The pony carried peat down from the bogs to the cottages for use as fuel. They also hauled seaweed up from the shore to the fields to be used as fertilizer. The Shetland is probably the strongest equine relative to its size, yet even the stallions are gentle and docile. The body of the British Shetland is full with short, muscular legs. It has substantial mane, forelock, and tail.
Coloring varies by the season.
Many colors are seen in this breed, the most common being black and dark brown. Shetlands are now mostly pets, but compete in weight-pulling events, are shown in halter classes, and put to small vehicles for driving. It stands on an average of 9.3 hands, and does not exceed 10.2 hands. Pony s ultimate origin goes back to Equids, larger than the modern breed, which lived in the Shetland Islands as early as the Bronze Age. When Norsemen invaded the islands, they brought ponies with them which were ancestors of the modern Dole Pony.