American Shetland Pony

American Shetland Pony
	Harnessed to a sulky, Great Falls, Montana
Country of origin	United States
Distribution	United States
Use	riding, driving
Traits
Height	to 117 cm (11.2 hands);
Color	any color but spotted
	Equus ferus caballus;

The American Shetland Pony is an American breed of pony. It derives from the traditional Shetland Pony from the Shetland Isles of Scotland, but as a result of cross-breeding with other horse and pony breeds, is taller and more elegant.^[1]^: 435 It does not have the thick coat of the traditional Shetland, and in conformation is more similar to the Hackney Pony, with some Arab influence.^[2]^: 243 It is the most numerous pony breed in the United States; numbers in 1994 were estimated at over 50,000. It is one of two American pony breeds derived from the traditional Shetland, the other being the Pony of the Americas.^[2]^: 243

History

The first documented importation of Shetland Ponies to the United States was in 1885, when Eli Elliot imported seventy-five of them. A breed association, the American Shetland Pony Club, was formed in 1888.^[2]^: 243 The original stock was crossbred with various other breeds, principally the Hackney Pony. Arabian, Harness Show Pony and Welsh breeds were also used. The result was a taller and more elegant pony than the classic Shetland, with longer legs and finer bone, high withers and a sloping shoulder, and a high action particularly well-suited to harness work.^[2]^: 243 It does not have the thick coat of the traditional Shetland, but supposedly retains the hardiness and endurance of that breed; in conformation it is more similar to the Hackney Pony, also showing some Arab influence.^[2]^: 243

It is the most numerous pony breed in the United States; numbers in 1994 were estimated at over 50,000. It is one of two American pony breeds derived from the traditional Shetland, the other being the Pony of the Americas.^[2]^: 243 It was the principal influence on another Shetland-derived breed, the German Classic Pony.^[3]^: 176

American Shetland Ponies may be registered in the American Shetland Pony Club stud book, in one of four sections: foundation, classic, modern, and modern pleasure; they are distinguished by minor variations in conformation, the "foundation" type being the smallest and most similar to the American Shetland of the 1950s.^[4] In the past, American Shetlands were registered in section B of the stud book, and the traditional Shetland Pony in section A.^[2]^: 243

Use

The American Shetland Pony is well-suited to harness use. It may be used as a roadster to pull sulkies, or in fine harness pulling two-wheeled or four-wheeled carts. It may be ridden under either a Western or English saddle, and is also shown at Halter.^[2]^: 243

References

^ Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Elwyn Hartley Edwards (1994). The Encyclopedia of the Horse. London; New York; Stuttgart; Moscow: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 0751301159.
^ Élise Rousseau, Yann Le Bris, Teresa Lavender Fagan (2017). Horses of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691167206.
^ ASPC Registry. American Shetland Pony Club. Accessed February 2019.

[cabi-1] Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.

[edwards-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Elwyn Hartley Edwards (1994). The Encyclopedia of the Horse. London; New York; Stuttgart; Moscow: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 0751301159.

[elise-3] Élise Rousseau, Yann Le Bris, Teresa Lavender Fagan (2017). Horses of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691167206.

[aspc-4] ASPC Registry. American Shetland Pony Club. Accessed February 2019.

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v t e Horse breeds of Canada and the United States
These are the horse breeds considered to originate wholly or partly in Canada and the United States. Many have complex or obscure histories, so inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively from those countries.
Contemporary	Alberta Wild Horse American Bashkir Curly American Belgian Draft American Cream Draft American Crème Horse American Drum Horse American Indian Horse American Miniature Horse American Paint Horse American Quarter Horse American Saddlebred American Shetland Pony American Sorraia Mustang American Spotted American Spotted Paso American Walking Pony American Warmblood American White Horse Appaloosa Assateague Pony Banker Blazer Camarillo White Horse Canadian Canadian Pinto Canadian Rustic Pony Canadian Sport Horse Canadian Warmblood Carolina Marsh Tacky Cerbat mustang Cherokee Horse Chincoteague Pony Choctaw Horse Colonial Spanish Colorado Ranger Cumberland Island Florida Cracker Horse Kanata Pony Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Kiger mustang Lac La Croix Indian Pony Missouri Fox Trotter Morab Morgan Morocco Spotted Mountain Pleasure Horse Mustang National Show Horse Newfoundland Nez Perce Horse Nokota North American Sportpony Pony of the Americas Pryor Mountain mustang Quarab Quarter Pony Racking Horse Rocky Mountain Horse Sable Island Spanish Jennet Horse Spanish Barb Spanish Mustang Spanish Norman Spotted Saddle Horse Standardbred Tennessee Walking Horse Tiger Virginia Highlander Welara
Extinct	Canadian Pacer Chickasaw Conestoga Horse Narragansett Pacer
List of horse breeds