Kevin Spicer, age 10, of Valdosta, Ga., for his question:

WHERE DID THE SHETLAND PONY COME FROM?

Smallest of all horses is the Shetland pony. The little animal stands only 32 to 46 inches high. The original Shetland ponies came from the Shetland Islands of Great Britain. They were short and stocky. People used the small horses to pull coal carts in the mines because they were strong and required little food.

Shetlands were imported to the United States as children's pets. But horse breeders decided that a lighter, flashier type of pony would be more popular. To gain these characteristics, they bred the S'ietland with the Hackney pony.

Today, many Shetlands have so much Hackney blood that they are no longer suitable for children. But their slender legs, fine and delicate heads and silken manes and tails make them popular show animals.

Shetlands are intelligent and crafty animals and must be trained by experts.