which is probably merely the Turkoman horse stunted by the hard fare and severe winters of the hill country. And lastly, in America we have the Indian Pony of the north, of the Canadian type, the Mustang of the south-west, and in South America a very singular-looking breed of horses, of very diminutive size, which is found in the mountains of Venezuela.
On these various families of ponies we shall touch more at length, and on the qualities for which they are famous and worthy to be more generally cultivated in our own country.
We admit that we wish we were more a race of horsemen, and less a race of sulky, buggy or wagon-drivers. The saddle is the true use of the horse; and riding is the manliest, freest, boldest of exercises. We can hardly fancy a good rider to be a fool or a fribble; a coward he cannot be by any possibility. It is for this reason that we would gladly see ponies more largely introduced, and even bred in this country; nor would it be amiss to introduce premiums for the encouragement of this breed at agricultural fairs.
SHETLANDS AND SCOTS.
Unquestionably, the most remarkable of all the European pony races, and the best adapted for one of the principal uses to which ponies are applicable, are, the little Shetlanders, which are natives of all the northern Scottish isles, but which are found of the smallest size and of the most perfect form in the extreme northern isles of Yell and Unst. None of the Shetlanders exceed in the average nine or ten hands—that is to say, from three feet to three feet four inches in height; and none are considered truly bred which exceed eleven hands, or three feet eight inches. Many are found which do not exceed thirty or thirty-two inches, and which are consequently inferior in size to
