Britain's smallest horse

A pony so tiny her owner can pick her up in her arms is laying claim to the title of Britain's smallest horse. Lucy the four-year-old Shetland pony is just 19.5 inches tall and weighs around 100 pounds.

Her owner, Sandra Ponder, 63, who runs a veterinary surgery near St Albans, Herts, owns 14 miniature ponies in total. Lucy is still dwarfed by the group. Her 'largest' pet pony measures around 34 inches.

Lucy lives in a specially made stable that is so small it looks more like a children's wendy house. The door measures 21 inches but little Lucy can't quite peer over the top so she is just content to rest her head on the edge.



It is not known why the pony is so diminutive - Ms Ponder herself was shocked when the pony did not grow taller than her 19.5 inches. She said: "I wasn't expecting Lucy to be so small. She was about 15 inches when I got her at three months - that's a normal size for a Shetland foal.

"Like all Shetlands, Lucy stopped growing at two years old and I was shocked to find she was so small. She's not your average Shetland pony - I've never seen anything like her before."

Ms Power says Lucy is perfectly proportioned - apart from her mane and tail, which grow so fast Sandra says the little horse bears a striking resemblance to Tina Turner if they are not trimmed back.