How do you exercise your minis?

P

Patchworkpony

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 July 2012
Messages
1,532
Visit site
Given that many mini shetlands are prone to laminitis and have to be kept on a restricted area how do people keep them amused and exercised if they are too small to be ridden or driven? I feel quite strongly that a mini is only a scaled down horse so should be able to gallop, play and kick up its heels like any other equine and yet lots of them are simply pets and spend their lives in tiny mud paddocks or even on concrete or hard standing yards to restrict their food intake. So exactly how do people manage these little ponies to make sure they have a happy and normal life at all times?
 
mine normally goes for walks round the village but sadly is currently on box rest after first episode of laminitis. am going to need to increase her exercise.
 
Ours gets ridden periodically (weather and small child availability dependent), turned out in the pen with the other small ponies - this usually results in her lunging herself when it's going in time as she can be a witch to catch, but she also goes on the walker which can give her a good work out - especially if the larger horses are on there at the same time!
She does get worked in hand as well, gets limited turnout in summer depending on how she's looking and generally gets treated the same as the others - managed within boundaries.
 
I used to long rein or lunge mine and take him for walks in-hand. When the grass permitted he was turned out with his bigger friends so he could have a hooley with them. I was never brave enough to try ride and lead in case they started a game in the middle of the road.
 
Never too small to be driven! I drive a 32" mini easily and know slimmer people who drive 27" and my 30" is driven but not with my fat arse.

But in general I freeschool my three every night for 20-30 mins at a easy trot (or whatever speed they wish to go above walk) and each one usually gets a lone session every other day either hiking or longlining or driving.
 
The two we have here are only 10 months old and were very quiet as expected on arrival. They are coming out of their shells at the moment and whilst they are on a restricted patch, it is approx 30 metres long x 10 metres wide and they can certainly get a good little gallop in there. They are too young to work, but they play with me and I run around with them following me and bucking and farting behind me as I run up and down the paddock. They are hilarious and they love it :)
 
Brilliant _GG_ I used to run around the field with mine as well - just hope no-one was looking!!!!!!! We even used to go over tiny jumps together.
 
Long rein, walks out with dogs, all on leads, lunge, free school etc, mine gets a change of scenery, by getting turned out in the garden/field/woodchip pen on alternate days!
 
I started cycling with my older one last year, he's spooky so I often got knocked into but he did enjoy it as I could keep up with him at a nice trot that way.
 
Long reining a mini is great workout for a human, it’s my version of ‘jogging’ lol!

I also drive mine when i find the time and he can pull a harrow so at least he’s useful. He’s also turned out with a not so mini horse who likes to chase him about for entertainment so that keeps him moving. He's well capable of going for his own hooley about as well especially if there's a dog to play with or chase

attachment.php
 
Our 36" goes out for hacks with the rest. Riders up to 11yo. He's a second pony, as a bit whizzy given chance, and will often come back dripping with sweat, having had the legs galloped off him. He loves it.
 
My 33" mini mare is lunged & longreined as & when, but spends at least 50% of the time out with CF, who is a solid 14.3+ chap. He will often make sure she is exercised :wink3: but she is happy running rings round him too :D
So she can be out with him in the day time, she has to wear a muzzle usually from now-ish to November, but I will often have her in at night so she CAN go with CF in the daytime for 12 hours or so :)
 
Patchworkpony said:
Given that many mini shetlands are prone to laminitis and have to be kept on a restricted area how do people keep them amused and exercised if they are too small to be ridden or driven? I feel quite strongly that a mini is only a scaled down horse so should be able to gallop, play and kick up its heels like any other equine and yet lots of them are simply pets and spend their lives in tiny mud paddocks or even on concrete or hard standing yards to restrict their food intake. So exactly how do people manage these little ponies to make sure they have a happy and normal life at all times?
Click to expand...

Yep just same as normal horses, they thrive on attention and work. I have a friend who takes hers jogging with her! Long lining is great fun especially if you do it round a little obstacle course.
 
Our mini goes in the arena with my retired TB (both loose) and for half an hour play and exercise themselves. Very entertaining to watch!
 
knew of a classical dressage instructor with a mini who would do in hand, lunge and long-rein work with her mini, who despite his conformation was able to do piaffe, passage and pirouettes! quite amazing to see actually. the pony was never bored!
 
Ride and lead
070320105068.jpg


And/Or a track round the perimeter of my field in summer and free access to 3 acres in winter.....the trick is to get them to come out of winter thinner than they went in. Most animals stay well covered all winter and so cannot cope with any weight gain and have to spend their lives on a diet.
 
Can I just say that Shetlands/mini Shetlands are no more prone to laminitis than any other pony. I have looked after up to 40 Shetlands for the past 5 yrs and not one case of laminitis.
 
I use mine to amuse my TB's with - whether I turn them out together so the TB can harass them (and invariably come in with a scratch or 2 from being kicked as he really is a pest!) or I play cowboys and Indians when riding my tb's and round them up. I do ride most of mine though so it keeps on top of them.
 
_HP_ said:
Can I just say that Shetlands/mini Shetlands are no more prone to laminitis than any other pony. I have looked after up to 40 Shetlands for the past 5 yrs and not one case of laminitis.
Click to expand...
Most encouraging and I LOVE the picture. What a dear little pony.
 
Mine lives in a largish field 24/7 with another pony and 2 horses (16hh+). Our grazing is very poor which plays in our favour as he can stay out with them all the time and they are always hooning around, so galloping around with the bigguns keeps him on the move.
 
There us a lovely mini down the road in great shape - the woman who owns her will walk her around the village and lunge which seems to work fine. She is turned out with two shetlands however, so does get a chance to play. Strip grazing is worth a try
 
I would agree with them never being too small to drive - I recently had a go with a friend's tiny tiny mini - he was not much above my knee (no idea what that would be in inches but I am 5'2") but drove all day at a training day, about 3-4hrs in several sessions and he goes out for several miles on the roads pulling a good-sized man, he just sometimes gets out to walk up the hills if they are a bit steep.
 
A lot of people seem to drive their minis - I wonder is this on the roads or in fields. Driving on the road these days with a small pony is so scary as the traffic mostly has no respect; especially dangerous on narrow twisty lanes like where we live.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top