Choosing a horse for in-hand showing and horse agility

What about getting a 15-18yo multi coloured shetland pony. Many studs are reducing their breeding numbers and give away or only ask a small fee for a retired broodmare.

Reasons: 15+ you can do veteran showing classes.
Multi coloured means you can do coloured classes.
Shetland can do breed classes as well as M&M classes.
They have the aaaaawww factor in veterans against the big horses.
Are cheap to keep.
Very intelligent and would probably LOVE agaility.
Even getting an older generally means they are only half way through their life span so you will have plenty of years of fun out of them.
They are great driving ponies should the mood strike you.
 
Go and look at different show schedules, watch some county shows and classes you may be interested in, speak to the people, look at the breeding of the top few. Then decide what you want. If you ended up with a gelding adult SHP for example, many higher level shows won't have a suitable class.
 
Have you had a look at the ad for the reg cream dun miniature Shetland over there >>>>>>>>?
She's not expensive, she can be shown in Shetland/M&M classes and no-one will ever expect her to have been ridden, if you do need to move her on for any reason, having agility experience will give her an advantage over those which have just been companions but you could break her to ride/drive if you wanted to.
 
I'm probably too late but I'm trying to help rehome 4 welshies, A 10yr old Sec A broodmare an 18 yr old Sec B broodie and 2 fillies from the Sec B. They're lovely little things with great breeding. The broodmares are all registered, but the fillies (a rising 4 year old and a rising 2 year old) aren't.

They'd be free to a loving home but if you wanted to show them seriously (or use them for breeding in later life) the new owners would need to pay to DNA test and register them (about £200 I believe). Their dam and sire are both registered and the sire is a licensed stallion but over a certain age you have to DNA test them to register with WPCS.

The 4 year old in particular is beautiful and very friendly. She's really ready to do go and do a job now.

We're in South Wales.
 
Last edited:
tbf most of our local shows do now have shetland classes that include minis as there are so many about, not sure why!!
 
Love the idea of getting a shetland :) In fact their is a field down the lane with about 9 shetland ponies in (I think they are actually miniatures) I have spoken to the man so many times, he is very lovely! He breeds them and usually has about 4 foals a year, he usually sells them all, he does a lot of showing with his mares and the stallions and pretty much every time I ride my horse or walk the dogs down the lane he has another new rosette to show me :) We get on so well and I often help him poo pick the field and just generally help him out, in fact I saw him this morning and it still into click that I could get a shetland, they would love agility as they are so cheeky and love to try new things and be kept busy. They are adorable and he breeds them for showing! I will call him later and see if he has anything suitable.

Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention earlier that gonsal is closed today :)
You're all right, I am just excited to get a little pony and so I guess I am rushing! I will ring Mike later see if he has anything suitable and then I will ask him if I can spend a couple of days just going to see the pony to make sure its the right one and I will research good quality showing shetlands so I can see what I am looking for!
Will let you know how it goes and also if anyone has any photos of shetlands with fantastic conformation or suitable for showing please share! :)
 
Fallen in love with this mare, message the owner explained my whole situation and she told me to go and meet Charm (the horse) and she will be happy to help if I want any showing advice or help and she would love to stay in contact if i choose to buy her and would be happy to help me showing and come along to the first few shows with me :) She said that she thinks Charm would be perfect for what I want and I would be able to ride her if I chose to as she would easily carry me and is a great confidence giver and is very calm. (I need a calm horse to ride as I am not very confident due to a terrible accident last year) I am fine with my Badger and love him to bits, she also said that Charm would be ideal for driving and she would be happy to help me break her for free if I wanted as she would love to stay in contact and help me out :) She says that she is only selling as she has too many and too little time but she really does love Charm. I have arranged to see her tomorrow and I have rung Mike and he said he has the perfect shetland so I will go and see her tomorrow morning and then see Charm at 4 :) Very excited and after speaking to my sister she said to just go and see lot's of different horses and i will know what I want and I will feel when I find the right pony so I am starting off with Annabella the shetland and Charm, Advert below:

http://www.dragondriving.co.uk/horseforsale-75379.html

Really do think she is the right pony for me though, and I would have the added help of a successful breeder and showing person (wanted to say shower but that sounds like the thing in your bathroom you use to wash- a shower)
Want do you think of her? I thought she had nice conformation, and after looking at paged of section c champion show ponies she looks similar and has many of the same features :)
 
Settle down! One minute it's a Shetland, then its a Section C.. I did a double take at the name, if 'my' Lucky Charm (who I fostered from Gonsal Farm) was up for sale I'd have bought her instantly.. Not the same pony, though, thankfully.

How would a Shetland fit in with your existing management? They need very sparse grazing, or they will get fat and sick.
 
I have 2 large fields both split into two with electric fencing but I could if need be for the shetland split them into smaller little paddocks for the shetland as I am aware they can easily become overweight and then become prone to laminitis, my cob seems to easily but on weight so in winter he is put into smaller paddocks using electric fence, he is able to happily canter around still but he cant eat so much!
 
Slight word of caution from me as grey Welsh Cs and Ds are not very popular in the show ring. May not matter so much at local level though.
 
You really need to slow down and decide what you really want, the grey sec c is a nice enough pony but is no way a confidence giver as she has only just been backed, you must not believe everything the sellers tell you they want to sell and however genuine they seem you have to remember that once they sell they may not be so willing to remain involved especially not for nothing.

A shetland from your neighbour could be ideal, you would be able to take time to get to know it before jumping in and buying, as he is already known to you he should have your interests in mind not just be looking for a quick sale and getting the cash, he may even be happy to let you loan/ lease for a while so you can draw breath and not end up making a mistake.
 
I've seen Charm advertised elsewhere and thought she was very nice indeed however as the others have said grey section C's are not at all popular in the show ring sadly. the phrase 'a good horse is never a bad colour' unfortunately hasn't registered with many judges. showing a C inhand is not for the faint hearted either!
 
I am going to calm down a little bit, I am going to cancel the viewing of the section c as I dont think she is what I am looking for so I am just going to go and spend the morning with Mike (my neighbour) and meet Annabella the shetland and discuss all about her, find out exactly what she will need etc. :) Will post photos and tell you how it goes later
 
Arthur-Badger-And Me said:
I am going to calm down a little bit, I am going to cancel the viewing of the section c as I dont think she is what I am looking for so I am just going to go and spend the morning with Mike (my neighbour) and meet Annabella the shetland and discuss all about her, find out exactly what she will need etc. :) Will post photos and tell you how it goes later
Click to expand...

That sounds sensible, the problem with looking at loads of different types is that often the more you look the more confusing it becomes, it is why I always suggest that before people start looking at ads they write a list of what they want, it can help clarify the requirements and makes it much easier to rule out the unsuitable ones with the pretty face or the pushy seller who tells you what you want to hear, there are so many to choose from it can be so confusing, the Shetland could be ideal and you will not be misled, well hopefully not if he is a good neighbour.
 
Meet Annabella :) A very sweet cheeky and extremely funny mare! My mum and sister came with me this morning to meet Annabella and we all fell in love! Mike said we could walk her home and have her for 2 weeks and then buy if we like her, he said he will sell her for £200 for us and he will come over and help as much as he can and he will come and help us break her to drive if we want to and he is going to come over and help teach me how to show her as well :) She has been shown 9 times before and has got 3 firsts, 2 seconds and 3 thirds, he even bought the rosettes to show me and photos from the shows with her in her rosettes! He has already shown me how to stand and how to get her to stand when showing and I can tell she is a great little mare. Please excuse the oversized headcollar, it is Badgers and the only thing I had to walk her home in, Mike lives about half an hour away from the field so I said it was easier if i just walked home and got Badgers headcollar which was fine for walking her home in but once she got home we went and bought her her own little blue headcollar :) So I would never deprive you guys of some photos:

11412366_1713867422174069_964533035181438025_n.jpg


10262057_1713864305507714_6535112654472495222_n.jpg


11407173_1713865518840926_5643488584558418199_n.jpg


1451961_1713866635507481_7777510054329991274_n.jpg


10532383_1713870932173718_8120108421768519063_n.jpg


11219606_1713871175507027_8611402366236956989_n.jpg


11407101_1713871178840360_3046607542626649208_n.jpg


She has a fab little trot as well :) So we will see how the next two weeks go, but I think she is a keeper!
 
She's adorable. I can see a load of shetland proof electric fencing needing to go up judging by that grass! Hope you have fun with her.
 
She looks lovely!����
I would love a mini Shetland one day. I hope you guys have loads of fun together.
 
Yes Ester :) Mike was splitting the field into smaller paddocks today haha my little sister ran around the my field playing with Annabella and grooming her when we got home whilst me and mum made her a paddock in the field with electric fencing, it is the type with three strips as Mike said that is the only way to keep a shetland in haha, so she is on restricted grazing. She can see, smell and sniff noses with Badger and see even tried grooming his leg as she can't reach his neck :) Badger has gone stupid like a big excited baby haha and they are getting on brilliantly! She is such a lovely pony she is an 8 year old 10hh skewbald mare. She has had three foals and had the last one last year, they are all stunning and I met the 1 year old baby called Rocky and he is so cheeky and beautiful :)
 
She has settled in so well :) Had her in the field today doing some trotting poles, weaving poles and then we went for a little walk down to the brook/stream down the lane from my house which she loved! She is such a great little pony, Mike called in earlier to see her and said she looked quite at home and that if I want to keep her after the 2 weeks I don't have to pay but I can have her on full loan, he then whispered well you can just have her as she looks so happy and so do you he said :) He said that he can see she will be very happy and he will be happy to help break her to drive or with showing etc.
 
She's lovely!

A friend has a similar gelding. She broke him to ride and drive and has never been short of small riders for him. He has a great temperament and is now teaching her tiny grand-daughter to ride. I bet Annabella has the same unflappable temperament.
Enjoy!
 
Yeah, she has been broken to ride and Mike keeps insisting that my younger sister would be fine to ride her but I'm not sure what do you think? Annabella is 10hh (possibly a little bit taller) 8 years old, was last ridden about 8 weeks ago by a 7 year old off the lead rein doing small jumps.
My little sister is 9 years old about 4ft8 and is very slim built and weighs about 4 and a half stone/5 stone :) She is a very confident little rider who will have a go at anything and isn't scared by much! She is the girl in the photos, do you think she would be alright to ride her? I just really dont want to hurt Annabellas back or legs! But then she does ride an 11hh welsh sec a who is 19 years old and very petite and slim built who carries her fine and annabella is a LOT stockier and fills out more at the sides haha What do you think?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top