The Year of the Horse

The Shetland pony is a lesson in efficiency. Small, heavily built and exceptionally strong for its height, it evolved on the Shetland Islands where food was sparse and weather unrelenting. Size was not aesthetic; it was practical. A smaller body needed less fuel, while dense bone and a thick, weatherproof coat ensured survival through winter gales and salt-laden air.

Historically, Shetlands worked crofts and shifted supplies across uneven ground. It is thought that the breed is descended from ponies brought to the Shetland Islands by Norse settlers over a thousand years ago, which would account for their hardiness in cold climates. During the Industrial Revolution, their strength and steady character led to widespread use in coal mines and textile mills across Britain — a period that cemented the breed’s reputation for resilience and reliability.

When industrial demand fell away in the 20th century, the Shetland pony entered a period of transition. What preserved the breed was not novelty, but versatility. Breed societies formed to safeguard bloodlines, and its adaptability made it equally suited to family riding, driving and educational settings.

Free-roaming Shetland ponies can still be seen across the isles today, grazing communal land year-round within one of Europe’s most exposed inhabited island groups. They stand low against the horizon, often unmoved by conditions that would send horses with more stature to seek shelter.

At Gleneagles, that practicality translates into temperament. Chelsea, the resident Shetland pony, has introduced hundreds of children to riding over the years. Her role reflects what the breed does best: being calm, trustworthy and physically capable. Not to mention, adorable.

The Eriskay pony is less widely known, but arguably more revealing of Scotland’s agricultural past. Originating in the Outer Hebrides, these ponies were once widespread across the western isles, forming an essential part of crofting life. On Eriskay and neighbouring Uist, they carried peat up from hillsides, brought seaweed from the shore to fertilise thin soil, pulled carts and served as reliable mounts in communities where every contribution, equine or human, mattered.

Isolation helped preserve the breed’s purity through the 19th and 20th centuries. While elsewhere in the Hebrides, larger horses were introduced to increase size and strength, Eriskay’s remoteness limited crossbreeding, leaving a small population of ponies whose lineage traces back to the ancient stock that once wandered the islands. Today the breed is critically endangered – with fewer than a few hundred individuals worldwide – and considered one of Britain’s rarest equines.

Physically, Eriskays are compact but robust, sure-footed and broad-backed, and typically grey in adulthood, with dense, weather-resistant coats that let them thrive outdoors year-round. Their temperament is calm and intelligent, traits that made them dependable partners on crofts and that now make them valuable as family ponies and versatile mounts in a range of equestrian disciplines.

On Eriskay itself, ponies still follow a seasonal grazing rhythm, moving between croft land and upland machair, reflecting both tradition and the rhythms of a western seaboard landscape.

Where island environments rewarded efficiency – smaller frames and lower feed requirements – the Highlands demanded power. The Highland pony developed as the working horse of estates, known historically as the garron. It carried deer and game from the hill, transported timber and worked in difficult terrain, whatever the weather.

On Highland estates, ponies were once a daily presence rather than a seasonal one. They worked long days during stalking seasons, carried heavy loads over miles and returned year after year to the same ground. In forestry, deer management and conservation work, Highland ponies are often chosen where machinery would disrupt habitats or be harmful to the soil. Their continued use reflects an understanding that some tasks are still best carried out at a slower pace, with lower environmental impact.

Unlike lighter riding horses, the Highland pony is built for weight-bearing and endurance rather than speed. Broad hooves, a deep chest and strong hindquarters allow it to travel long distances over rough countryside while remaining balanced and steady.

One of the most scenic places to see Highland ponies in a semi-wild context is the Isle of Rùm. Large areas of this Inner Hebridean island are managed without roads or vehicle access, a deliberate decision tied to its status as a National Nature Reserve. In this setting, ponies remain one of the few practical ways to move equipment, fencing and supplies into upland areas while limiting erosion to sensitive ground. Set against Rùm’s dark ridgelines and open moor, the ponies are prized for their poise, strength and ability to work without damaging fragile terrain.

At Gleneagles, Trooper the Highland pony carries the breed’s working legacy into the present. His composed nature and physical assurance make him an ideal partner for riders developing confidence and control – qualities that have defined the breed for centuries.

These native ponies can be encountered at the Gleneagles Equestrian School, besides other breeds, as both working partners and proud symbols of Scottish heritage. The Own-a-Pony Experience gives guests the chance to spend time with Shetland and Highland ponies individually, learning how to groom, handle and ride them under expert supervision. The emphasis is on familiarity rather than performance – understanding how each pony moves, responds and communicates, and how daily care underpins any time spent in the saddle.

For younger riders, the Junior Pony Experience follows the same principle. Short, focused sessions introduce children to riding through calm, capable ponies, often Shetlands or small natives, whose confidence and reliability allow space for learning without pressure. In both experiences, the emphasis is on awareness – between horse and rider, and of the surrounding woodlands, fields and heather-studded mountains.

Ultimately, Scotland’s native ponies have endured because they inspire trust as much as admiration. Shaped by demanding conditions and close partnerships with locals, they have earned a lasting place in the country’s working and cultural life. Whether grazing freely on windswept islands, contributing to conservation, or carrying new riders across Perthshire pasture, they remain deeply at home – connected, in every sense, to the ground they still know best.

Words By Chloe Frost-Smith