Table of Contents
Facts and figures
- Origin: Shetland Islands
- Main breeding area: England
- Distribution: Europe and USA
- Height: up to 42 in
- Weight: approx. 264 to 441 lbs
- Appearance: short legs, strongly built, much top coat
- Colors: all colors occur, in the official breeding tiger spots are forbidden
- Main use: children’s pony, driving pony, side pony, show
Shetland Pony: History and Origins
Small ponies are already depicted on Stone Age cave paintings from Scotland, suggesting that wild horses were also widespread in the Paleolithic period, and their type closely resembled that of today’s Shetland ponies. Records from the time of the Roman occupation of Scotland from the 1st to the 4th century confirm the distribution of the Scottish dwarf horse, from which, according to researchers, the Shetland pony is descended. The dwarf horses living at that time probably had a similar height as the Shetland pony of today. Accordingly, the height at the withers of the miniature horses of that time was in all probability also around 39 inches. For a short time, this height was increased by the cross-breeding of immigrant horses, but in the course of the centuries, the Shetland pony developed away from these few influences again and so nowadays nothing can be seen of the cross-breeding.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the small, free-ranging ponies found no use for humans and lived largely unnoticed alongside the Scottish islanders. Only with the beginning of the mining of raw materials underground, in the middle of the 19th century, the small body size and the relatively high physical strength of the ponies was used to employ them as pit horses in front of the ears in the mine.
Related breeds
The Shetland Pony has several breeds closely related to it. Among the best known are the Mini Shetland Pony, Falabellas and American Miniature Horses, the American Shetland Pony as well as the German Classic Pony and last but not least the German Part-Bred Shetland Pony.
Minishetland Pony: The Minishetland Pony differs visually from the conventional Shetland Pony in only one respect, namely size. A Minishetlandpony may have a maximum height at withers of 34 in, otherwise it counts to the Shetlandponies. Their height at withers is between 34 in and 42 in.
Falabella and American Miniature Horse: These two very small breeds were also influenced by the Shetland Pony. While the Falabella pony is the smallest horse breed in the world with a maximum height at withers of 30 inches, the American Miniature Horse is similar to the mini Shetland pony that is common in Europe. The maximum height of these ponies is 30 inches and the breed developed from the American Shetland Pony.
American Shetland Pony: This breed was officially recognized in 1891 and developed from the Scottish Shetland Ponies that were imported to the United States beginning in the 19th century. These were locally refined and bred into a more visually elegant version of their Scottish relatives.
German Classic Pony: This breed is, so to speak, Shetland ponies in thoroughbred format. Their conformation is much finer and more delicate than that of the Shetland pony, and according to official guidelines they are allowed to grow a good 2 inches taller than Shetland ponies, at 44 inches. They are therefore often popular riding ponies for small children.
German Part-Bred Shetland Pony: Since in the old English breeding regulations for the Shetland pony the coat color tiger piebald is not allowed, the German Part-Bred Shetland Pony was created in 1999 as a separate breed to cover also the tiger piebald in the breeding. There are three breeding types of this breed, “Mini”, “Original” and “Sporty”.
How much does a Shetland pony cost?
On average, the price of a Shetland pony is between 500 $ and 1500 $. If a pony has special papers or a very high level of training, the price can also vary somewhat upwards.
Shetland Pony – Conformation: small and powerfully built ponies
The Shetland Pony is not only one of the most famous pony breeds in the world, but also the smallest. At three years of age, it should be a maximum of 41 inches tall. At the age of four and more, a height of up to 42 inches is allowed. The conformation is characterized by a well-proportioned and carried, small head with large nostrils and a sufficiently long muzzle. Desirable are a broad forehead, erect, not too close and small ears and friendly appearing, large and dark eyes. The neck should be strongly pronounced, but not too low set and present itself with a dense mane.
Also typical of the breed is a rectangular build with a broad chest, sloping shoulder, deeply ribbed midsection and a croup of sufficient length. The tail is as well coated as the mane. The conformation of the Shetland Pony is rounded off by a correctly built and strong foundation, in which well muscled, short tubular legs, a strong hindquarters and hard, round hooves are decisive. In coat coloration, all colors occur from browns to blacks to pinto. However, the breeding objective does not provide for tiger spotting.
Video of Shetland Ponies
How tall can a Shetland pony grow?
The maximum allowable height for a registered Shetland pony is 42 inches.
Characteristics of Shetland Ponies
The character of the small ponies is endearing, but can sometimes be quite peculiar. Often underestimated because of their small size, Shetland ponies surprise their human counterparts with a fair amount of stubbornness and wit. Shetland ponies are usually quite intelligent and almost creative when it comes to asserting their own interests. So they like to crawl under the fence to get to the tasty grass on the other side.
Basically, however, Shettys are friendly and good-natured, the cheeky note in their character gives them the typical pony charm. They want to be encouraged and challenged, not just stand around in the meadow and eat (although of course they love to do this). Their work ethic and curiosity make them joyful and talented partners in circensics. They learn new tricks quickly and love to show off their skills in front of an audience. Sometimes Shetland ponies can be very stubborn. If they don’t feel like doing something, they usually don’t do it. You have to get to know and love the special and amiable character of these little horses.
What do Shetland ponies need?
Despite their small body size, Shetland ponies should also be treated like normal horses. They therefore need enough exercise, sufficient and high quality feed and regular care.
Special characteristics
The Shetland Pony is an ideal herd horse and is accustomed to being kept outdoors all year round. In addition to their frugality and undemanding nature, they benefit from a long outer coat with a dense undercoat, which provides optimal thermoregulation. This allows the Shetland Pony to spend the winter outdoors even in very cold temperatures, ice and snow.
It is also worth noting that the Shetland Pony has several related breeds. These include the Mini Shetland Pony, which differs only in size, with a maximum height of 34 inches, but also the American Shetland Pony, which in its origin comes from the original Shetland Ponies of the islands of the same name. Some ponies were exported to America in the 19th century and formed the basis for breeding a more elegant show, riding and driving pony.
This American Shetland Pony was officially registered as a distinct breed in 1888. The Shetland Pony is also closely related to the German Part-Bred Shetland Pony, which has existed as an independent breed since 1999. Unlike the Shetland Pony, this breed also allows tiger pinto and sportier type ponies, as well as crosses from other breeds. Last but not least, the Shetland Pony has influenced miniature horse breeds such as the Falabella and the American Miniature Horse in their development.
Areas of use
The Shetland Pony is especially popular as a small driving and riding pony. With its small stature, it is ideal as a starting pony for small children who want to gradually get used to riding. The Shetland Pony is light-footed and elastic with ground-covering and correct gaits. Due to its high endurance and strength, it is also often used as a driving horse in front of carriages.
Can you keep a pony in the garden?
It is a common misconception that Shetland ponies can be kept in the garden simply because of their small size. Of course it is possible, but as with any other horse, a minimum exercise area must be provided, as well as shelter and sufficient food.
Hereditary diseases of Shetland ponies
Shetland ponies are extremely robust horses. However, there are a few points that should be considered in their husbandry to avoid disease. Since Shetland ponies originally roamed the barren landscapes of Scotland, their metabolism is often not designed for a life on lush, green meadows. It is therefore not uncommon for hoof disorders to occur in Shetland ponies, unless an eye is kept from the beginning of their lives on how long and on which meadows the ponies are on the move.
Another metabolic disease that occurs frequently, especially in old age, is Cushing’s syndrome. Due to benign tumors on the pituitary gland, the hormone balance of the diseased animal is disturbed, which can be reflected in various symptoms. Shetland ponies are also often plagued by summer eczema and need help in dealing with the itching.
However, if a Shetland pony owner is aware of these issues from the start, they can usually be prevented with proper nutrition and care. Aside from this, Shetland ponies are really hardy, frugal, weatherproof and quite often reach an age of over 30 years.
Famous horses of the breed (in sport, in film/television)
Despite its great popularity and widespread distribution, no Shetland pony has yet become famous from television and film or the great sport. Nevertheless, the breed can be found at the top of the list of the most popular horse breeds and has been enchanting horse lovers big and small for centuries with its extraordinary character and cute appearance.
