Shetlands.. Why and what for ?

TrasaM

TrasaM

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As above.. I've noticed loads of the little, er - ponies? in fields near where I live. A whole herd of the things have now been moved to a field that we hack past and yesterday they scared the wits out of the 17hh ID X I was on. They don't even come up to her navel!

So..what exactly is the point of them? And what do you do with yours if you have one?
 
Shetties are fab, especially the minis:D

The farm where I'm doing my Animal Care GCSE equivalent has an adorable mini shetland. He's great for the beginner handlers becasue he has the attitude of a full sized horse but in a less intimidating frame;). He's great for the young children who come on farm visits as he's just the right size.

They make great companion ponies and also make very thorough fence testers:D.
 
I'm kind of the same, unless you show them, have a kid to ride them or drive them. i suppose people get pleasure of just looking after them, especially if they aren't able to ride for some reason.
I do know people who have them, in a field, drop by to see they are ok, put in hay if the weather is bad but actually do nothing with them, no grooming or pampering. they are just in a field costing money in rent, feet, vet etc. they are the ones i don't get. but whatever, every one to their own. no objection to it, just wonder why sometimes.
 
Well exactly. Is a good question and I have one of them!

Most are miserable sods frankly (mine included). He's a great lead rein except he bites the rider, the leader and you can't catch him :rolleyes:

I caught him for her first jaunt to pony club and discovered he was lame.

3.5yr old daughter rode the 13.2 instead who has never been in an indoor or indeed many places at all and is quite a fizzy ride for me, yet was foot perfect and didn't bite her or me... Shetland's days are numbered!!!
 
This is her:
LuluYorkshireWolds.jpg


(photo thanks to West End Photography)

Unfortunately I lost the old bat last month aged well in her 30s. She's left one heck of a hole but what a legacy. She was the original endurance shetland.
 
Shetlands are fantastic ponies!! Anyone who learns to ride alone as a child on a shetland almost certainly will turn out to be not only a great horseman but someone with terrific horse handling skills as an adult. Shetlands teach you so much when you are a child, from biting you when you try to mount them, to trying their damndest to buck you off once you're on! They teach children patience as they try to catch the little barstewards in the field, they teach children agility in jumping around the muddy puddles that the little gits try to push them in whilst being led in from the field, they teach them to move briskly out the way when they try to squoosh the little kids feet, blah blah blah. I could go on about the merits of having shetlands alongside learning children all day! So all in all, if your children learn to handle and ride shetlands from under the age of 4 or 5 AND can do it competently then they are fantastic riders in the making! The stuff I learned from my shetland at that age was the reason I made sure I got one for my kids when they were toddlers :D
 
.. Mine has many uses
1) kids to ride
2)company for my other
3) fun rides in cart
4) exercise, yep I take the poor little mite walking ( like a dog), kids on school bus are rather amused.
4) to cuddle
 
Mine is the third pony so I can take one of the others out of the field! He is also cute for taking pictures of and gives great cuddles - whilst trying to bite me! I'm hoping he will be a driving pony when old enough - I have this deluded image of myself with a blanket over knee going for picnics with the little sod!
 
Ummm, well the reason I have one is to........

Well he's supposed to be a companion but terrifies the pony he's companion to so that didn't really work out!
He was given to me free as an oap- perfect

Hes actually 5 and a little sh** a trouble maker and a thug but we still wouldn't part with the monkey!
 
Tiny Fuzzy has a few jobs....
No 1 job is as field/yard nanny to others (tho I had to teach her to accept stable etc when she arrived) - once the big ones got over their fright at something so small they have all become attached to her :rolleyes:
No 2 job: Grandchildrens future ride (they are nearly 2 and nearly 1)
No 3 job: providing entertainment (for me :D) in scaring local horses when they hack past the yard & she decides to shout a hello at them from behind a tree, or trots up to the fence by the lane
No 4: Cuddle monster

She longreins, lunges, loves going for walks (pref in front of everyone else) stands for hours to be groomed (mauled) by small children. Happy to spend hours in a stable or equally out in the field, good with farrier & vet (tho competely freaks when I get her teeth done each time - its her ONLY failing!)

This was a pony who had previously spent time as a mum (she is now 7) having had 3 foals at 4, 5 and 6.

Have always had a yard monster & love them to bits :D
 
Shetlands are great icebreakers...whenever i take mine out on a ride and lead hack, getting throught the village is a nightmare. people i hardly know come out for a chat(to the shetland and take her photo), Never do that when i lead the big horse out!! They have such big personalties.
 
Sooooo lots of uses:-:)
Scaring BIG horses,
Teaching children all the vices and bad habits they are likely to encounter in horses.
Testing electric fences.( can just see Charlie horse use him as a cats paw lol
How to dodge biting teeth.
Pulling carts,
Lawn mower.
Yet more Scaring horses! :mad:
Good at using their diminutive size to escape punishment for crimes that would see most horses into a dog food tin:o
Scare big horses some more!!
Provider of horsey hugs as long as it wears a muzzle.:)

But it does sound from what everyone is saying that "once bitten forever smitten" pardon the pun :D
 
Nah I can't wait to send mine back to his owner when my daughter out grows him. I forgot another thing he does is dive out gates when you are trying to drive through or take another out (and teaches all his field mates to do it too:mad: )
 
My first shetland used to squeal like a pig, run off with my brushes and commando crawl under the post and rail fencing but he kept my big un company.

The one we have now was bought as a first pony for the kids and she's worth her weight in gold. She not only keeps whoever I'm not riding company, she gives the best cuddles and is much safer for the teenies than my stroppy horse. I wouldn't be without my shetland, she's part of the family now and I'd never let her go :D
 
Because they are fab, love the attitude most have. I used to love riding them, daughters rode a couple regularly at different times & been used to back a few minis. They're great. Only a shettie can do a fab but safe canter to graze transistion, which teaches kid firstly to roll & land safely & secondly to sit up in future. Current pony is a mini x & I love the big horse attitude in a tiny body. Shetties are fab. All kids should learn on one.
 
I have a mini who is the size of a large sheep and he's awesome. He costs me almost nothing to keep, is very easy to look after and he's an amazing companion. Genio took to him from the first time he saw him and feels completely safe in the field as long as barney is with him. If we turn him out on his own he panics and fence walks but somehow Barney gives him confidence!

He's too small to ever be ridden but I'd like to break him to drive once he's old enough. OH has health problems and I like the idea of him being able to come out on hacks with us in a little cart with Barney pulling.
 
poiuytrewq said:
Hes actually 5 and a little sh** a trouble maker and a thug but we still wouldn't part with the monkey!
Click to expand...
Our girl is the same attacks the cat & the dog & is in charge of the big boys - wouldn't be without her though - shes just a bit misunderstood at times - not too keen on kids either :)
 
GOod thread - I have aquired 2 this week (one mini and one standard - if that's the term) so I'm glad to see that they have some purpose and are not as mine are already known - the pointless ponies... :)
 
That's my old mate Sarah on her, but she's about the same size as me, 5'3"ish. I used to ride the old bat regularly too and she came out for miles and miles with us ride and lead also. She was an incredible pony. Never underestimate a shetland. I'd take her out over the moors and she was just soooo footsure - it was only when I'd take H out over the same tracks afterwards and he was falling over himself just walking on the tracks Lulu had been trotting over that I'd realise just how footsure she was. She was built for rocks and moors.
 
My first pony was a Shetland he was very very naughty , I learn great horse negotiation skills with him he bucked he rolled while ridden he napped he was easy to catch but difficult to lead anywhere he bit but I apsolutly adored him died In his thirties just before I got married we had our house our own land his paddock was ready a shed for him he was to be freed from DIY hell to our own place my childhood dream was to have a house and field and he missed coming by two weeks I always regretted it not moving faster so he was here even for a little while.
Shetlands are great but they have a tendency to be very naughty.
 
I have 5 of the blighters! One was a bogof with my yo's mare. The others were given to me & yo (remember the 4 advertised on here that were in someones garden- they're with me now). What do they do? Urrm, invade my stable while I muck out, knock over the wheelbarrow while I poo pick, eat, poo and thats about it. But they also entertain me every day with their antics. A Shetland cuddle is enough therapy to brighten even the darkest day and Most of all they make me smile. Every yard should have one! I'd like to break the younger boys to drive next year. It's just finding the time.
 
I'm beginning to review my opinion..just a little;) now if only I can convince giant wussy mare that they are not monsters :D

Love the pic of your one Ester Young.:) oddly my friend who likes only TBs and Arabs keeps admiring them :confused: that's what she was doing when I got an intro lesson to piaffe and airs above the ground. Mare seemingly does not share owners view :) whilst baby Arab ignored them completely!
 
I have two mini Shetlands and they are brilliant. They break into the school whilst we're riding and gallop round like lunatics whilst my horse ignores them. They steal any tools you take up the field to mend fencing or steal hats/gloves that are in your pockets.

I bought them for my OH so he could learn to handle horses (well that was my excuse) in reality I saw a friends field of mares foals and wasn't smitten then saw a new ish born foal and was smitten (she was chestnut) and was then told I couldn't really have just one so spent an hour or so choosing another one and the one I chose was the one that was always in my eyesight bless her I'm sure she chose me. I will break them to drive this year so they will have a proper job. If I ever get any grandchildren the Shetlands will be for them whilst they are little, not sure that will please my sil much though.

Oh and my big horses aren't at all scared of them and neither is my friends horse who lives with mine.
 
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