Taking on a rescue shetland? Views / experiences anyone?

[Jericho]

Hi there, I am thinking about taking a companion pony from Redwings Sanctuary, probably Shetland/small breed. Wont be ridden just to keep my 2 sane when I take one out for a ride. Has anyone had any experiences of taking on rescue ponies? I am prepared for the cheekiness / naughtiness of shetlands and any small issues such as nervousness and that there might be issues but would be interested in peoples experiences / advice?

Many thanks

Lynsey

 

[disco]

I know someone that did it for exactley the same reasons as you, they had a shetland from a local pub that had decided to house a few animals to entice familys, Patch being a big attraction but....he kept biting the kids (I wonder why??) so he had to go.
It worked out perfectley for them! He keeps one of her horses company whilst my friend rides out on the other.
They've had him for years now.
My friend keeps all 3 of hers out 24/7 all year round and just leaves their stable doors open for them to come & go as they please and it certainly suits Patch!
Go for it!!

 

[MagicMo]

Hi

I got my mini shetland from Horseworld as a companion for my welsh cob.

He is absolutely wonderful, I think often the issues with shetlands come from them not being treated as horses. They are very bright and cheeky but I love that type of personality anyway - he has also been very quick to learn so I've taught him to drive which he loves.

The only issue I have found is that he needs VERY restricted grazing, he is such a good doer. This is even compared to my welsh cob who I thought was a good doer before getting the shettie. He can also escape through very small gaps (I have no idea how he gets his stomach through) which I was warned about by horseworld!

I certainly wouldn't want to part with him now.

I hope you manage to find a lovely companion for your horses.

Charisl x

 

[Cop-Pop]

As many people have pointed out shetlands = evil!!

Seriously tho a lady down the road from the office has a field of rescued Shetlands. They live out all year and have a field shelter to go in and resricted grazing throughout the spring/summer. She did have to fence off the footpath tho as they kept chasing the walkers....

 

[MagicMo]

That reminds me - my little shettie was tried out in the visitor centre at horseworld before it was decided he should be rehomed, sadly he kept climbing on the picnic tables and stealing peoples food and rummaging through peoples handbags - Naughty pony

 

[Luce1504]

I am currently thinking of doing the exactly the same. I have 2 mares kept at home on their own who will not be separated without a HUGE commotion, meaning I have not ridden since xmas. I'm currently at the moment not in a position to be able to get a shettie but will def be looking into it in the very near future (hopefully this summer

) - so I hope it works out for both of us!

 

[Magicmillbrook]

If you are getting a non ridden companion its a great idea to get one from a rescue centre,. They are normaly very careful about matching you up with the right type, also if things dont go well, or their is a change in circumstances you can send them back, rather than worrying where they will go. I love my companion as much as my mare now, she is very cheap to keep, she has yearly vaccs and teeth, every 7 weeks she is checked by the farrier, but he hasnt trimmed her since last April! She wears her hooves down as nature intended.

I do have to watch her weight in the summer, and do sometimes lunge and long rein her a few times a week when she starts to get too portly.

 

[Stinkbomb]

Shetties are great, just remember restricted grazing and adequate fencing!!!!!

 

[BigBird146]

I got a 12.2hh welsh mountain from a local woman who had a few that were rescue ponies, as it happens this pony was used by her for teaching kids on before he got his knee really badly kicked in by one of the other horses, so not rescue job as such but he had been retired. He is a right cheeky monkey and runs rings round me around the stable, really bad manners and throws himself around once you've got his headcollar on but he is dead easy to do. i was really tempted to get him a rug 'just to keep him dry' but was talked out of it by the girl at the tack shop as he really doesn't need one; he goes out during the day and comes in at night, just has about 5-6kgs hay at night, and a scoop of happy hoof, a foot trim every other time my horse is shod, so couldn't be easier really. Mine is happy to be left on his own while I ride out as well (I have heard of people having to get companions for their companions, nightmare!!).

 

[Nudibranch]

I've had two for 18 years now, rescued them when they were unbroken, lice ridden, overgrown-hoofed two year olds and they have the loveliest temperaments now. I think a lot of shetlands get a bad reputation because they are just left to stand around and don't get a lot of training/discipline. One of mine was ride and drive, I broke her myself and although she is a bit grumpy from time to time she would do anything for me, I would trust her with my life. The other can't work due to dodgy conformation, but is the quietest, most affectionate little thing. Unfortunately the bigger one now has Cushings, and all the health issues which go with it, but the other has never been ill. Just the usual advice about little fat ponies - watch their food intake and don't take any cr*p off them!

 

[LCobby]

We have a Welshie type of 13 hands as a companion
We are inspected every year, and have proper loan agreement. She can cope with same grazing and fencing as the others. DId not want to take a compnaion who could not,as it woudl defat the object of havng one if she had to be kept in or in starvation paddock
Most centres seem to have a variety of ponies who are companion only.
And it frees up a space for the more needy ones.

 

[Tierra]

I have a bit of a horror story regarding this but I must emphasise that he came from a rather dodgy pony rescue place in Sheffield, rather than any of the larger charities ;p

Ok, that stressed, i present the tale of Do-nut

My mare in my teens hated other horses with a passion yet I dont like turning out alone. Due to where we were, to put her out meant nothing else could be out, so she was completly isolated and i didnt like that. So, along came donut.

We went to look at him at a shetland pony rescue place on the outskirts of sheffield and the woman literally took us into the middle of a massive field full of the little monsters and told us to choose. I chose the teeniest.

To be fair on the little dude he did his job but my mare just didnt take to him. We ended up moving the horses back to livery elsewhere and the shetty couldnt go (YO wouldnt have them on the yard as she rightfully stated that her fencing wasnt suitable). I found somewhere else for the shetland and he gained another companion; a shetland mare from a local dealer.

Now, I still have the written contract from the santuary to this day (written on plain white paper with no address), saying that he was a 3 year old shetland gelding who had been gelded on <insert date>

Mmmmhmmmm. I had a vet out to vaccinate said ponies and check them over. Vet was having a good look at donut and suddenly blurted out that the pony hadnt been gelded at all but that his testes hadnt dropped correctly. (One had, but had gone unnoticed due to massive fur and tbh, the little dude wasnt well endowed).

Cue panic over his mare companion but thankfully, she wasnt in foal and donut was promptly rid of his um additional bits.

The next problem occured at the end of the first winter - he wouldnt shed his coat properly despite me bathing and scrubbing at him. Out came the vet again and numerous tests later confirmed he had liver damage (the vet believed it was probably from ragwort poisoning some point earlier). He then had to be clipped in summer to stop him over heating as his thick winter coat wouldnt drop.

He lived to be 6 years old before I had to have him PTS with gradual liver failure

Apart from the health issues and the lying about him being gelded, he was a darling pony and i loved having him around. He was very cheeky though. The first day he arrived, i left him tied up on the yard while i was mucking out. I came back from emptying a barrow and he'd gone - an hour later i found him right down the fields.. he'd even jumped a small stream

You have really got to be careful with your fencing as they can be escape artists. My two were terrible and if they saw a gap they thought they could get through, they'd literally push and squeeze until it gave way

Be aware they can need limited grazing to stop them getting too huge and that can cause an issue if theyre meant to be full time field companions for another horse. Lastly, be aware some horses dont seem to take well to them

My mare HATED those shetlands with a passion and my current gelding is terrified of small ponies (admitting, hes a wimp, but the fact remains ;P)