SHETLAND PONIES. The Shetlands, the smallest of the pony breeds. are round, closely ribbed up, with heads bony and well shaped, but wide at the brow, and often with the basin shaped face of the true Arab. The ears are small, erect, well shaped and plaeed, eyes large, bright and intelligent; the neck short, strong, and with long, coarse, thick manes; the shoul ders thick, but sloping; the withers low ; back slightly hollowed, loin strong and wide, tail exceedingly long and thick like the mane; the quarters are strong, with particularly good legs and hoofs. Their endurance is wonderful, and for such animals their speed is conside,rable, they being capable of performing journeys of forty miles a day upon the rocky, hilly pathways of their native country. When petted and treated kindly they become much attached to their masters, are gentle, sagacious, easily trained, but like the mule, will resent abuse sometimes with their heels. In color they are generally
dark sorrel, brown and black. Yet many are now found parti-colored, with considerable white. When reared in a semi-wild state they are often reduced to extreme straits, for want of food, 'even subsisting on kelp and sea weed along the sea shore, but quickly respond to better care and treatment. The Shetlands of the smallest size combined with the most perfect form are said to be fouud in the extreme north ern islands of Unst and Tell. Many of them are not more than seven to eight hands in height, the average being not more than nine or ten hands, or thirty-six to forty incites. In fact it is. held that no true Shetland ever reached the height of eleven hands.