Shetland Pony

A small, hardy pony breed from the Shetland Islands of Scotland, known for its strength, dense coat and ability to thrive in harsh climates, present on the islands since at least the Bronze Age; islanders likely crossed native stock with ponies brought by Norse settlers and with Celtic ponies introduced between 2000 and 1000 BC, and the harsh island environment shaped the breed into an exceptionally tough animal. Shetland ponies were originally used for farm labor, pulling carts and carrying peat and seaweed, and during the Industrial Revolution thousands worked underground as pit ponies in British and American coal mines, often for shortened working lives. Today they are ridden mainly by children and shown by both children and adults at horse shows in harness driving and pleasure driving classes, and they also appear at carnivals, petting zoos and therapeutic riding programs, with miniature Shetlands trained in some cases as guide animals for the visually impaired.