I got told off today...

[Toodle]

...because my "poor little sod" of a shetland pony doesn't have a rug on and is living out, which is also apparantly "heartless and cruel"


Words just failed me to be honest.

So who wants a terribly abused shetland who obviously needs hardfeeding, rugging and stabling?

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

He could come and live with my terribly abused 2 who at the moment are as fat as baby hippos so are turned out 24/7 on a teeny bit of field with a field shelter. They do have no-filling rain rugs but aren't wearing them at the moment as I have to save them for the much worse winter weather. In all this rain, my 2 look soaking wet on the outside (they do come in for a few hours a day lol) but if you dig your fingers deep into their hair.....deep.... deeper.....D-E-E-P-E-R, you only find warm dry fluff. To rug on top of that wouldn't help them - it would ruin their own in-built weather protection. Don't get me wrong, the Shetland pony may be closely related to polar bears when it comes to hardiness, but a saturated, frozen Shetland will be just as miserable as a saturated, frozen Cob or TB come to that. But late October/early November weather, when the daytime sun is still warm isn't the time to rug a Shetland, unless of course it's clipped or sick or very young/very old.

 

[tinkandlily]

Let me guess, the person that told you off has her horse in 3 rugs( with necks) and bedding up to he celing lol

 

[killikyle]

Don't forget a heat lamp for the poor, hard-done-by little soul! 'Cos the Shetland Islands DO of course have a tropical climate!

 

[tinkandlily]

Don't forget a heat lamp for the poor, hard-done-by little soul! 'Cos the Shetland Islands DO of course have a tropical climate!

LOL

 

[Toodle]

Box of Frogs-Yours sound the same as mine. He has access to a bedded shelter and a 3ft9 sheet for when the weather's turned really awful, but he's happy as larry at the minute. In fact I can always tell when the weather's really bad as he'll stand nicely and be rugged lol

My NF X is only wearing a light rug at night at the minute, thank God they didn't see her, I'd have WHW down before I could blink!



tinkandlily-noooo, her horses aren't rugged, she doesn't have any, but her sisters, friends, aunties, dogwalkers brother has one live in the field behind his house, so she has it on very good authority that he needs rugging asap

 

[Toodle]

Don't forget a heat lamp for the poor, hard-done-by little soul! 'Cos the Shetland Islands DO of course have a tropical climate!

That's a very good point, he was bred in Dunrossness, and I'm pretty sure November is bikini weather there

 

[Enfys]

I used to know someone who worked at a yard where there were some shetlands and if it rained she was expected to go and put NZ's on them.

Now those little beggars had an enormous field with wonderful cover and as soon as they saw her coming with those blankets they'd sod off at a rate of knots! She said she never bothered to chase them

I go by the rule of thumb that if a horse/pony/donkey/mule/whatever looks cold/miserable/soaked to the skin etc then it's downright negligent not to remedy the situation by simply putting a blanket on them if that is all it takes, alternately, if it is fat, happy and warm then leave him be, and never mind the "Oh but it's a horse, it won't dissolve in the rain/ Poor little thing it looks so sad with its' head down in the rain " brigades, your horse, your business Unless it is a welfare case and then I have no qualms whatever about reporting you.

 

[SusannaF]

I used to know someone who worked at a yard where there were some shetlands and if it rained she was expected to go and put NZ's on them.

Now those little beggars had an enormous field with wonderful cover and as soon as they saw her coming with those blankets they'd sod off at a rate of knots! She said she never bothered to chase them

Toodle, you could always suggest to this lady that she is in charge of keeping a nice clean rug on your Shettie. Then lurk in a bush and video the fun, adding the Benny Hill theme later... OR suggest she pops out to Mongolia to see how the Przewalskis get by in the winter.

 

[Cahill]

it could be argued that rugging will flatten his natural coat and not be as warm.

my shetland is in his little yard area at night with his stable open,once he has eaten his hay which is inside,he prefers to stand outside.

 

[Lady La La]

I too have an abused shetland pony

He's never seen a rug in his life, and the poor mite also has to spend the cold dark nights in a nearly bare paddock with a lovely long line of overhanging tree's for shelter

 

[Dubsie]

Last winter my daughter's friend (11, and probably as usual repeating what her family have said) told mine that she was cruel for not rugging her NF in the snow. My daughter had the presence of mind to ask her who went round the NF rugging all the ponies?!

 

[fallenangel123]

I got reported last year because my mini had a swollen head, I kid you not! In actual fact his head is so fluffy it makes his nose look small giving the impression that his head is swollen i suppose. He has a coat that is about four inches long generally, comes in at night and has never worn a rug. Apart from the massive waste of time the RSPCA guy that came out did think it was funny.

I often joke that if he dies during the winter I'll have him made into a bedside rug he is so snuggly.

 

[jendie]

I tried rugging my three mini shets last year. It made them sweat so much that I took them off, much to the ponies' relief. They use a field shelter in the paddock when it is very hot or very cold. I do bring them in at night and in winter they are usually waitiing at the gate and trot off to the stables as soon as i open it.

 

[Hippona]

2 of mine are hairy and unrugged.....wet through today but yes, as you say- dig your hands under the hair and its bone dry fluff!

If the base of their ears are warm, then they arefine.
When it gets icy wet and IF they looked miserable I will put a rain sheet on them...otherwise, its cruel to let them get warm and fat....

 

[MardyMare]

I think we need pics of all these hairy little shetties

 

[HollyWoozle]

People often ask why our shettie isn't rugged but they are usually non-horsey types who just see that the others are dressed up and he isn't (at which point I explain).

There are 2 minis near me which are clipped and in rugs but do no work. Seems rather odd to me but as long as they are warm and happy then so be it!