Oldspot x Tamworth piglets. From good sized stock.
We are taking deposits to reserve weaned piglets from the next litter.
Boar and sow can be seen, both friendly and good with children. Hardy pigs, used to Shetland outdoor life.
Piglets will be nice and fat and are usually a mix of colours
Contact us for more details Tel: 01595 860223
The Breed
The Shetland pony is native to the Shetland Islands, an archipelago off the North coast of Scotland. The pony's roots are unknown, but it is one of the oldest surviving breeds of equidae. The earliest depiction of the breed is believed to date to the 9th century; the Papil Stone was found on the island of Burra and is a carving of several monks escorted by a hooded figure astride a small pony. However, this is predated by evidence of the ponies, in the from of bones, found in excavations of the Bronze Age layers at the archaelogical site Jarlshof, at the South end of the Shetland Mainland.
The development of the breed is strongly attributed to the harsh climatic conditions and the scarcity of food on the islands.
Being hardy, surefooted, strong and easily tamed ensured their use in all areas of croft life including carrying peat for fuel, working croftland and providing means of transportation around the islands.
The passing of the Coal Mines Act of 1842 banned all women and children under the age of ten from working underground; this lead to thousands of Shetland ponies travelling to mainland Britain to be used as pit ponies. Their strength is well documented, being disproportional to their size, Reverend John Brand wrote in 1701 'Some not so high as others prove to be the strongest. Yea there are some whom an able man can lift up in his arms, yet will they carry him and a woman behind him eight miles forward and as many back.' With many of the best stock leaving the islands to work in the coal mines, extensively in the North of England, there was the need to actively preserve and maintain the breed. Such efforts by The Marquis of Londonderry, with his stud on Bressay, and the formation of the Shetland Pony Stud-Book Society in 1890 have been sucessful in their goal 'to maintain unimpaired the purity of the breed of Shetland ponies and to promote the breeding of these ponies'.
Shetland Pony Stud Book Society Breed Standard (As revised 2008)
Height:
Registered stock must not exceed 42 inches (107cms) at four years or over.
Colour
Shetland ponies may be any colour known in horses except spotted.
Coat
A double coat in winter with guard hairs which shed the rain and keep the pony's skin completely dry in the worst of the weather and, in summer a short coat which should carry a beautiful silky sheen. At all times the mane and tail hair should be long, straight and profuse.
Head
The head should be small, and in proportion. Ears should be small and erect, wide set but pointing well forward. Forehead should be broad with bold, dark, intelligent eyes. Muzzle must be broad with nostrils wide and open. Teeth and jaw must be correct.
Body
The neck should be properly set onto the shoulder, which in turn should be sloping, not upright, and end in a well defined wither. The body should be strong, with plenty of heart room, well sprung ribs, the loin strong and muscular. The quarters should be broad and long with the tail set well up on them.
Forelegs
These should have good, flat bone. Strong forearm. Short balanced cannon bone. Springy pasterns.
Hindlegs
The thighs should be strong and muscular with well-shaped strong hocks. When viewed from behind, the hindlegs should not be set too widely apart, nor should the hocks be turned in.
Feet
Tough, round and well shaped.
Action
Straight, free action using every joint. Tracking up well.
General
A most salient and essential feature of the Shetland pony is its general air of vitality (presence), stamina and robustness.
Shetland Pony Studs
The Pony Breeders of Shetland Association have a comprehensive listing of Shetland based studs. View our breeders card here and the full PBSA stud directory here.