The Shetland Pony

Shetland is not an easy place to survive.

Atlantic winds shape life on these islands. The landscape is often rugged and exposed, with boggy moorland, few trees, and long northern winters.

Everything about the Shetland pony has been shaped by these conditions.

Their compact bodies conserve heat while their thick double coats act almost like natural waterproof clothing. Early visitors described them as looking dressed for Arctic weather, with long shaggy manes “ruffled at speed and danced in every wind”.

Then spring arrives, and they go through an almost comical shaggy stage while moulting their heavy winter coats. Beneath all that tangled hair appears a surprisingly sleek silky coat that gleams in Shetland’s long, warm summer light.

We also learn their large broad feet help spread their weight across boggy peatland where heavier horses would struggle.

One local explained to us that rich summer grass can in fact make Shetland ponies ill. These ponies are designed for rough grazing, coarse grasses, and heather covered hillsides.

The deeper we explore Shetland, the stranger and more fascinating the stories become.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, Dutch fishermen following the herring shoals to Shetland often sheltered off Lerwick. After long periods at sea, many hired local ponies for doctor-recommended exercise ashore, sometimes racing them along the headland at the Knab. One local story tells of a fisherman and pony plunging from the cliffs, giving rise to the place still known today as ‘Dutchman’s Leap’.

The ponies were valuable enough to be protected by law. One old Shetland law made it illegal to cut tail hairs from another person’s pony without permission. Tail hair was prized for making fishing lines, repairing nets, and even creating bows for the traditional Shetland gue fiddle. Another common offence recorded in court documents was riding another man’s pony without permission.

One of the loveliest parts of travelling through Shetland is how naturally the ponies appear in everyday life. You round a bend in the road, and there they are, grazing on the verge.

Many visitors assume they are wild, but they all belong to crofters or breeders, even when roaming freely across common grazing land. Islanders know exactly which ponies belong to whom.

For visitors wanting a closer connection, experiences such as the Shetland Pony Experience allow you to meet mares and foals up close while learning about the breed directly from a local crofting family.

Standing inside a paddock surrounded by curious foals, with one gently chewing my waterproof sleeve while another nudges my hand with its warm little nose, it is impossible not to melt a little. Perhaps that is what makes seeing Shetland ponies in Shetland feel so special.