# Real (english) shetlands...



## Ouburgia

No offence to the beatiful american shetlands, but in my opinion they are no shetlands. Or at least, not as we know them here....

The american ones are real horses (as they should be!) But the shetland ponies.... Like them? Hate them? What is youre opion about them?







(clipped during winter, and a bit to fat, but oh whell  )


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## txminipinto

I don't hate them, but I prefer our American Shetlands.


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## Jill

I think the British ones are cute and cuddly looking, but that the American ones are gorgeous, so refined and improved. I greatly prefer "our" American Shetland ponies


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## Ouburgia

I don't think this one for example is cudlly 

http://www.freewebs.com/caramiashetlandstud/zach.jpg

Beautiful pony! (but indeed, a pony...)


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## txminipinto

Cute and cuddley! Sorry!


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## barefoot

I like the english ones best.


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## mininik

I don't hate them, but I wouldn't own one.


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## strass

They're really not the same thing anymore.

Here in the land of the liposucked and the home of the augmented, we try to change everything.

I love our American Shetlands very much, but I also appreciate and admire the Shetland ponies from which ours began.


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## Cowgirl Up

I think the American version of Shetlands is beautiful in their own way. They are flashy and gorgeous. The Classics are my personal favorites.

However, when I think "Shetland", the first image that pops into my head is the small, sturdy little British version. The first time I rode it was a pony of that type and I've always thought they were wonderful little ponies.


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## Leeana

My eye tends to favor the american shetlands, and when i hear shetland that is now what i picture. We in america tend to american'ize just about everything(breed) that comes here...the shetland being one.

The UK shetland to me is just to rough and rugged, the american shetland paints a prettier picture



. A friend of mine locally has some imported shetlands as well as dartmoores...very cute, hairy and cudly indeed



.


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## bingo

To me the UK Shetlands are more of a using pony. I love that little pony you posted and obviously he will be able to carry that rider for many more years as she grows a bit and pack her around fences.

I think many American Shetlands are suitable for very small children as short stirrup ponies but obviously due to build can not handle as much rider wise as the UK ones.

I would not hesitate to own that little black pony you posted!

It is like comparing apples to oranges at this point.


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## crponies

I love watching video of the

. It looks like so much fun for those kids! Those island shetlands are so sturdy.


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## ~Dan

sorry English, quirky and cute the americans i think are really ugly no offense but thats just my opinion


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## Shari

Wally raises and drives hers.

I love Traditional Shetland Island, shetland ponies. But then...I like traditional type horses or ponies of any breed.


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## Jill

I wonder if there are some statistics to show which is actually the more popular in the US?


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## Leeana

Okay..my questions how many "real" island shetlands do you think are over here? Does every short fat hairy pony over here automatically become a "shetland" just because we dont know what else to call it and the word "grade" hurts our pride?

Im sure mom and dad did not put $10K into importing me that $500 "shetland" i and everyone else rode when was a kid......im just saying.....


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## crponies

There are probably very few pure Shetland ponies in the Americas. However, there are tons of ponies that carry Shetland blood (American Shetlands, American Miniatures, POAs, etc.). I know there are a few people who breed the original but they are few and far between as far as I know. It seems like I remember one of the groups who gives kids ponies works with them and has people breed them for that purpose.


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## Lewella

Personal Ponies LTD is the group you are thinking of Jayne. There is also a registry that allows the UK Shetlands - the Shetland Pony Society of North America.

An important point that many people either don't know or forget - there were at one time at least two different types of Shetlands on the Shetland islands. The type that the natives wanted and the type that the American buyer wanted were very different. So where did the other type of Shetland go? To the US by the BOATLOAD!

Here's one of my favorite examples of what some of the early imports looked like and produced:






Howard B. was #4 in the ASPC Stud book and was foaled in 1888. His parents were both from imported stock.


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## Cowgirl Up

Lewella said:


> Personal Ponies LTD is the group you are thinking of Jayne. There is also a registry that allows the UK Shetlands - the Shetland Pony Society of North America.
> An important point that many people either don't know or forget - there were at one time at least two different types of Shetlands on the Shetland islands. The type that the natives wanted and the type that the American buyer wanted were very different. So where did the other type of Shetland go? To the US by the BOATLOAD!
> 
> Here's one of my favorite examples of what some of the early imports looked like and produced:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Howard B. was #4 in the ASPC Stud book and was foaled in 1888. His parents were both from imported stock.


Wow, he's a handsome guy!

I think the American Shetlands are beautiful, but they tend to be very horse-like to me (which is not bad of course, just different).

I admit I have a soft spot for the "cute and cuddly" and very "pony" look of the British Shetlands.


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## ozymandias

They should NEVER be judged against each other because they are NOT one and the same. Scottish/British ( NOT English ) Shetlands are a pure pony breed and as someone who owned one..are awesome ponies. (I have dual citizenship being a Scottish and an American citizen) American Shetlands are a mix of breeds and it shows. The only similarity is the name they share...and truely they shouldn't it's like calling Dachshunds "Great Danes" Lol. When I saw my first American Shetland I was shocked at why they called them "Shetlands" as they were NOTHING like the Shetlands from the Shetland Isles.


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## TripleDstables

I love the original shetlands. American Shetlands aren't. They simply aren't shetlands. They are Hackney looking things. Pretty in their own way, but they don't deserve the shetland name.

I think that the american "anything" is getting to refined... America is getting too refined! lol






But, I always love having a little more bone to my horses/ponies. And I like them to have a sweet attitude with a little spark when needed.


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## Lewella

ozymandias said:


> They should NEVER be judged against each other because they are NOT one and the same. Scottish/British ( NOT English ) Shetlands are a pure pony breed and as someone who owned one..are awesome ponies. (I have dual citizenship being a Scottish and an American citizen) American Shetlands are a mix of breeds and it shows. The only similarity is the name they share...and truely they shouldn't it's like calling Dachshunds "Great Danes" Lol. When I saw my first American Shetland I was shocked at why they called them "Shetlands" as they were NOTHING like the Shetlands from the Shetland Isles.



Of course they aren't anything like the Shetlands from the Shetland Islands - the US importers wanted more refined ponies, the Island breeders wanted the more drafty type. The Island breeders sold their (refined) culls to the US importers while the US importers were of the opinion they were getting the best stock!



Howard B is a great example of what the US importers desired from the beginning and what they brought over.


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## babygoose

Shari said:


> Wally raises and drives hers. I love Traditional Shetland Island, shetland ponies. But then...I like traditional type horses or ponies of any breed.


Me too. I never could understand the need to change a breed. If the breed isn't what someone likes, why not find another breed instead of change the original one. I love the traditional island shetlands.


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## Keri

Everyone has their opinions on this. I just think that these 2 horses have different purposes. Back overseas, they use their horses for work (farm work still, etc). In America, we don't use them the same way and prefer a "pretty" pasture pet (they aren't just pasture pets, but they do have jobs). We breed horses for what suites us best. Granted they are different, but they are still the same blood as the english ponies. They can all probably be traced back to the beginner ponies. Genes just crossed and Americans bought the more refined ones becuase england didn't have a use for them. And therefore, that's why we call them American shetlands. Not just shetlands. Same as the dog breeds. How many terriers can you think of??? All share the terrier name, but have a prefix distingushing them from one another.

So in the end, yes american shetlands have the right to be called shetlands.


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## alphahorses

Lewella said:


> Of course they aren't anything like the Shetlands from the Shetland Islands - the US importers wanted more refined ponies, the Island breeders wanted the more drafty type. The Island breeders sold their (refined) culls to the US importers while the US importers were of the opinion they were getting the best stock!
> 
> 
> 
> Howard B is a great example of what the US importers desired from the beginning and what they brought over.


Lewella's point is an important one - you really have to understand the history of the American Shetland Pony to understand why they are so refined. It is not just a matter of being crossed with other breeds. I can trace my stallion's lineage all the way back to ponies in the UK over and over and over again, and so far have not found a single hackney or welsh in his background. I'm not saying there is not one somewhere, but genetically he is at least 99% Shetland and deserves to be called a Shetland. And while he is not ultra-refined or extreme (he is foundation type), he is still very different from most of the UK ponies that I see.

http://www.alphahorses.com/images/horses/B...S_0107_600w.jpg

The black pony in the link that Ouburgia posted is gorgeous, though not what I am personally breeding for. But I've seen many photos of other UK shetlands where the pony is very overweight, and I often wonder if you take that 100+ lbs of excess weight off some them and body clip them, just how much different they would really look from our own foundation ponies.


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## crponies

Wow, I am learning a lot here. I obviously have not researched much really. I had no idea that the Americans imported such refined Shetland ponies to begin with. That's very neat to know!


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## Boinky

i have nothing against Island shetlands but they just aren't "my thing". I've looked at many web pages of them in the last couple months and quite frankly they tend to have not so great conformation. some of the pages claimed to have champions blah blah but those "champions' were not horses i'd personally breed nor would they have won a class if i was judging unless they truly were the "best" example (which wasn't saying much if a few of them truly are excellent examples of the breed). Maybe their conformations is made form to function i dont' know but some of them were a bit scarey looking. Quite frankly i see a very strong resemblance of them to our "miniatures" that have been bred so long for size not conformation. they have very similar (what i consider) conformational flaws.

I also have to wonder how many would look a lot better with their weight controlled as many DO appear to be quite overweight. hard telling i guess. To each their own.. nothing against them. I personally like a more refined horse/pony of almost every breed. Rarely do i see a stocky heavy horse that makes my heart go pitter patter. I don't think it's fair for anyone to say that you shouldn't "change a breed". well it's happend in every breed. even many draft breeds have a "lighter" version of their breed more geared for riding and sport/carraige driving than drafting. Times have changed as well and there are more sporty things out there that require a more nimble/fast ect horse. Breeds have to stay competitive to exist in todays society. it all really depends on what the owner or breeder wants. if the breed already has some lighter examples and that's what people choose to breed from but the genetics are the same...then it's the SAME breed only someone focused more on a different "type'. If no one ever did that there would be no variety in the world...what a dull place!


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## Calekio

Well technically most of my ponies are british shetland ponies... or least.. that what it says on there papers! lol But i can show them as non clipped miniatures or mini shetties...

one of the shetties who use to be at our yard.... a real working pony... but more of a happy hacker..
















Island bred 'aged' stallion (not in great shape.. not had him long here...)






Yearling filly


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## loveminis

I love the British Shetlands ! To me they are the real deal.


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## krissy3

Ive had both.. and both are TOTALLY differnet. My two that I have now parents are from the Shetland Islands. They are short and robust. They are too young to seriously start training , and the AMHA from the US, I dont have yet, hopefully I will by this month, she is also young , it will be interesting to see the differences. will keep you posted.


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## krissy3

Its my understanding..AMHA AMHR horses are out of the Fallabella Argentine horses that lived in a canyon and never really got out of the canyon, hence the refined body for the heat , and in the dessert there was little food...right ? Now the Shetland Ponys for the Shetland Islands are robust ...ever been there ??very very cold windy and rainey. If i lived there I would probably grow hair like a Yak, and be short so I could find a little shelter behind logs. where there is rain there is grass....they always eat, they needed to to keep warm. To this day mine eat like I have had them on Jenny Craig for a month. Their legs are thick , cannon bones 2 to 4 times thicker than the AMHA-R ^s cannon bones. People from hot climates are usually thinner right? they eat less, they eat more fruit and vegies...wouldnt this sort of be the same for the horses? Look at the Arabians vs the Islandic Horses. Thats kind of the same comparison as the SP and AM (shetland pony , vs american mini horse)


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## Shortpig

Back in the 70's there was a lady who lived on a small island just south of Tillamook, Oregon. She had a herd of shetland ponies and they were of the British type. She also had a daughter who was born with Downs Syndrome.

When the little girl would go out with the ponies they would surround her to protect her. These ponies adored this little girl but were very stand offish to anyone else who came near. It was actually in Tierra Del Mar Oregon. It was really neat to go over the little bridge just park and watch her herd intereact. None were for sale ever and I'm not sure what happened to the herd or the family. Basically they were a wild herd and had the run of the whole little Island. Maybe someday my daughter and I could take a drive down the coast and see if anyone is still there including the ponies.

I just remember they were so very pretty.


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## Shari

Marie,, if you ever find that herd again... let me know.


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## Shortpig

Ok Shari, The little Island is just south of Sand Lake heading to Ocean Side. Thinking how old I am now I can't imagine the family is still there with those horses. I'll see what I can find out though


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## PrestigeMiniHorses

Wow I am just amazed with all this. To me the original island shetlands remind me of the original minis from back in the day. Weird. I never saw one of these original so when I think of a shetland I see a american version. My main pony breed was a Hackney so I love the refined look...


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## kaykay

Krissy I have to disagree with the canyon story. Yes its a romantic story but has no basis in reality.

There is a whole group here in the US called the Shetland pony society of north america.

sheltand society


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## krissy3

so then how do you explaine the differences in the Shetland horses and the american miniature. I got to tell you I have both , and both are about the same height, and the body structures are 100% different. Both papered, registered ,one with AMHA AMHR,from the US , and the others SPC from France , and sire from the UK. on the shetland the legs are twice as thick , short cannon bones, and shorter legs, also the chest is thick , rear end is twice the size of the AMHA, and about one year difference in age.all three under 34 inches, but the shetlands are 2 times thicker in the overall body. thicker fur , mane , tail etc. Can you explaine the difference between to two ? its been a mystery to me because I get so many different storys. What is the difference between the Fallabellas and the ASP, the ASP and the SP , MSP and the AMH

american shetland pony

american miniature horse

american miniature horse oversized or registry

Shetland pony UK

mini shetland ponys UK

Fallabella , and Fallabella blends

every one of these horses has a different body type , the standard shetland pony is something you will never see in the US, it can look like a 11 hand Draft horse..I am not kidding , and adults can easily ride them over here. You can put 2 AMHA AMHR horses together side by side , and they are still thinner than 1 shetland pony miniature or standard. I kid you not.


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## kaykay

Hi Krissy

Did you look at the link I posted above?? You will see there more of the old style UK looking shetlands there.

This is all really hard to explain but I will try to keep it short.

All American Miniature horses were bred down from small Shetland ponies and some other breeds that were thrown in but mainly they came from small Shetlands. Keep in mind there are different divisions in the American Shetland Pony

Foundation

Classic

Modern

Modern Pleasure

This I think is what is so hard for people new to AMerican Shetlands to understand. Each division has a different "type"

Fallabellas are the ones that started the story of finding them wondering around a canyon. But it was simply a marketing ploy and it did work well.

For example here are pictures of mine with their registey and type

Feature our FOUNDATION pony herd sire. Heavier boned, stockier much more like the foundation that shetlands were bred from.






Black our other herdsire CLASSIC american shetland pony and also registered miniature horse. Much finer boned then a foundation horse






Patches MODERN PLEASURE division. As you can see shes much more extreme then the top two because she has a Hackney outcross in her pedigree






Tease our filly is I think will be a CLASSIC pony but is also registered AMHR.


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## krissy3

Kay kay I totally agree with you on the devisions , however here in Switzerland , and Italy , and France , those horses dont exist yet. They have not been imported yet from the states or from the UK. The ICAMH is in the Netherlands , and there is not one show in Switzerland that is an AMHA show because there are only about 5 people breeding them or that have purchased them, and their mares and stallions must come from the states, because they dont exist here. The horse I just purchased is from the US. All shows must be open because there are not enough AMHA AMHR ASP here to have a class. I was at the biggest show 3 weeks ago , and there were only about 3 registered AMHA horses there , all from the breeder showing , and one new ASP from that came from the states a few months back.the rest were the normal shetlands that we see here in Europe. So its totally different here. ICAMHA is only 2 years old here, and thats only in the Netherlands, it has not reached the other countries , except the UK. So that is where I am comming from, I am trying to expand the AMHA here by purchasing a registered horse here and actually showing it , and being active in the showing, because I want to see this club get bigger. People here have never seen one of these horses before , I didnt know anything ( and still dont ) about the Falabellas, until the breeder said she was going to start breeding only the Falabellas, she gave me the Canyon story , and I bought it hook line and sinker.

Thanks for clearing it up for me , will do some reading up on it too. ps .did look at the site , those are not here yet , maybe in the UK , but they are way too pretty and fine , you wont see one here ...not yet at least.


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## Lewella

There are breeders in Germany who have been breeding Classic American Shetlands for at least 15 years. They imported Foundation Shetlands from Dennis O'Keefe and Jean Morrissey primarily and most of the ponies they brought over at that time were Silver Dapples or carried the silver dilution. Here's the website for Karl-Heinz Stach who did quite a bit of importing of Classic Shetlands to Germany in the early to mid 1990's - http://www.classicamericanshetland.de/


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## disneyhorse

Here are two of my American Shetlands, they are Modern Pleasure type. You can see they are NOT anything remotely like the English/Island Shetlands that they have been breeding away from for over a century. They have been bred for this type, specifically...

One of my Modern American Shetlands was recently purchased from a lady in Germany. Soooo they are making their way to Europe... hopefully they will find some fans over there!

Andrea


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## Ouburgia

No offence, couse I like them (especially the first one) But in my eyes a better name should be "american Hackney" or something


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## Boinky

but they aren't hackney's either which is also a very old breed... why would you think it would be OK to give them the name 'american hackney" but it's not ok to be an "american shetland".... it's all semantics. They are what the are and there is no changing it. They may not be what you consider a "true"/ "island" shetland but in America they are called shetlands and despite what many seem to think they were decended from island shetlands for the most part. It's about like people saying shetlands shouldn't be in the mini horse reistry... well itis what it is. it's funny how most of the top horses in the world or top mini lines came from direct decendants of shetlands. yep they might very well have hackney in them but look at many other breed of horses how they hardship in other breeds ect at some point in their history.

What people need to do is just learn to accept such is life. If you don't like a certain "type" or "breed" don't breed for it or buy it. there is plenty of variety in the world. Why is one wrong to breed and one is right? all depends on who you ask i guess. i'm not big on either moderns or the island shetlands......If a majority didn't like something it would be aweful hard to breed fr these charachteristics because you'd never be able to sell one..what would be the point? obviously there is a market/demand and it's being filled weather I or you like it.


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## disneyhorse

I would like to point out that "Shetlands" are not the only horse considered to be vastly different from the "foundation origins." (I would also like to say that Boinky has it right... Hackneys are also their own special breed and a Classic Shetland is NO WHERE near what a true Hackney pony is!)

The original Belgian draft horse (from Belgium), looks something like this:






Well, we Americans imported them and selectively bred them, so we have "Belgians" here now that we show and love and they are the most common draft horse in the United States. However, to differentiate, we call these guys "American Belgians" and the older ones above the Belgian Brabant.

This is what we are used to seeing over here:






So you can see... both horses are beautiful but they are vastly different. Here in the U.S. we apparently like to breed for refinement, upheaded presence, and lots of motion. Thus we have the American Saddlebred and such. Both types have their fans, I just wanted to point out that it happens in lots of imported breeds. Even Percherons, Clydesdales, Andalusians, etc. are going to be more refined out here, that's the overall type we seem to breed for. Heck, even dogs.... most dogs are taller and more refined than their European cousins!!!

Andrea


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## Leeana

disneyhorse said:


> I would like to point out that "Shetlands" are not the only horse considered to be vastly different from the "foundation origins." (I would also like to say that Boinky has it right... Hackneys are also their own special breed and a Classic Shetland is NO WHERE near what a true Hackney pony is!)
> The original Belgian draft horse (from Belgium), looks something like this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well, we Americans imported them and selectively bred them, so we have "Belgians" here now that we show and love and they are the most common draft horse in the United States. However, to differentiate, we call these guys "American Belgians" and the older ones above the Belgian Brabant.
> 
> This is what we are used to seeing over here:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So you can see... both horses are beautiful but they are vastly different. Here in the U.S. we apparently like to breed for refinement, upheaded presence, and lots of motion. Thus we have the American Saddlebred and such. Both types have their fans, I just wanted to point out that it happens in lots of imported breeds. Even Percherons, Clydesdales, Andalusians, etc. are going to be more refined out here, that's the overall type we seem to breed for. Heck, even dogs.... most dogs are taller and more refined than their European cousins!!!
> 
> Andrea


Exactly! This is what i have been saying...America tends to american'ize allot of the breeds we have today...we make everything leggy and refined...


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## Boinky

well considering the influx of exports in many of our breeds to Europe, Australia ect they can't hate our "Americanization" too much is my thinking. I think for the most part we like refinement and pretty. doesn't mean we hate what the old style is.. just didn't suit our needs and purposes and what we want to look at every day.

I'd also like to point out we call them "AMERICAN" because it does destinquish them from true island shetlands or true whatever breed.


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## bannerminis

I just wanted to say that the word Shetland (as I am from Ireland) always brings to mind your standard British Shetland pony - short, stocky and hairy.

But I was really surprised then when I came across the American Shetland as to my mind it couldnt be further from the original breed. But I like both in their own right and think they all have their plus points when you are looking at these animals.

Here is a link to Beltoy Stud in Northern Ireland - I got to know the Bells over the last yr as they do a lot of showing but also did a lot of judging for us at our miniature horse shows.

They breed and show Shetlands - I know what some are saying about them being over weight but shetlands here are shown in their natural state and there is no clipping or bridal paths or trimming of the feather - they are shown in all their glory so to speak.

http://www.beltoy.com/index.htm

Slightly off topic then

Our native breed is of course the Conemara pony and I have see them in all shapes and sizes from the more stocky to ones that almost have an Arab TB look going on and all 100% Connemara.

Only in the last couple of yrs has the Kerry Bog Pony been recognised as a breed and now you see more and more people breeding these Kerry Bog Pony's

Here is a link to a website that will give you an idea of what the breed is about. I personally dont know a whole lot about them and have yet to see one in the flesh.

http://www.kerrybogpony.ie/index.htm


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## maplegum

bannerminis said:


> I just wanted to say that the word Shetland (as I am from Ireland) always brings to mind your standard British Shetland pony - short, stocky and hairy.But I was really surprised then when I came across the American Shetland as to my mind it couldnt be further from the original breed. But I like both in their own right and think they all have their plus points when you are looking at these animals.
> 
> Here is a link to Beltoy Stud in Northern Ireland - I got to know the Bells over the last yr as they do a lot of showing but also did a lot of judging for us at our miniature horse shows.
> 
> They breed and show Shetlands - I know what some are saying about them being over weight but shetlands here are shown in their natural state and there is no clipping or bridal paths or trimming of the feather - they are shown in all their glory so to speak.
> 
> http://www.beltoy.com/index.htm
> 
> Slightly off topic then
> 
> Our native breed is of course the Conemara pony and I have see them in all shapes and sizes from the more stocky to ones that almost have an Arab TB look going on and all 100% Connemara.
> 
> Only in the last couple of yrs has the Kerry Bog Pony been recognised as a breed and now you see more and more people breeding these Kerry Bog Pony's
> 
> Here is a link to a website that will give you an idea of what the breed is about. I personally dont know a whole lot about them and have yet to see one in the flesh.
> 
> http://www.kerrybogpony.ie/index.htm


I've had a very quick look at that shetland site. Aren't they jusst beautiful! They are the type of shetlands that we have here in Australia. Chunky, hairy. Ours are also shown in their natural state and I wish minis were too. Mother nature gave them such beauty and we clip it off and then apply ghastly makeup!

I would love our minis to be shown in their natural state.


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## Celtic Hill Farm

I think the american'izing of horses is good, i love refined horses, i don't really like the stockey ones. But it really depends on the person, and what you are doing with them. I would much rather have an American Shetland, vs. a "Shetland Shetland". I think the americans look nicer in the show ring, just my opinion.


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## Ouburgia

Celtic Hill Farm said:


> I think the american'izing of horses is good, i love refined horses, i don't really like the stockey ones. But it really depends on the person, and what you are doing with them. I would much rather have an American Shetland, vs. a "Shetland Shetland". I think the americans look nicer in the show ring, just my opinion.


There are a lot of breeds that are refined. Why refined a breed that is supposed to be "stockey"

Sorry, but I really can't like the american "belgium"

It has no conformation at all....

In my opinion: Why americanizing breeds? Why if the breed is good?

Belgians are working horses, no show horses (for example)

IMO: If it ain't broke, don't fix it....

The example I gave for Hackney's.... The horses look more hackney than shetland to me


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## Laura

bingo said:


> To me the UK Shetlands are more of a using pony. I love that little pony you posted and obviously he will be able to carry that rider for many more years as she grows a bit and pack her around fences.
> I think many American Shetlands are suitable for very small children as short stirrup ponies but obviously due to build can not handle as much rider wise as the UK ones.
> 
> I would not hesitate to own that little black pony you posted!
> 
> It is like comparing apples to oranges at this point.


I agree, that little black pony is a HANDSOME fellow!


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## rabbitsfizz

I love American "Shetlands" but, as you probably remember, I think it downright _daft_ to call them Shetlands!!

Why on earth did you not claim this elegant animal completely as your own, they are as much Hackneys or even Welsh as they are Shetlands, why not call them that?? (No, I know that would be silly, my point is they should be called something unique....American Show Pony, perhaps??)

They aren't Hackneys but they aren't Shetlands, either!!

They _are_ a beautiful and totally unique animal and, were I still to be doing Leadrein, I would be looking to import a few, and they would really set the Leadrein world on it's ears, I can tell you!!

That is just the kind of animal they are going for, these days.....I really am tempted, often, I have to keep off Lewellas site, for a start!!!


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## Ouburgia

I can not agree more!


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## Lewella

rabbitsfizz said:


> They _are_ a beautiful and totally unique animal and, were I still to be doing Leadrein, I would be looking to import a few, and they would really set the Leadrein world on it's ears, I can tell you!!That is just the kind of animal they are going for, these days.....I really am tempted, often, I have to keep off Lewellas site, for a start!!!


You would have been even more tempted had you been with me at Rosvold Farms on Sunday where we had 9 children riding around practicing "games" like barrels, flag race, key race, trail, etc. on American Shetlands, NSPR's (half American Shetlands), small PtHA pinto ponies, and a couple of B miniatures for the 6 and under riders.



(We had more ponies saddled than children to ride them so the children were trading off ponies regularly and at least a dozen ponies got to play on the practice course!)




(from left - Longman's Renegade -might not be his complete name- AMHR B mini, Dia De Diplomat - ASPC Classic Shetland mare, and "Ramble" - PtHA and hopefully soon NSPR -he's out of Wink's Olive Branch)


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## Ouburgia

Just for the record... I'm liking them more and more, even thinking of importing one once....

Doesn't mean I agree with the name, but it does meen it are wonderful horses!


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## krissy3

OK ..when I can figure this photo thing out on my computer , i will take a picture of my miniature shetland from France, not Americanized....next to the AMHA registered miniature horse whos parents are from Florida totally Americanized .. and all of you can decide what the differences are. First thing you will notice is the cannon bone... one looks like a twig , and one like a sausage...and it goes on..both really nice breeds. If anyone else has one of each maybe you could do the same , it would be interesting


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