History of the Shetland Pony
On this page you will learn more about the breed.
Origin
Shetland originates from the Scottish archipelago that bears its name, located off Scotland and Norway in the middle of the North Sea. This pony grazes there on the grass of the wild islands, swept by the icy winds, probably since the ice age.
The earliest evidence of its presence on the Shetland Islands dates back to the Bronze Age. Several theories try to explain the arrival of the pony on these lost islands. The most probable would be that of the horses of the Eurasian steppes which would have been introduced there during the ice age. It is even thought that Spanish or Arab horses would have ended up there after being shipwrecked during the great crusades. This would explain the presence of gray ponies on certain islands. Additionally, Norwegian horse breeds most certainly influenced Shetland as we know it today, as in the Middle Ages there were already trade relations between Norway and the Shetland Islands.
Its small size is explained by the climate and the particularly hostile environment that reigned on these islands. Indeed, the body of the ponies has simply shrunk in order to best resist poor food and difficult living conditions.
Photo: Kalyma Shetland
Work on the farms
Mining
The rise of leisure
History of the breed
In the past, the Shetland pony was used by the inhabitants of the Shetland Islands mainly for work in the fields and as a means of transport. Its hair and horsehair were used to make clothes.
With the industrial revolution in the middle of the 19th century, it was then exploited in the coal mines to tow the carts. A man, Lord Londonderry created the first "intensive" breeding of Shetland ponies intended for the work of the mines. His ponies, a little bigger and more massive than those found in the wild, sport a black color.
A little later, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Shetland pony won the British royal courts to serve as games and companionship for children. it was then that the pony experienced a new boom like many other British breeds (Welsh, Dartmoor, etc.), leisure and horse riding.
It then becomes a popular pony in many European countries and will even be exported beyond these borders. In the 1960s, the main human use of Shetland was for recreation.
Morphology
The harshness of the climate, the precarious food, the island isolation have fixed the reduced size of the Shetland pony, stabilized today at a maximum of 107 cm.
The head is well chiselled, with an intelligent expression, the forehead is broad; the small, well-placed ears are carried high; the nostrils are wide and well open. Mane, topknot and tail are abundantly provided with hard and dense hair. The neck is muscular, massive, with a good exit from the withers; it is proportionate to the size of the pony. The chest is wide and deep, the back short, the loin powerful and wide. The limbs are powerful, densely boned, neither round nor coarse; the feet are round, well shaped, with a hard and very resistant horn.
The first glance gives an impression of power and balance. The gaits are energetic, supple and regular (breed standard in appendix 1 of the stud book regulations).
All coats are allowed except Appaloosa. This would correspond to the use of a breeder not belonging to the Shetland breed.
Photo: KISMET Van BUNSWAARD, chestnut stallion born in 1974.
Photo: Stalvanpadenland.nl
Use
The size of the Shetland pony, its hardiness, its docility and its robustness make it a very complete equine, which meets a good number of needs.
Its docile but playful character, its balance due to a very low center of gravity gives it great qualities for learning riding or competition. The maneuverability of the shetland, its morphology and its power adapts perfectly to the coupling, discipline or it particularly excels.
The Shetland is an ideal mount for children. Its perfectly adapted small size allows to establish a real trust between the mount and its rider, from which will emerge an enormous complicity. Learning under saddle, over jumps, in pony-games, in games, for driving, alone, in pairs, in fours, in tandem... Everything suits him, and even the mini ones are excellent!
Its sociable nature and easy maintenance also make it a great companion pony. Of a gregarious nature, a shetland should never live alone because boredom and fear would wear it out slowly. It adapts perfectly to the presence of other animals, provided that certain health and food rules are respected.
Less known activity, but so obvious, grazing is a role that fits so well with the skin. Sometimes called "lawnmower", it is an animal that enhances green spaces very well. This use fits perfectly into the concept of sustainable development that our society is currently experiencing. What could be nicer than a herd that grazes in our communes, rather than noisy mowers.
All these possibilities are so many assets for our Shetland pony. For sure, it will bring a lot of pleasure to those who make the best use of it.
French farms now demonstrate the great qualities of our ponies and the results prove it, both in "models and gaits" competitions, in equestrian activities, or simply with us on a daily basis.
