Editing Shetland pony (section)

== History ==
[[File:Shetland ponies ca 1900.jpg|thumb|Two women of the Shetland Isles with ponies: photograph taken about 1900]]
Shetland ponies originated in the [[Shetland Isles|Shetland Islands]], located northeast of mainland Scotland. Small horses have been kept in the Shetland Islands since the [[Bronze Age]]. People who lived on the islands probably later crossed the native stock with ponies imported by [[Norsemen|Norse]] settlers. Shetland ponies were probably also influenced by the [[Celtic pony]], brought to the islands by settlers between 2000 and 1000 BC.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hovens|first1=Hans|last2=Rijkers|first2=Toon|date=2013|title=On the origins of the Exmoor pony: did the wild horse survive in Britain?|url=https://www.exmoorpony.nl/pdf/Lutra_dec2013_Hovens_Rijkers_lowres.pdf|journal=Lutra|volume=56|issue=2|page=134|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref> The harsh climate and scarce food developed the ponies into extremely hardy animals.

Shetland ponies were first used for pulling carts and for carrying [[peat]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Reid|first=C|title=Women unloading peats from kishie|url=https://photos.shetlandmuseumandarchives.org.uk/index.php?a=ViewItem&key=SXsiTiI6MTUsIlAiOnsidmFsdWUiOiJwb255IHBlYXQiLCJvcGVyYXRvciI6IjEiLCJmdXp6eVByZWZpeExlbmd0aCI6IjMiLCJmdXp6eU1pblNpbWlsYXJpdHkiOjAuNjUsIm1heFN1Z2dlc3Rpb25zIjoiNSIsImFsd2F5c1N1Z2dlc3QiOm51bGx9fQ&pg=1|access-date=2020-07-16|website=Shetland Museum and Archives}}</ref> seaweed,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Breed History |url=https://www.shetlandponystudbooksociety.co.uk/about-the-breed/breed-history/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Shetland Pony Stud Book Society |language=en-GB}}</ref> and ploughing land.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Storey|first=B|date=1958–1960|title=Pony|url=https://photos.shetlandmuseumandarchives.org.uk/index.php?a=ViewItem&key=SXsiTiI6ODUsIlAiOnsidmFsdWUiOiJwbG91Z2giLCJvcGVyYXRvciI6IjEiLCJmdXp6eVByZWZpeExlbmd0aCI6IjMiLCJmdXp6eU1pblNpbWlsYXJpdHkiOjAuNjUsIm1heFN1Z2dlc3Rpb25zIjoiNSIsImFsd2F5c1N1Z2dlc3QiOm51bGx9fQ&pg=48|access-date=2020-07-15|website=Shetland Museum and Archives}}</ref> Then, as the [[Industrial Revolution]] increased the need for coal in the mid-nineteenth century, thousands of Shetland ponies were taken to mainland Britain to be [[Pit pony|pit ponies]], working underground hauling coal, often for their entire (frequently shortened) lives. Coal mines in the eastern United States also imported some of these animals. The last mine that used Shetland ponies in the United States closed in 1971.<ref>''The Last Pony Mine'', a documentary film, Les Benedict, director, Steve Knudston, producer, 1972. Available on Youtube in 3 parts [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0NZRSDoqCk part 1][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsbS4y8vIFU part 2][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t80NFheqwfo part 3]</ref>

The Shetland Pony Stud-Book Society is the [[breed society]] for the traditional Shetland throughout the world.<ref name=SPSBS>{{cite web|url=http://www.shetlandponystudbooksociety.co.uk/ |title=Shetland Pony Stud Book Society |publisher=Shetland Pony Stud Book Society |access-date=16 December 2011}}</ref> It was started in 1890 to maintain purity and encourage high-quality animals.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} In 1957, the Shetland Islands Premium Stallion Scheme was formed to subsidise high-quality registered stallions to improve the breeding stock.{{cn|date=March 2022}}

A number of pony breeds derive from the traditional Shetland. These include the [[American Shetland Pony]] and [[Pony of the Americas]] in the United States,{{r|edwards|page=243}} and the [[Deutsches Classic Pony]] in Germany.{{r|classic}}