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 Shetland Ponies with their "big hair" and even bigger personality are quite popular as pet pals for children. They are endearing, small, funny-looking little horses and generally the Classic type (original) make good companions because of their gentle personalities.
Because of their small size, averaging between 28 to 42 inches in height, (smaller than a Great Dane dog), they are often chosen as the ideal pony for teaching children to ride a horse... a kid sized horse that means there's not far to fall if one slips off by accident! 
The Shetland pony shown here is two years old and a real beauty with sturdy little legs, a long lovely mane, tail and forelocks and with a sweet personality that just steals your heart... an ideal family pet.
Shetland Ponies can be one of many different colors and are often seen in horse shows, country fairs, trail ride ranches and riding schools where horse rides for children are featured. They are also featured in petting zoos and sometimes used for Therapeutic horseback riding sessions. Though they are a very small horse, the Shetland pony can actually carry adults! Not all Shetland Ponies are gentle and polite... some can be quite independent and stubborn as a mule, especially the more modern mixed breeds. As with any pet, proper care and training makes all the difference.
The Shetland pony we know and love today originally came from the beautiful and rugged Shetland Islands, way beyond the Orkney Islands north and east of the Scottish mainland. To reach the magical Shetland Islands (part of Scotland) one can travel by air or by a very long ferry (14+ hours) crossing from Aberdeen from the Scottish mainland or from Bergen in Norway. They have an interesting and very long history of over two thousand years!
The Shetland pony is believed to be related to Scandinavian and Norse ponies of long ago. As one travels the Scottish Orkney and Shetland Islands it is easy to understand and see the strong link to the Norse Vikings and Scandinavia. In some areas such as Scarabrae on the northwest coast of the Orkney mainland for example, one can visit an ancient Norse settlement that some youngsters have named "Bed Rock" city like that of Fred Flintstone... where beds (and everything else) are actually made of stone!
The weather here on the island is fierce and the land wide, open and challenging. To survive this weather and landscape, the Shetland Ponies had to develop doubly thick, almost waterproof coats and great strength to protect themselves from the tough conditions of land and weather. Living on an island meant that they ate whatever grass but also developed the ability over time to eat salty seaweed that was available to them when tides were low. The island people tamed and domesticated the ponies for their use in such crofting (farming) tasks as pulling carts, carrying peat, ploughing farmland.
 After the Industrial Revolution these tough little horses were found to be ideal in size and strength for working in coalmines. For this reason they were shipped throughout the UK and to the Americas to become "pit ponies" to do the very difficult job of hauling coal down in the pits. Today these striking little horses are featured in their own special race and show events. There are Shetland Pony Clubs all over the world and lots of Internet forums where owners can discuss the care and challenges of owning a Shetland pony. Here you see a Shetland pony race. Kid sized horses... what fun!
Shetland Ponies need metal horseshoes the same as larger horses do. This is especially important for the ponies living in the Shetlands where the ground is very rough, uneven and hard. Today in early 2008 the only hoof-care specialist that spent his time shoeing horses in the Shetlands and surrounding Scottish islands has now retired. Owners of Shetland Ponies there are now facing a shoeing crisis and must look to England for a professional farrier to help them until a new farrier/blacksmith decides to make a home in the Shetlands.
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Source:
©Becca Ross - Freelance Writer
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