Spring babies

Spring is one of the busiest times of year for crofters as across the islands lambs are born, and Shetland pony mares wait patiently to foal. These births happen later here than is usual on the Scottish mainland because our northerly location means spring takes a little longer to arrive.

Usually, the first to be born are the larger crossbred lambs. The small, hardy native sheep are bred with other breeds, usually Cheviot or Suffolk, to produce larger lambs. This is done over several generations to keep a balance between size and the ability to live happily in our wild weather.

I love how the different features of breeds appear in the babies, with the variety of colours and patterns associated with the Shetland breeds merging with features like the floppy ears and long faces of Suffolks.

Native Shetland sheep will often lamb a little later, with May being the month with the most arrivals. Traditionally, this would have been the month most sheep and ponies would give birth. It is the month when we feel more certain that the season has changed, with longer days, warmer weather and plenty of new grass and wildflowers.

Native sheep and ponies played an important role in Shetland’s history, and it is no exaggeration to say that life here would have been impossible without these intelligent companions on the croft.

With a short growing season, few areas of cultivatable land and strong winds, Shetland is a difficult place to make a living from the land. In the past, crofters had to produce much of what they needed to survive on a small area of fertile ground and a large expanse of rough, exposed hill. At first glance, the hill doesn’t look like a place that is possible to farm, but it is the perfect home for Shetland sheep and Shetland ponies.

These breeds could live out in these places even in the worst winter storms. They moved across these vast areas, led by the weather, finding shelter in the lee of hills and behind peat banks. They knew the best places to find food, often eating seaweed to get additional nutrients. These hardy animals made farming here possible.

Today, crofting is often done alongside people’s other work, done for love, and to sustain the crofting heritage, more than for money. Many crofters use land once used by their grandparents, great-grandparents or generations before, and many pony breeders can trace the genealogies of their horses far back into island histories.

Although much has changed in the lives of people and animals, some things remain consistent. Shetland wool is still highly sought after due to the quality of the breed’s fleeces, and there is a vibrant community of knitters who transform this yarn into unique garments.

Shetland ponies are still one of the most popular horses for children to learn to ride on, here in Shetland and globally.

My joy at seeing lambs and foals each spring is more than a reaction to their cuteness – it is beautiful to see the next generation of these traditional breeds in the landscapes they belong to.