Horses have long ceased to play a significant role in the life of mankind, like some hundred years ago. Powerful trucks and a variety of agricultural machinery replaced the four-legged workers. Nevertheless, they find a place in the present, some breeds do not lose their popularity. These include the Shetland pony. This is one of the largest breeds in the world. They are common in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, America.
Pony
Pony refers to a subspecies of a domestic horse. Translated from Gala ponaidh - a small horse. A distinctive feature of the subspecies is its small growth. In different countries, the “small” values are not the same:
- in Russia, ponies include horses up to 110 cm tall;
- in Germany - up to 120 cm;
- in England - 147.3 cm;
- in the West, they include individuals whose growth does not exceed 152 cm.
The discrepancy in numbers does not prevent donuts from remaining at the peak of popularity. Each owner chooses a horse according to his needs. Someone needs a little crumb, as a pet - exclusively for a “kiss”, and someone is planning a performance in competitions.
Origin
The Shetland Archipelago separates the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. This is the northernmost land of the British Isles. The archipelago has 117 reefs and islands, only 24 of them are inhabited. Desert, with no hills, harsh climate, sparse vegetation, wetlands, damp, constant winds - this is how you describe the place of "birth" of the breed under the name "Shetland pony".
There is no absolutely exact information about the origin of the breed. They were first discovered in 500 BC. According to scientists, these are the possible descendants of the “tundra” ponies. They could have come to Scotland from Scandinavia ten thousand years ago.
According to another version, back in the I-IV centuries, ponies were brought to the islands by picts (the oldest inhabitants of Scotland). At that time, the territory was covered with forests, they completely disappeared in the IX-X centuries due to climate change. In such circumstances, few animals managed to survive: sheep, field mice, hedgehogs and Shetland ponies. Growth, endurance, strength of the constitution - according to such signs, there was a centuries-old natural selection. Isolation contributed to the natural breeding of the breed "in itself." Attempts to bring ordinary horses to the archipelago were unsuccessful.
Description
Shetland pony (description below) has a recognizable appearance, reminiscent of heavy trucks in miniature. A thoroughbred representative should have the following characteristics:
- height at the withers - 65-110 cm;
- weight - up to 200 kg;
- strong constitution;
- the head is small, proportional,
- wide forehead;
- a straight profile, it may be concave or hunch-bearing (both options are undesirable);
- eyes are large, widely spaced (“magpie” is undesirable, can be of different colors);
- the mouth is small;
- the nostrils are wide;
- ears set correctly, small;
- muscular neck, with a high output;
- the trunk is wide;
- the chest is well developed, wide, deep;
- belly sagging, voluminous;
- the back is broad, short, muscular;
- cereal straight;
- legs are bony, strong, short:
- front: without interceptions, correctly set, with a developed carpal joint;
- back: correctly set (“O” - and “X” -shaped postings undesirable), clearly defined hock joint, metatarsus developed, dry;
- hooves - rounded in shape, with a hard hoofed horn (as a rule, animals are not forged);
- coat - thick undercoat, long coat;
- tail and mane are lush;
- color - the most diverse, often piebald (purebred mostly black);
- life expectancy is 30-40 years, the record is 54 years.
Reproduction is no different from ordinary horses. Due to the small size of the mares, the presence of a veterinarian is desirable. One or two foals are born. The selection of animals is carried out taking into account the rules of breeding farm animals. Shetland pony - a very strong horse, in terms of live weight, they are able to carry cargo twice as much as their tall brothers.
Features
Animals of this breed have their own characteristics:
- high life expectancy;
- the character is bold and very independent;
- have a sharp mind and quick wit;
- easy to train (bad habits also catch on the fly);
- may be stubborn;
- very hardy;
- prone to obesity;
- blue-eyed individuals are often found (formerly called white-eyed);
- not distinguished by great agility and elegance of movements;
- they have a rough coat, long tails and mane;
- selection by working qualities, without taking into account other characteristics, ensured a variety of suits in the breed.
While the foal is small and looks more like a plush toy, inexperienced owners make a serious mistake by pampering their pets. An adult uncontrollable three-year-old pony weighing 200 kg and a height of 2 pounds when raised to its hind legs will become a problem. The strictness of education must be present necessarily. It is necessary to demand complete and unconditional obedience to any actions on the part of a person (cleaning a horse or cleaning a stall).
Another caveat - ride under the saddle. A small horse with round sides is so nimble that it is almost impossible to stay on it. Experienced horse breeders first call in the young in the cart. Having trained to obey the occasion and the pony's voice commands (about a month later), they calmly drop in under the top.
Breeding
Despite the huge popularity and relevance in small horses, the issue of animal cleanliness for many years did not fall into the interests of horse breeders. No one was engaged in the breed of Shetland pony. Breeding with proper breeding began only in 1870. A great lover of horses, Lord Londonderry on the island of Bressey (Shetland archipelago) founded a stud farm for breeding ponies. Experts carried out the most severe selection to consolidate the characteristic features and the exterior type of horses.
The established Shetland Pony Breeding Society contributed to the first volume of the studbook of the Londonderry factory. Although the company was closed in 1899 due to a decline in demand for ponies, many modern breed champions still have famous factory producers in their pedigree.
Until the nineteenth century, breeding was carried out “clean” without the addition of someone else’s blood. The desire to use ponies as riding horses set the task for horse breeders to increase the growth of animals. The result of the work was the emergence of several inbreeding types, or offspring:
- Semberg. In the middle of the century, on the Somberg Peninsula and the southern coast of the island of Mainland, Shetland ponies mares were covered with Norwegian fjord stallions. The height at the withers of the offspring reached 130 cm.
- Fitlarskoe. The use of the method of reproductive crossing with the leading Arabian stallion (he was a descendant of the legendary Bolivar). Hybrids grew to 120 cm.
- American Shetland. Obtained as a result of crossing first Shetland mares with stallions of the hakne breed, then by the infusion of blood of the Arabian and purebred horse breeds. Height at withers up to 130 cm.
Such human intervention has led to the division of the breed into two classes:
- "A", or the basic type (basic), animals up to 107 cm are referred to it;
- "B", or ennobled type, - animals from 107 to 120 cm at the withers.
The end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries was marked by the massive export of ponies to all countries of the world. Livestock outside the UK is several times greater than the number of horses in their historic homeland.
Content
Lack of dampness, drafts, dry litter, quality feed, clean water, daily exercise - these are the requirements for keeping Shetland pony horses. Care does not require special conditions. On the contrary, horses are unpretentious, hardy, they can stay on pastures for the maximum possible time. Thick hair in conditions of stable keeping is sheared. The friendly nature of the animals allows you to keep two animals in one stall (size 3 m by 4 m).
Preferably, the basis of the diet is hay or pasture grass, oats sometimes cause an allergic reaction. Cleaned as it gets dirty, with stable contents - daily. Usually a pony does not need to be forged. Veterinary treatment is the same as for ordinary horses.
Using
Shetland pony is widely used in equestrian sports, and not only in children. At the Olympics in Rome, Little Model performed in dressage, and in Mexico City in 1968, Stroller took silver in show jumping. The growth of both horses was within 145 cm.
Ponies are frequent participants in circus performances, they are used in riding schools, rentals. Many animal lovers start them as pets. The brilliant mind and the excellent reaction of the kids allow them to work as guides for the blind. In Holland, small workers have not yet been abandoned and they process vegetable plantations with their help.