The American Shetland Pony is probably one of the most misunderstood breeds of horses. Most of us rode a “Shetland Pony” when we were kids and remember them as being mean and stubborn. When you consider that most of these Shetland ponies were grade ponies (meaning they had no registration papers and were probably a mixture of other horse breeds) that were ridden endlessly day in and day out from children who had no idea how to ride or train a horse properly, it really is no wonder that they obtained this reputation through no fault of their own.
American Shetland Ponies are very smart and easy to train. But like any horse breed they need an owner that is educated in training and handling horses.
American Shetland ponies come in many different colors including pinto. The only color not allowed is Appaloosa coloring.
Today’s American Shetland Pony is a much different pony then the pony of our childhoods. The American Shetland Pony Club (ASPC)is one of the oldest equine pedigreed registries. The American Shetland Pony was originally brought over from the Shetland Isles. But today’s American Shetland Pony has very little resemblance to its distant cousin. Over the years out cross breeds such as the Hackney Pony were used to refine the ponies appearance and add animation.
The American Shetland Pony has many different divisions for registered ponies. They are as follows:
Foundation Division
This division is to preserve the look that the breed was founded on. This pony has more bone and substance and is not extreme in movement or appearance. This type of pony is more like the ponies many of us remember growing up with. They are also smaller in stature. Foundation ponies make wonderful riding and driving ponies for children and small adults.
Classic Division
This division is for ponies that are more refined and a little more elegant looking then a Foundation pony. These ponies tend to have lighter bones and longer necks and a little more movement. The Classic pony is also a great child’s pony for riding and performance.
Modern Pleasure Division
The Modern Pleasure ponies normally have an out cross to a registered Hackney pony. These ponies are more extreme in appearance and have a much bigger trot and more animation. These ponies are beautiful for driving and performance.
Modern Division
The Modern pony is the most extreme in both appearance and movement. These ponies tend to have more Hackney out crosses and can be a little hotter in temperament. The Modern pony is shown with shoes and has a beautiful reaching trot.
National Show Pony
This is a pony that is the result of breeding an ASPC registered pony to an AMHR registered Miniature horse or other out cross breed. This is a performance only division to produce larger ponies for hunter, western and jumping division.
American Show Pony
These are also larger performance ponies that are the result of breeding an ASPC registered pony to a registered Hackney pony.
No matter what type of pony you like there is an American Shetland Pony to fit your need. For more information on the American Shetland pony please visit these websites. www.shetlandminiature.com and www.americanshetlandpony.com
