The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-12-03
CUNNING CREATURES.
Shetland Ponies are Raised in

This Country to Some Extent.
St. Louis county lays claim to the
only herd OF Shetland ponies in this part
Of the country. The owner OF the
herd is Captain Thomas T. Turner, and
the Lilliputian horses are a familiar
sight to the many st. L0nisans who have
visited The Turner homestead at Marietta
near Normandy.
The breeding of The Shetland pony in
the United States has been brought
about only within cent Year, and
though it pays we'll the breeders are
not numerous, and collection OF the
animals anywhere outside a circur is etill
a curiosity. Mares are very scArc-, ani
buyers from the United States come in
competition with the eager search Of
horssmen from Scotland, Germany, S1u;h
America and even Australia
The entire annual pony produc. of tho
Shetland islands is estim,ted ct about
600 head, and this scarcely supplies the
demand. However, the business in ths
United States has assumed such
proportions as to justify an association Of
breeders. and Captain Tacn,r is on the
list as local vic, president of the Amor
can Shetland Pony club.
The ponies at Marietta live in clover
figuratively that is they live on blue
grass aud blue grass is to the stomach OF
Is,
CUES wero to Lucullus. On his native
heath-unless he happens to be ON terms
of equality with the Marquis OF London
derry's herd-the Shetlander has a hard
time oft. Like his hardy broncho cousin
Of the American prairiss. he must
hustle" in winter. and under greater
disadvantages. The barren Shetland
islands afford scant sustenance, aud
when snow covers tho heather on tho
hillsides the native pony will not turn up
his nose at scuweed.
the Marietta herd was started in 1875,
when Captain Turner paid moro atten-
| tion to farming than he does now. In
| that year his first mportation-ten mares
and a stallion-were obtained through
Canadian, and later he purchased twenty
three moro on board ship at New York.
| The stallion that accompanied this
| second draft of mares was from Lord
Londonderry's island herd and cost $780,
| Though years of age and full grown,
he measured but thirty-four inches.
About two years ago Captain Turner,
having less time than formerly to devote
| to the raising of blooded live stock, put
up at auction on the St. Louis market
| forty. two head of Shetland ponies.
This sale attracted many people who
were on the lookout for bargains and
who expected to get at auction for about
twenty. five dollars each, ponies that had
either commanded several times that sum
or were not for sale at all. These
bargain hunters were disappointed, and
the owner himself was much surprised at
the result. Buyers had come from a
distance, and the average price paid for
each pony under the auctioneer's ham
mer was s207.50. One spotted mare
named Queenette fetched s60S, and the
cheapest of the lot was blemished colt
that sold for $50.
There are now about thirty ponies
roaming the wooded lawn at Marietta.
The farm of some 270 acres is all pasture
land. but the Shetlands, stamping
ground is chiefly the seventy acres of
shaded grass surrounding the house. No
lawn mower or soyths is required to
keep this lawn in order. The ponies
attend to that. They eat close to the
aud there constant nibbling keeps the
| grass we'll trimmed. Concerning their
care there is not much to relate.
Practically they take care of themselves
in summer their only food is the blue
grass. In winter they are allowed some
hay which they MUNICH at the stocks on
a hill that overlooks the Mississippi and
| Missouri rivers, and is the highest point
in St. Louis county.
| Under these conditions the Shetland
pony yields his owner a reasonable
income without any especial outlay
beyond the original investment. These
ponies are not afflicted with the diseases
that makes sheep raising a nuisance,
nor DO they, like sheep, fall a prey to
foal, and their offspring when yearlings
and Of average merit ara worth from $75
to 800, while the spotted mares aud
horses command twice these prices
The ponies in Captain Turner's herd
though OF tiue extraction, are not
conventional in appearance. Their
names and tails are not Of that prodigious
| growth which one sees pictured in the
circus posters. but when groomed and in
working condition for saddle and harness
their aspect undergoes change.
Rounded up for the inspection OF visitors
they are interesting in variety of color
and size. Conspicuous in the bunch is
the lord OF the herd-an albino stallion
regarded as something Of freak by
| ioooOh VI hio huO. LILO W do UIcu
by Dan Swigers, Spring Station, KY,
and only the brown tip of one ear mars
the prevailing pink tint. The coloring
of the shetland ponies varies greatly
from very light fawn to brown and
black and the cream and piebald coats
are by some persons attributed to a
| supposed Arabian cross
When the Shetland pony was even
more valuable and scarce than he is to-
| day there was a confusion of facts
concerning his identity in the mind Of
the public and many fanciful things
| found their way into print about his
origin, habits, cost and disposition. But
the sturdy little fellow is better known
now and several herds in Iowa-already
numbering from so to $50 head, will no
doubt cheaper the price of this precious
pet. As yet his rearing is still looked
| upon by some men of means as profit
| able pastme. Mckee Rankin the actor,
has herd on an island in New York
state, and ilson Hutchins, the editor,
is stocking an island in one of the great
lakes.