Why did I read this book?

Next year I’m going to Shetland. I’ve been learning as much as I can about the group of islands, which are so far north of Scotland that most maps represent Shetland with an arrow that points north and the words to Shetland. And you have to take their word for it that it’s up there, beyond the edge of the map.

I bought Shetland: Your Essential Travel Guide (2024) by Laurie Goodlad. Her travel guide has a section titled “What to Read before You Arrive” with a list of fiction and nonfiction books. I chose Catherine Munro’s Ponies at the Edge of the World (2022) because where I grew up, we lived next to a farmer who had a small herd of American Shetland ponies, a cross between Shetland ponies and other horses. My sisters and I spent hours petting those ponies and feeding them tall grasses. The farmer who owned them taught us which grasses his ponies liked and how to hold our hands flat while the ponies nibbled their treats from our palms so our fingers wouldn’t get chomped.

What is this book about?

Catherine Munro is an anthropologist who specializes in human-animal relationships. She spent a year in Shetland to study the relationship between humans and Shetland ponies for her PhD. She interviewed people who spent their lives raising and taking care of Shetland ponies. For some Shetlanders, the tradition of caring for the ponies goes back generations.

While Munro’s book focuses on the relationship between Shetland ponies and people, she also describes some of the astonishing wildlife and the mystical landscapes that make the Shetland Islands one of the most unique and beautiful places on earth. She also brings to life the pragmatic and reserved but warm-hearted and community-minded people who live in Shetland.

What did I love about this book?

In her book, Munro describes why human-animal relationships are so important. The bond between the Shetland ponies and the people who raise them, care for them, and love them is fascinating. Shetland ponies developed over thousands of years, adapting to the climate and the terrain of Shetland. These small, thick-coated, hardy ponies became the perfect workmates for crofters who worked the land. Munro talks about the concerns for the survival of Shetland ponies as a distinct breed. She asks us to think about the importance of animals, to see them as our equals, and to understand that a respectful relationship with animals is essential for the survival of all species, including people.

Yesterday I read a blogger’s post stating that the Slender-billed Curlew has been officially declared extinct by scientists, a stark and sad announcement. To read the blog, click here. We need to do better for our earth and the plants and animals that inhabit it.

[You can follow Catherine Munro on Instagram at catherine_m_munro.]