having a shetland to reduce dramas?

china

china

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Ok so i have two horses, a mare and a gelding and they have just gone out in their summer field. When one is taken out there is a huge drama by the other one which includes running around untill dripping in sweat and screaming their heads off. And the one i have on the yard calling back to them. My mare will knap when im trying to school her and my gelding is just a general tart and is unreasonable although not naughty like the mare. The field is a 30 second walk from the yard down a lane from the yard so they cant see eachother but can hear eachother. My YO has just offered to borrow a friends mini shetland (they breed them and have rather alot) to put in with them so that when one is taken away there isnt a huge drama of screaming and shouting. Last summer i bought them up together and left one at the yard but that doesnt stop the mare napping back to the gelding and the gelding screeching his head off if she so much as goes out of his sight! Is this likely to make a difference if they are this attatched?
 
3 is definitely better than 2 to stop this type of attachment but be sure they do not pick on the shettie when they are all together (dont want the little thing to be kicked and/or left out and not able to get to the food supply etc) and also it might still be hard as they have already formed a bond, 3 would have been better in the beginning. But persevere not all is lost.
 
Think it sounds like a good idea - they cost hardly anything to buy and keep. Ours is a super little dude who keeps everyone calm and chilled :)
 
I used to have a third pony to keep my two horses company, I went through several NF babies from the sales and sold them on as childrens ponies after breaking them in, which worked very well and kept the stressy one happy when I rode his best mate

Then I made a grave error and chose a miniature shetland, who my big TB never acknowledged as another equine. He was the same size as my dog though so I suppose I can see where the big horse was coming from! The mini was a little turd as well, used to bully the smaller of my two horses. :)
 
well i think its worth a shot so will sort out a trial. He has loads of shetties so will ask for the one that will stands its ground. My gelding is never nastie ( the mare can be bossy but he soon puts her in her place) but he is almost scared of small creatures and stand their huffing and puffing at them!
 
The only point i will make about choosing a mini shetland for company is how much grazing do you have for your other horses?? and is your fencing adequate for such a small one??
If your grazing is good then your asking for disaster having a mini shetland sorry and they can worm there was out of anywhere is your fencing isnt adequate.
 
a shetland probably wouldnt be an ideal companion as they do need restricted grass intake. otherwise you will have a very fat lamanitic problem on your hand. a more realistic companion would be a youngster which will mature to around 15hh that can ad lib graze and grow. or a large oldie who needs good grass. and you would need super dooper fencing to keep a shettie in!!! they can jump over and limbo under most things!
 
i need supper duper fencing for the mare! millions of strands with a tractor battery on! i cannot finance the needs of an oldie or a youngster. i would need something robust. i can accommodate a shettie. we have sand and gravel turnouts which they go in when they get to podgy. mine currently go up on alternate days during the day to stop them getting to round. id rather have something that can live off thin air than something that is going to need all the grass.
 
P.S. Agree that they do need restricted calorie intake. Ours is muzzled pretty much all year round, except in the depth of winter when the grass is super poor in sugar content or if the ground is snow-covered.
 
a native youngster like a welsh d would be less headache and no more expense than a shittie! and ultimately you would end up with something you could either work or sell at 4.
 
I've got a shettie as a companion and he's ace at it. He stands his ground with everyone, and puts them in their place - he used to be nasty to the youngsters which wasn't good, but once they got older, they stood up to him and peace reigned.

When the others went out, the most distressed he got was one little whinny and a trot, and then head down to eat again!

Yes, he's a serial escaper and I watch his weight closely. But he really is cheaper to keep than a dog, so definately worth a try.
 
I've borrowed a youngster (3 yr old) from my friend as a companion pony for a slightly different reason, but its working really well.

I have to watch his grass intake as we have masses of the stuff - but he's on soaked hay which helps, and being young means he burns a lot of energy playing / flying around.
 
another thing - make sure the mini is not a stallion , my friend thought the size difference would be sure to put an end to any sexual behaviour but in an effort to mate the TB mare laid on the mini stallion and broke his leg :(
 
I have a shetland pony for this reason, I love him to bits. I bought him as a foal. he lives in the same field as the horse, and wears a grazing muzzle pretty much all year. he is perfectly happy and stays just about slim enough.
 
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