Shetland ponies

pony

Height

In the 21^st century, the UK Shetland Pony Stud-Book Society continued the upper height limit for Shetlands at 42 inches (“Registered stock must not exceed 40 inches (102 cm) at three years or under, nor 42 inches (107 cm) at four years or over.”) However, there are two subdivisions: “miniature” ponies 34 inches or under, and “standard” ponies higher than 34 inches, but no higher than 42 inches.

In the United States, according to the 2005 Rule Book, the American Shetland Pony Club registers four classes of equine, and some classes have both “Over” and “Under” subcategories:

Miniature Horses

Over
Age	Height
3 years and older	over 34" but not over 38"
Two Year Olds	over 33" to 37"
Yearlings	over 32" to 36"
Foal of current year	over 30" to 32"

Under
Age	Height
3 years and older	34" and under
Two Year Olds	33″ and under
Yearlings	32″ and under
Foal of current year	30″ and under

Classic American Shetland Pony

There are two classifications, “Foundation Shetland” and “Open Classic Shetland”.

Foundation Shetland
Age	Height
3 years and older	42″ and under
Two Year Olds	41″ and under
Yearlings	40″ and under
Foal of current year	38″ and under

Open Classic Shetland Over
Age	Height
3 years and older	over 42″ but not over 46″
Two Year Olds	over 41″ but not over 44.5″
Yearlings	over 40″ but not over 43″
Foal of current year	not to exceed 40″

Open Classic Shetland Under
Age	Height
3 years and older	42″ and under
Two Year Olds	41″ and under
Yearlings	40″ and under
Foal of current year	not to exceed 40″

Modern American Shetland Pony

Over
Age	Height
3 years and older	over 43″ but not over 46″
Two Year Olds	over 42″ but not over 44.5″
One Year Olds	over 41″ but not over 43″
Foal of current year	40″ and under

Under
Age	Height
3 years and older	43″ and under
Two Year Olds	42″ and under
Yearlings	41″ and under
Foal of current year	40″ and under

American Show Pony

Maximum overall height of 48 inches, and the vertical distance between the highest point of the withers and the hairline of the coronary band of the left front foot must not exceed 46 inches.

Historical Examples

HEIGHT. — No stallion that exceeds 42 inches in height, at full 4 years old, shall be eligible. Mares at 4 years old, and upwards, must be under 42 inches in height. Mares having produce at 3 years old must not exceed 40 inches in height, at date of entry. Measurement to be made by a stick, and not by tape.

The Shetland Pony Stud-Book Society.
The Shetland Pony Stud-Book.
Volume Seventeenth.
Aberdeen: The Rosemount Press, 1907.
Page 194.

Description.—The limit of height established by the Shetland Pony Studbook Society is ten hands, two inches. Ponies over this height cannot be registered, although in America the Shetland Pony Club has increased the height to eleven hands two inches. The average height of the pure Shetland may be said to be nine to ten hands.

L. H. Bailey, editor.
Cyclopedia of American Agriculture.
Volume 3, 2nd edition.
London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., 1910.