Shetland Shoes

[lucyjack]

I am intending on buying a Shetland pony for use as a companion to my other horses, hopefully breaking it in for use as a child's riding pony later on. I have a few questions, mainly about shoeing. I would be very grateful for any replies.

1. If just being kept, possibly ridden later on just in a field, would it need any shoes?

2. If not would it still need farrier care, clipping and rasping of the hooves to keep at a suitable length? And how much would this cost roughly?

3. Finally, has anyone broken in a Shetland or small pony before, if so how long did it take and was it a challenging task?

I have helped in the breaking and backing of a few horses but never taken on the job fully muself. ANY help would be much appreciated, thank you.

 

[lilym]

[ QUOTE ]
. If not would it still need farrier care, clipping and rasping of the hooves to keep at a suitable length? And how much would this cost roughly?

[/ QUOTE ]

of course it would. the idiots at my last yard let one's hooves grow so long it couldn't walk properly, it only took 6 months for them to grow to that length, all for the want of a £10 trim.

 

[GDB]

I am a little alarmed that you are considering having a horse, however small, if you dont know the basics such as Farrier requirements...


H

 

[lucyjack]

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound naive but in the wild what happens to their hooves? That was all I was wondering, a farm about 1mile away from me have a whole herd of shetlands and their hooves seem fine, and they don't get trimmed.

 

[vicijp]

On the other hand there are a field full of shetlands by me, whose feet look like something off a RSPCA advert.....

 

[lucyjack]

Thank you for your concern, but as I above posted, I just wondered why the shetlands at the farm along from mine do not have farrier care (I collect hay from the owner). I have 3 horses actually, this shetland is just a companion.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

i think they have pretty tough feet shetlands, so they may be less likely to need shoes,especially if not being ridden on roads,regular trimming is a good idea as with every horse really,as they can lammi prone its best to have regular trims to keep the foot well balanced to help keep it stable,that would be my advice.

 

[sojeph]

A shetland pony will require exactly the same treatment as any other horse or pony! Regular trimming included. Unless it is doing alot of roadwork its unlikely to need shoes on if regularly trimmed! As for breaking, your main challenge will be finding a small enough, capable jockey to teach him all he need to know but please don't assume because he is a shetland that he does not require the same as any other equine! I'd also be surprised if this person with all the shetties does not ever have them trimmed-in the wild a horse would have a different terrain to roam about on which would naturally trim their feet which our domesticated horses don't have!! Having said that, my shettie doesn't get trimmed as regularly as my bigger horses because he is at home and has a concrete yard with his water trough on which seems to knock his feet down a fair bit!!

 

[Snowberry]

As others have said a shetland is no different from any other pony!!! You'll need to get its feet trimmed every 6-8weeks, dentist every 6months or so, vaccinated yearly (especially if its a childs pony and going to shows/pony club) will need worming along with everything else. Will also need to have tack that fits it, a competant jockey to break it and school it, etc... and then there are the vet bills!!!

Really bloody annoys me that people think shetland ponies are any less work than any other pony!!!

My daughters broke Marcus in when they were 7yrs old and 12yrs old - you need a very competant rider as they can literally turn on a sixpence and do!!!

 

[lucyjack]

Thank you all very much for your replies, some of them are helpful. However, I am very taken aback by some people's replies.
I have 3 horses, I am aware of all the vets bills, worming, vaccinations, farrier and laminitus thank you. I was simply asking a question about their hooves, I have only ever come across one which wheres shoes, so simply asked what happens when they don't as I have never owned a shetland before.
I certainly do not think shetlands are different to any other equine so please don't treat me as if I have said something to suggest this. I only asked if they needed their feet trimmed, I didn't discriminate them for god's sake.
I was only asking as I have never owned this breed, not never owned a horse. I think some people's replies have been out of order and rude, even after I explained why I asked and appologiesed.
I thank the people who replied in a nice manner but will think twice about coming here for advice as some people will reply to a curious question in a 'i know so much more than you, your question was stupid, you are cruel' kind of way and to be frank I am disgusted.

 

[jewel]

hi just to say my farrier say my shetland only need trimming every 10 to 12 weeks. also i brought a shetland as a companion in hope that one day could break her for my toddler to riding. which i am finding almost imposable as she has been treated as a pet for 6 years and has a really mind of it own i'm even thinking of selling it to get a welsh or moorland pony that is younger

 

[Dougie]

have a shetland in the process of being broken....they dont like western saddles...i know random but this one broke the gate out of the arena with one on. feet need done, dont think they need shoes. if i doesnt work out they are just the right size for a bbq....

 

[lucyjack]

haha bbq shetland...sounds good! thanks, I'll try my best!! How long exactly does it take...the breaking in process *not sounding naive and that I don't know what I'm doing* I have done parts of the breaking in before with other horses, and seen it done a lot. i also have about 5 books on it and have taught my own how to jump etc. but never the whole start from sratch thing. I suppose I'll have to spend a lot of time forming a bond before I turn up with a saddle!

 

[Snowberry]

[ QUOTE ]
I certainly do not think shetlands are different to any other equine so please don't treat me as if I have said something to suggest this. I only asked if they needed their feet trimmed, I didn't discriminate them for god's sake.
I was only asking as I have never owned this breed,

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the fact that you asked because you'd never owned THIS BREED made me think you thought that owning a Shetland was different from owning any other horse/pony.
We've rescued Shetlands in the past that have been owned by people who HAVE though they weren't as valuable as any other equine and as such required less or no looking after at all.
My point was that no matter what size of equine - 9hh -18hh+ they all require the same level of care.

 

[emmajanerushton]

I have a section a and have no intetion of shoeing him even when on roads, will invest in some old macs boots when driving on road, he has white feet but they are very hard !

 

[ru-fi-do]

My shettie has his feet trimmed every 8 weeks he is ridden by my 3 year old son mainly on a soft surface but sometimes goes down the lane, he is fine without shoes. On the other hand my friend has one that suffers with Lami and he has little shoe on his front to stop his feet getting sore.
Good luck!