Rabbitfizz hi,
Well they are Shetlands to US in America. Everything that Lewella said, is true.
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This is my take on the issue:
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The American Shetland Pony Club was formed like Lewella said, before the SPSBS and one of it's eariest presidents was Charles Bunn from 1900 to 1904. He had a dramatic impact on the Shetland pony and was the first man here to ever clip, shoe, balance and properly fit shetlands for the American show ring. He felt that the Shetland was improving in America from the shorter legged, little Shelty into a Bijou pony with impressive style, conformation, action of fine carriage and show ponies and still retaining their wonderful dispositions. You see if you took a pony direct from the islands and body clipped him(then or now), show shod him with heavy shoes and bitted him up right, he certainly would/will NOT look like the same little guy who came from the islands. That doesn't mean our American Shetlands were not true Shetlands of your type when they first arrived here. The were named American because they were now in America and being bred here, and named Shetlands because they came from the Shetland Islands. Of course our American Shetlands don't look like your Scottish Shetlands because most early Americans didn't want them to look like them so they changed them into the American Shetlands of today by many years of crossing the larger ponies to get more height, thus more knee action, and by adding Hackney and Welsh lines here in America. A well-known fact that on part of the island of Fetlar, Lady Nicolson crossed small Arabian stallions on shetland mares and Icelandic ponies were put on the island of Bressay. Which means that Shetland ponies that were imported and stayed on the islands were not always true shetlands which would very well account for ponies coming from the islands that were in the high 40" range, but still many, many of the original island ponies as well as todays American Shetlands height range is from 34" to an average of 42". Some being even smaller and some larger.
You need to understand that OUR American Shetland ponies come dierctly from your island stock. Granted many, if most lines you no longer have, as the early importations(as many as 1000 head imported a year has been said) from islands probably took many of those ponies away. The early stud books here have many, many imported ponies bred by such people as A,J,P,R.J.& H.F. Andersons,Hillswick,Scotland; Joseph Duncan,Aberdeen; Mrs. Fawcett,The Grange, Old Bramhope, Leeds,Scotland; TMC Hay, Fiblister,Ollaberry,Scotland; J.Hederson, Orchard Cottage,Old Aberdeen, Scotland; The Ladies Hope, Underriver Sevenoaks,Kent,England; Anderson Manson, Maryfield Bressay,Lerwick; John Pearson, Sivinning, Viedlin,Lerwick; A.Sandison & Sons, Aasound, Shetland; John Sinclair,Maywick,Levenwick,Scotland; CN Taylor, Hoywych, Cowden,Kent,England; The Marquis Of Londonderry,Bressay,Lerwick; Mrs. KG Rait, Aiston, Arbroath,Scotland; Graham Clark, Aberdeen, Scotland; Maybe some of these names mean nothing to you, but maybe they do and you can help us trace where our imported shetlands came from in the different parts of the islands? Please forgive mis-spelled cities
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Some History written in our books:
In order for you to see the quality of the shetland ponies of today, we must go back to their roots or beginnings in the United States. How did these ponies from the Shetland Islands in Scotland come to the United States? The came by boats, slow boats during the later part of the 19th century. The trips were arduous. Upon arrival to the united states it took quite awile for the ponies to become acclimated and it appears at least a year or so before the imported stock could be bred successfully. Those of who love shetlands should be internally grateful to the men who overcame great obstacles of every kind and nature to establish the Shetland in America.
Eli Elliott of Iowa was an early importer of Shetlands from the Shetland Islands. They range from the little full grown Yum Yum at 31" to some large ponies wading around in a better pasture than they had ever dreamed of seeing in their native land. They present a spectacle of calm contentment pleasant to behold.
Robert Lilburn of Wisconsin was also an early importer and owned at one time of the largest shetland pony herd in America. He was born in Rinrosshire, Scotland July, 1, 1842 and came to the united states with his parents in 1845. In 1912 he was exporting shetlands to english and scotch buyers who had come thousands of miles across the sea to visit and select stock to replenish their depleted herds at home. His first importation of shetland ponies were made direst from the islands in 1884, and since then valuable additions have from time to time been made. A good many of the ponies are from the herd of The Marquis of Londonderry-the largest and best known breeders of shetlands ponies in the world. One of Mr. Lilburn's ponies was the nice black stallion Peace by Odin who traces back to most of our American Shetlands, along with many ponies sired by Jack and Odin. The ponies are kept in perfectly natural condiitons and no over feeding or pampering has been practiced. In fact during the coldest winter weather the whole herd pick their living in the fields and come up sleek, fat and vigorous in the spring. This treatment is not only the most economical, but it is conductive to the health and longevity of the ponies, the mares are more prolific and experince shows that even sudden changes of climate does not affect them in any way. His ponies were all genuine Shetlands, and the entire herd was registered with the American Shetland pony Club.
I guess what I am saying is that our American Shetlands are indeed different than your Island Shetland ponies. We certainly can't say that our ponies are 100% Shetland, but I don't feel that YOU can say your ponies are 100% Shetland either. You indeed have a very nice, hardy, good looking and great dispostioned Shetland ponies that are most likely much more Shetland than ours are, and we are not condemming what you have. They are glorious and wonderful, but you say ours are not Shetland! Yes they are OUR American Shetland ponies, whom we like and are very proud to have whether they are 34" or 46", short legged or long legged, fat and frumpy or the slim-liners. Like Americans ourselves we are all imports originally from different lands, so we all like something different. Your woulderful island ponies became something different for us and we thank you for that
If my scanner was working I would show you pictures of very early imports which don't look any different then, than your ponies do now. They were Shetland ponies and they are still Shetland ponies. I hope that what I have said doesn't offend anyone. Some years back we had some breeders from England that we enjoyed tremendously, but because of the different looks and degrees of breeding/showing we each have, they were eventually very dismayed and left. We miss them and hope that you as UK and Shetland Island breeders/owners can accept our ponies and they way we show them, and not leave because we can all learn basic knowledge of ponies in general from each other. We can See your lovely ponies,and you can see our lovely ponies...deal? deal
I personally LOVE both the American and the UK Shetlands ponies, and love to hear about and see your ponies. I wish I had a whole herd of both of them :aktion033: Speaking of your pictures, can I ask why your cart shafts are bent upwards in the middle? I have not seen this before...something new we can share. Maybe it would benefit our carts to do the same
: I know older ways are many times better than newer ways. I also LOVE the fact that children ride the Shetlands over there, especially in the show ring. Something our shows need more of for sure!
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My best,
Jenny
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PLEASE do not misunderstand me here, I think American shetlands are beautiful, and have said so many times before - they just aren't Shetlands!!
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