Starting with Shetlands

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Lukey

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I've just managed to secure a grazing license on 7 acres of land and I'm keen on getting a couple of shetland ponies as a side hobby outside of my job, with intentions on breeding a foal here and there prehaps. But should I be aware of anything that differs from larger horses too shetlands apart from the obvious Lami etc?

Also, I'm planning on using electric fencing(Tape with wooden posts) too restrict grazing but what is the best set-up for Shetlands?

Luke
 
Good luck containing a Shitland with electric tape! You may get lucky, and have some of the 1% of all Shitlands ever born that are respectful of electric - but the majority don't feel the zap through their bear-like winter coats, and don't give a toss about it in summer. They are crafty, determined little gits, whose one aim in life is to prove to you that they are smarter and more resourceful than you...

I love em.
 
It won't be feasible to use permanent wooden posts, I think. Your seven acres will end up in a zillion tiny paddocks with posts everywhere, unless you plan on starting with a herd of ten straight away.

Mine are respectful of electric, thankfully, but I think I'm lucky!

I had to look up what a grazing licence was, and it said that it is where the farmer will want to take back possession after a short time. It doesn't sound very secure for starting to breed Shetlands?
 
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Be prepared to spend many hours reinforcing your fencing and retrieving the little b*ggers from wherever their latest escapology attempt has taken them.

They differ from bigger horses in that they live on fresh air and very little else, and they are many times more intelligent.

I think they need a job. The longer their minds are occupied the less time they have to plan their next move towards world domination. (Mine does inhand showing, goes for walks round the village, a bit of lunging, in hand jumping etc, basically anything a bigger horse would do but without the riding).

They are frustrating and rewarding in equal amounts. I wouldn't be without one.
 
Scrap the electric tape your gonna need Guantanamo Bay style fencing to keep these little creatures in! And even then they will find a way to escape! It might take them a week, a month or even a year but they are tenacious little so and so's and they WILL escape!

Which is exactly why people love them! They keep you fit catching the little ******* once they have made their bid for freedom and yet you can never be angry because they are so cute!
 
Guys... I've always wanted a Shetland and this thread has just made me want one more. "their next move towards world domination" :D :D
 
I know I've posted this recently, but I'm sure no-one will mind seeing it again. It sums up Shetlands to me!

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Auslander said:
I know I've posted this recently, but I'm sure no-one will mind seeing it again. It sums up Shetlands to me!

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Ha Ha, I had one enclosed on my arena, with 4 rail post and rail, and the rails topped with electric.

When we came back he was still there, with his head between 2 rails, scrabbling forwards towards grass. 30m of previously strong post and rail now at a 45 degree angle, rope no longer electrified. Loved little Rolo! Would hate to try and contain 10 of them!
 
If you have a couple of Shetlands, they require at best under a quarter of an acre for their use for all year round. Best fenced with 3 rails of post and rail, with electric fence tape fixed between the bars and below, running off the mains or a very well charged battery :)
 
Depending on the type of grazing, ID say you'd be better off letting them have the lot. My two do much better on 5 acres than they do on a little starvation paddock. More exercise..less gorging. Mine do, however, share with three other horses and a pony.
Do you really need to breed them? There are so many already needing homes. It'd be better to rehome some.
As for electric....mine respect it as long as it's on . if it's not on they'll walk thru it
 
_HP_ said:
Depending on the type of grazing, ID say you'd be better off letting them have the lot. My two do much better on 5 acres than they do on a little starvation paddock. More exercise..less gorging. Mine do, however, share with three other horses and a pony.
Do you really need to breed them? There are so many already needing homes. It'd be better to rehome some.
As for electric....mine respect it as long as it's on . if it's not on they'll walk thru it
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Why would you not want to breed them when they are as cute as this?!?! And this one wasn't planned!

150qAn6.jpg
 
SilverLinings said:
What a lucky shetland to have been provided with his own crystal-maze style entertainment! Surely you didn't expect him to respect fencing... :-p
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I just wanted him to stay in the pen for half an hour as the farrier was due. He thought it was an enrichment activity!

Yes - I removed the middle rail, so that he could be completely free-range!
 
Shetlands are the living proof of the old saying that horses have intelligence and ponies have low cunning!

I love ours.
 
EKW said:
Why would you not want to breed them when they are as cute as this?!?! And this one wasn't planned!

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Cute....
I'd love to have a ton of Shetlands to breed but, having helped someone that does just that, and the obvious overbreeding problem in general in the horse world....I'd say, don't go there.
 
Firstly, Thanks everyone for all your responses and cute pictures!

The trouble I have, if the land owner decides not too renew the license at the end of term, I will have too leave all the fencing behind if permanant and not electric. But I have discovered the 'Clipex Post' which is metal post which you can clip Stock netting onto, they are slightly more expensive than wooden post at £5 each but are easier too take out of the ground if needed to be.

As for the overbreeding, I do agree. I used too(and occasionally, still do) assit in rescuing horses in the local area alongside a well known animal sanctuary. But, If I did breed, they would not be sold on but kept for myself.

Luke
 
I always scratch my head in puzzlement when i read these threads. They aren’t *****lands :( I have never had an issue with any of mine going through fencing... and I have 15! Some of these are strip grazed on 10 acres and don’t even go through the fence when their side is bare.

They are CLEVER

Never EVER bother putting them behind a fence that isn’t turned on and working properly. Why should they stay behind tape that doesn’t do anything and is easy to push through. If they learn they can do it once, they will try it again.

Most of my set up runs off the mains and I regularly go round with a tester to check for shorting etc. The rest is off a battery and charger and I always make sure it’s swapped out before it runs flat.

Good luck! :D And enjoy!! :D Shetlands are the best breed in the world and will teach you more about horsemanship than you could ever dream of :)
 
NeverEver said:
I always scratch my head in puzzlement when i read these threads. They aren’t *****lands :(
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It's said with affection! I wouldn't be without my hairy little critters! I only have 1 that goes through electric fencing that is on. The rest wait for the second it stops clicking and then abuse it! But they wouldn't be what they are if they weren't so full of character!

_HP_ said:
Cute....
I'd love to have a ton of Shetlands to breed but, having helped someone that does just that, and the obvious overbreeding problem in general in the horse world....I'd say, don't go there.
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This is very true. I have seen some utterly god awful shetlands that are being bred from! By breeding with bad stock you aren't going to improve it significantly enough to be worth while. The foal above is very well bred - straight into the very best of old Wells breeding on the sire's side and Knock/Southley breeding on the dam's. She was unintentional. We had deliberately stopped breeding from the mare as she has EMS and had previously had 3 colts (all now gelded). The old stallion escaped for literally 5 hours! And that was that! All the time and effort people put into getting mares in foal and using AI etc and this little madam gets the job done in a oner! Luckily the result is a filly!
 
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ycbm said:
It won't be feasible to use permanent wooden posts, I think. Your seven acres will end up in a zillion tiny paddocks with posts everywhere, unless you plan on starting with a herd of ten straight away.

Mine are respectful of electric, thankfully, but I think I'm lucky!

I had to look up what a grazing licence was, and it said that it is where the farmer will want to take back possession after a short time. It doesn't sound very secure for starting to breed Shetlands?
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Sorry ycbm, Just saw the bottom of your post!
Grazing licenses are commonly used for horses rather than tenancies these days, They typically are 364 days a year(you have too vacate the land for 1 day a year, too stop any rights transfering from the owner too the occupier, but I never have) The land owner can renew the license every year if they wish.
Thankfully, I'm renting off a large company whom have various grazing sites which they have no plans for development so are happy too lease them out.
 
I have 6 minis, and mine are a pleasure, they are kept in their track with only 2 thin electric wires, that aren't turned on a lot of the time, if any branches fall on the fence, my shetlands are still in the track, and there is 30 acres of grass on the other side. shetlands feet need doing regularly as they tend to get a twisted shape on them, if left. regular handling, and keep their paddock entertaining for them, I find if kept in a square small paddock, they will find things to amuse them selfs, mine are kept on a track with jumps, banks, trees, and a stream to get over. they are super fit, and lovely and trim, never had laminitus in 15 years of owning them.
 
EKW said:
It's said with affection! I wouldn't be without my hairy little critters! I only have 1 that goes through electric fencing that is on. The rest wait for the second it stops clicking and then abuse it! But they wouldn't be what they are if they weren't so full of character!
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....not always, in fact, more often than not it is meant as it sounds. It’s a shame as it spreads the wrong message about the breed.
 
When I bought my Shetland I was given a great tip from the breeder- use thin electric (either narrow tape or rope) and put one row very low down so their noses touch it when they are grazing- they will feel the current through their muzzles and will be more likely to respect the fencing. That is what we did, and we have a pony who respects 99% of fences! Even though due to bad EMS he is on woodchip and all the other horses get grass!
 
Mine stay on an arena which has eight inches of board, and one strand of electric rope eight inches above the board.
 
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