How do i weigh a shetland pony with weight tape?

P0ny Lover

P0ny Lover

Member
Joined
17 February 2024
Messages
20
Visit site
I have a miniature shetland and he's about 8.2hh, and I thought I would try weigh him. I got a weight tape and a attempted to weigh him but I must be doing something wrong. Because according to what the weight tape says, dino weighs 590kg. I'm very confused because I looked up average weight for a shetland and it says 200kg, I'm confused as how dino could possibly be 390kg overweight without looking fat at all? Dose anyone know how to weigh a shetland, as I seem to be having some issues with it.
 
I'm not sure about where the weigh tape is leading you astray but your mini definitely doesn't weigh more than my 16.1 TB!

Screenshot_20240917_095315_Gallery.jpg

My mini is 28" so 7hh and was 72kg when this was taken. Weighed on a weighbridge that the nice spillers lady had at a local show.
No crest or other fat pads and ribs easily felt, he's standing awkwardly so looks porkier than he was.

A weighbridge is really important for the little ones. Lots of feed companies have them and will come to your yard or have them avaliable at events.
Its near impossible to guess accurately enough and dosing them incorrectly for worming or vet treatment can be best case ineffective or worst case very dangerous.
 
My most recent 2 miniature registered shetlands were chalk and cheese.
A was 32ins and usually weighed in at around 125kg.
B was 33ins and a solid mare, weighed about 200.
Both weights depended on face filling.....

A Shetland 34ins and over is a standard, and all are measured in inches 😉😎
 
P0ny Lover said:
according to what the weight tape says, dino weighs 590kg. I'm very confused
Click to expand...

Sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but that is really funny. Even for a Shetland it seems a touch improbable. I was also going to say, I don't think those tapes are really calibrated for Shetlands - you probably need to find a weighbridge to get something like an accurate figure. Good luck! Can we see the little guy? He sounds super cute
 
Weight tapes are woefully inaccurate for the vast majority of ponies (and probably horses too). As I understand it the best use for a weight tape is to monitor change once calibrated for the pony's actual weight.
 
Some weight tapes have lbs and kg on them, have you possibly read the wrong line? Although having just googled (am awful at maths!), 590lbs is still almost 270kg which still sounds a lot for a shetland, even allowing for the wild inaccuracy of weightapes in general! Have you got a friend you can ask to come and help you and just make sure you are using the tape correctly?
 
I have three smalls, they get weighed on a weighbridge every 3 months. I pay an independent nutritionist to come out as I like the feed advice too, but she also does just weigh horses too so maybe ask on local horsey groups if anyone is having a nutritionist out or knows of a mobile one that will come to you?

Or if you have a local equine vets maybe take the little fellow to get weighed, then make your own weigh tape out of string and mark on it what is the ponies current weight so you can keep an eye on it to see if it goes up or down.

My three were weighed at the weekend

D 42' 264kgs bit over weight
N 40' 186 kgs (she's elderly with Cushing's and is quite underweight good weight for her is around 215-20kgs)
S 38' 206kgs spot on
 
Last edited:
Pre purpose built specific horsey weighbriges - don't know if you could do it now , but we used to put the relevant horse/pony in the wagon , go to the nearest vehicle weighbridge ( 10 minutes down the road ) , unload the pony , weigh the wagon , load the pony ( but NOT the person who was holding it - they get back in after the final weighing . Took us two visits before that dawned ! ) . Re weigh the wagon . Spend the journey home doing sums .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top