinean miniature pony, the Fallabella.

Shetland ponies are among the most popular pony breeds in the world. Most people have probably already heard a little about these small animals. Not everyone knows though that the Shetland breed has an ancient history.
Shetland Pony Origins ...

By the late 19th century mine owners took an interest in breeding Shetland ponies and developed their own stud farm as well as a studbook which was published in 1891.

Overo horses are most common in the American Paint horse, but also occur in a number of other American breeds, including Miniature horses, Tennessee Walking Horses, Saddlebreds, American Shetland ponies and mustangs.

Shetland Ponies were used as pit ponies and also used for pulling carts of peat and seaweed. The first written record of the Shetland Pony was in 1603 in the Court Books of Shetland.

The POA first was developed in 1954, when Leslie Boomhower, an Iowa breeder of Shetland Ponies, founded the breed. A friend offered him an Arabian/Appaloosa mare that had been accidentally bred to a Shetland Pony stallion.

Recently mustang stallions from out west have been added to the herds, and before that there were introductions of other horses and Shetland ponies.

Miniature horses are also thought to be descendants of the Shetland ponies which were primarily bred as companion horses.

Juan continued the experiment by using other breeds to develop this small horse. He bred to the smallest English thoroughbreds he could find, Shetland ponies and Criollo, the Argentine horse of the pampas.

a wide range of body types and both draft types and more refined types are valued by enthusiasts. Miniature Horses were developed from a wide range of horse and pony breeds. Depending on their parentage they have characteristics of Shetland Ponies, ...

See also: Ponies, Shetland, Pony, Shetland Pony, Stallion