Щаслива середа
I hope you have a good one!
How’s the job search?
Today’s special animal friend is the Shetland pony, Equus ferus caballus (like all domesticated horses/ponies). These small equines are native to the Shetland Islands, which are due north of Scotland and have a really great website, https://www.shetland.org/ which makes want to go there. (You can also see puffins.) The ponies have been in the islands since the Bronze Age, at least two thousand years ago. The native stock has been augmented by interbreeding with horses from Scandinavia and elsewhere, reminding us that people and animals moved around a lot long before modern transportation.
The Shetland pony is 28 inches to 42 inches high at the withers, which is the back at the shoulder. Its build is very stout, with a short back and neck, thick chest, and short legs. It has small ears, a long mane and tail, and a thick, shaggy coat. This conformation reflects centuries of unmanaged breeding in a habitat featuring sparse, tough greenery; rocky, hilly terrain; and almost constant strong, cold winds. The surviving Shetland ponies can walk many miles over rocks to find food, including seaweed on the shore, while maximizing the production and conservation of heat in their bodies. Females convert food to milk for their foals with high efficiency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZdsf_uyWnA
Because of their small size, Shetland ponies were not used for riding during much of their history. Their popular use as a children’s pony began in the 19th century. The primary use of the ponies in the islands was as a beast of burden, carrying cut peat, the main fuel source, from the bogs to the crofts (small farm plots) where the people lived. When not carrying loads, the animals ran free on the common lands or scattalds. They were not used for pulling carts or wagons until late in their history, because the Shetlands had no roads or wheeled vehicles. Their hair was essential to the manufacture of fishing nets and fishing lines.
Beginning in the mid-19th century, thousands of Shetland ponies were “sold South” to England, where they replaced child laborers hauling ore in mines. Long days underground were miserable, but the miners often formed strong bonds with their ponies and gave them the best care possible. The island breed degraded during this period because many of the strongest stallions were sold South as breeding stock or gelded and sold for mine work. In the late 19th century, scientific breeding and stud management practices rebuilt the breed in its native habitat, as well as establishing strong stock and record-keeping in England and the United States.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JffmdDYdvfc
It’s worth watching these videos just for the darling little accents, even if you’re not interested in ponies.
The Shetland pony is now one of the most popular small equine breeds in the world. Breeding, training, and showing them is a flourishing, if cyclical, industry. Child and adult riders, drivers, and handlers compete in shows around the world. This year’s American championship will be in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in September.
https://www.shetlandminiature.com/shows-awards/amhr-nationals#!Silva294_004_MINI18
And now I know how Happy Wednesday looks in Russian. Of course, I don’t know how to write it or how to pronounce it, but one thing at a time.
I suspect that Russian has only one vowel as when I hear Russians speaking English they don’t have any concern for how to pronounce ours. Mahther and Fahther have the same second letter, etc.
I have a job pending the outcome of a drug screen and background check. It will require trekking back to NYC during the week. I will need to brush up on my Jedi arts, although I’m not going to enter the subways for a while.