The Shetland Pony should provide a
versatile hardy pony ideally suited
as a child’s saddle pony or a harness pony either single harness or up to six in hand using
a recognised show class vehicle.
It should possess a kindly
nature free of vice (kicking, biting, etc.) be of a tractable “level
headed” nature but still retain an alert bright manner. It is by nature an
intelligent pony and is easy to train and control.
Height:
not
exceeding 10.2 hands high
Colour:
In the pure
bred Shetland, black is the foundation colour with black/ brown, grey,
brown, bay, chestnut, palomino, buckskin, piebald and
skewbald. White stars, socks, stripes, blazes and snips are all
acceptable.
coat: The
coat changes according to the season of the year – double coat in winter and smooth in
summer. Clipping and dying of coats is not allowed.
Head:
The head should be relatively strong
without coarseness and be in
balance with the body. he eyes should be large and prominent.
The face should be neither dished nor roman
nosed. The muzzle must be
broad and the teeth and jaw correct, i.e., the teeth must meet
together when the jaw is shut.
Body:
Thick set with deep, well sprung ribs,
relatively short back with broad chest and quarters,
nice sloping shoulder, tail well set on with
profuse mane, tail and feathering all of straight hair. Loins
strong and muscular.
Limbs:
Forelegs –
well placed under the shoulder and neither knock kneed nor too far apart, pigeon toed or
splay footed, with well muscled forearm, strong though not
coarse of knee, flat faced in profile,
followed through by good
flat bone and not back in knee. Short strong cannon bone
with nicely sprung pasterns.
Hind legs:
thighs strong and muscular, with broad well developed hocks, carried under the body,
followed through by good flat bone
and pasterns [not cow
hocked or wide behind] in balance with the forelegs.
Disproportionately long legs which produce too much light
under the body are a weakness in conformation..
Feet:
Tough, round and well shaped [not short, narrow and contracted
Action:
Straight free movement fore and aft with
sufficient action to show all four soles when viewed from rear.
Action not exaggerated nor stilted.
Show
Presentation:
When shown as a representative of their
Breed, Shetland Ponies must be shown in natural coat and full
feather.Shetlands must
not be clipped or dyed.
