Strong and Gentle Shetlands
When is a horse a pony？
Horses are measured in hands：one hand equals 4 inches.The height of a horse is measured from the ground to the highest point of the withers（the part of a horse's back between its shoulder blades）. Any horse under 14 hands 2 inches（58inches）is a pony.
By this definition, a baby horse is not a pony；baby horses are called foals.Horses that do not develop to roughly the same size as the rest of their breed are not ponies either.Underdeveloped horses are called runts.
There are more than twenty breeds of ponies in the world.The bestknown are the Shetlands, the smallest of all breeds, which average a little less than 10 hands, about 39 inches.
Shetlands were first used in England as work animals in coal mines, because they were strong.They are also gentle, and may be trained to be good pets.
壯實、溫順的設(shè)得蘭矮種馬
什么時候一匹馬算是矮馬呢？
馬是用手來測量的：一手掌之寬相當于4英寸。馬的高度可從地面到馬肩隆（馬背上兩個肩胛骨之間的部分）處的距離計量。凡低于14手掌2英寸（58英寸）的馬，都是矮馬。
根據(jù)這一定義，一匹幼馬并不是矮馬，幼馬被稱作駒。發(fā)育不良、未長到與同種馬一般大小的馬也不稱矮馬。發(fā)育不全的馬被稱作小種馬。
世界上有20多個品種的矮種馬。最的是設(shè)得蘭種，是所有矮馬中體形最小的一種，其平均高度略低于10手掌，約39英寸。
在英國，設(shè)得蘭矮馬最初在煤礦上充作力畜，因為它們長得壯實。它們也很溫順，可以訓(xùn)練為很好的玩賞動物。
When is a horse a pony？
Horses are measured in hands：one hand equals 4 inches.The height of a horse is measured from the ground to the highest point of the withers（the part of a horse's back between its shoulder blades）. Any horse under 14 hands 2 inches（58inches）is a pony.
By this definition, a baby horse is not a pony；baby horses are called foals.Horses that do not develop to roughly the same size as the rest of their breed are not ponies either.Underdeveloped horses are called runts.
There are more than twenty breeds of ponies in the world.The bestknown are the Shetlands, the smallest of all breeds, which average a little less than 10 hands, about 39 inches.
Shetlands were first used in England as work animals in coal mines, because they were strong.They are also gentle, and may be trained to be good pets.
壯實、溫順的設(shè)得蘭矮種馬
什么時候一匹馬算是矮馬呢？
馬是用手來測量的：一手掌之寬相當于4英寸。馬的高度可從地面到馬肩隆（馬背上兩個肩胛骨之間的部分）處的距離計量。凡低于14手掌2英寸（58英寸）的馬，都是矮馬。
根據(jù)這一定義，一匹幼馬并不是矮馬，幼馬被稱作駒。發(fā)育不良、未長到與同種馬一般大小的馬也不稱矮馬。發(fā)育不全的馬被稱作小種馬。
世界上有20多個品種的矮種馬。最的是設(shè)得蘭種，是所有矮馬中體形最小的一種，其平均高度略低于10手掌，約39英寸。
在英國，設(shè)得蘭矮馬最初在煤礦上充作力畜，因為它們長得壯實。它們也很溫順，可以訓(xùn)練為很好的玩賞動物。