Real (english) shetlands...

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Ouburgia

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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?

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(clipped during winter, and a bit to fat, but oh whell ;) )
 
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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:)
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I like the english ones best.
 
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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.
 
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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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
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. A friend of mine locally has some imported shetlands as well as dartmoores...very cute, hairy and cudly indeed
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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 love watching video of the

. It looks like so much fun for those kids! Those island shetlands are so sturdy.
 
sorry English, quirky and cute the americans i think are really ugly no offense but thats just my opinion
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Wally raises and drives hers.

I love Traditional Shetland Island, shetland ponies. But then...I like traditional type horses or ponies of any breed.
 
I wonder if there are some statistics to show which is actually the more popular in the US?
 
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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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.
 
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:

HowardB.jpg


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

HowardB.jpg


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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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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