Tiny tots and ponies- some questions.

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BWa

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I have been offered a shetland pony who's owner has lost their grazing, we have plenty of space for it here and an empty stable. And it would go more exciting places than the pram on our farm. This one sounds pretty bombproof as it goes to old people's homes and is dressed up as a reindeer at Christmas in the local garden centre. However my OH is reluctant and he has a point, my daughter is only 13 weeks so isn't going to be on it for a while yet, so when did your little ones first get put on the pony for a little wander and when did you get a riding hat that fits? Will we have a pony that is of no use for 18 months? (that is my OH's opinion, I would love a mini just to have about the place)
Thanks in advance and some cute pictures might help my plight!
 
my daughter pottered around with oh holding her from 18m, we couldnt get a riding hat to fit till she was 3 so she wore a cycling helmet ! even now at 4 I am reluctant to let her ride without someone next to her as our pony is 13.2 not sure how I would feel if smaller. but to be fair my pony is of very little use except looking ornamental eating and making poo !
 
My sister in law got a bombproof shetland for her son when he was about 4 and a half months, they both seem over the moon with her. My daughter started on a miniture shetland when she was about six months old.
 
Think my daughter was 4 in this shot.
Prior to that it was just short rides being held on mums horse.
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Makes me feel very old as she now drives herself to the yard
 
Mine were 4 as it is the earliest the riding school would take them-they had been asking to ride as soon as they could,but we didn't have ponies at that point.However,our PC takes them from 2 and there is always the option of a basket saddle!
 
My son will be 3 in Feb, weve had a mini for a couple of months now and he's ridden maybe 3 times, but enjoys groom/ leading more often than that - he wears a cycle helmit

TBH it is a bit pointless, I could easily take him for a ride on a beach donkey once a month but little magic cost nothing to buy and has very very low running costs (and no livery as we have our own place) - your OH is probably right but that's not to say you shouldn't get him!!!!
 
would also say remember this is your hobby and your child may not want to ride. my little girl enjoys it up to a point but clearly isnt that bothered and i ask her if she wants to ride and dont worry if she says no. my little boy on the other hand screams for pony from his bedroom window on waking and would spend all day everyday out there with him ( not really appropriate yet as he is only 20m old ! ) he potters on him a bit with a bareback pad but is quite happy just sitting on him tied up on the yard with me holding him.
 
Exactly that Polos Mum, it's free, we are on a farm so no costs, hay and straw freely available etc. it will be smaller than the tups so maybe I should look at it as acquiring another pet instead of a pony.
Thanks everyone.
 
I think she is about 2.5 here?
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We had the pony first (companion on loan from neighbour). No expectation to ride regularly, but she enjoyed pottering on occasion and by the time she was 4 was ready to go off lead rein. Upgraded to her first ponyclub pony at 5, as the mini Shetland wasn't really suitable to do more than hacking.

However it is worth noting that I would not have got her a pony, probably even now (she is 8.5 now) if I was on livery - she still isn't interested in doing any of the work, or riding particularly regularly (particularly in bad weather). I don't want it to become a chore, so don't push her at all - I need a pony as a companion to my horse anyway.
 
I say take the pony on. Even if your daughter can't ride for a few months/years (depending on when you want her to start), you can still get her spending time with pony and taking pony on walks with you and baby. :)
 
My eldest had a pony before he was born - a sec a -and we have 2 Shetlands as well... The eldest wasn't interested in them so we are waiting for no 2 to ride - he's much more interested!
 
Defo no pressure from me, I don't pressure myself to ride and have just got back on since May due to pregnancy and baby. The fact it sounds so tolerant and not an evil s***land is a major factor for me. OH nearly on side, just FiL to convince now!
 
Get it! In the summer we can have a hhoers tiny tots gymkhana using said pony ;)

I've already got my eye on the 23yo mini pony in the village owned by a local guy, pony never gets ridden etc, and I've already been offered a basket saddle by someone in the pony club. Mini sf won't have a choice :D
 
This was my daughter at 22 months on her Shetland Fordham Patrick (Paddy) who was three at the time and rock steady with her on board even up the busy road when we and two little dogs toddled down to the village to visit Grandparents :)

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Bobbly said:
This was my daughter at 22 months on her Shetland Fordham Patrick (Paddy) who was three at the time and rock steady with her on board even up the busy road when we and two little dogs toddled down to the village to visit Grandparents :)

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Omg that is so cute I want to scream!
 
just posted on another thread about shetties. i had always said when pregnant i wonted the child to have pony. cue daughter aged 1 week being bought year old shettie by her beloved grandad lol at time shell shocked but hey no regrets wonderful memories of daughter growing up pony mad. spending lots of time outside etc she still is at 24. from early age she slowly learnt to care and be safe around them :)
 
Just bear in mind that Shetlands are not always low maintenance, as are often prone to laminitis, so may need stabling, Yarding, strip grazing, paddock paradise, or some other method of grass restriction and/or some form of exercise. Just make sure you have the time and energy to deal with that.

We had a welsh pony as a companion for my mare and my daughter used to potter about on her sporadically from about 18 months, but pony turned out to be laminitic (Cushings) and was harder work than my big horse!
 
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We had Shetlands on grass livery when I was a teen and my own horse is a good doer so it muzzles, stables and bare paddocks all round. I am also very lucky that I can use the covered yard after lambing in April/May so I can get them off the grass completely when it's growing madly.
I'm excited now, I just hope she didnt offer it to anyone else too :(
 


Cameron is three is this picture yeah he doesn't really know but had pony for nearly two years. I couldn't pass up a good pony as I did not know what would be on the market when I did want to get one and I knew his history
 
I have 2 children, a mini Shetland, a standard Shetland and a section a... And they both fight to ride the Shetland what's more they have to beat off next doors kids who also want to ride her... I'm usually a believer that A s are better kids ponies but if you get the right Shetland they are worth their weight in gold silver and bronze.
 
This is ours with my little boy and his granny (who has no idea about horses at all) he's 23 and very very very patient (as you can see)
I'm fine with him just gaining confidence about being around ponies, riding can come later if he wants to (I seem to recall something about hip development and them not riding too often (more than once a week) until they are older than 4/5)

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I would love to buy my 3yr old grandson a pony, he had his first ride on my 16 3 hh wb mare and loved it, he's also sat on my 17hh tb, my 15 2hh trotter x, to be honest, my grandson is just as happy in the field poo picking, it's me that wants something smaller
 
I was so tempted when pregnant with my first to buy it (didn't know sex) a foal so that could grow up together. I didn't get one in the end as two of my mares had foals and I had a baby all within 5 months! As I couldn't be sure baby would grow up to like ponies I though it safer to wait. I rode up to 32 wks and was back in the saddle about a weeks later :)! William loves the ponies and his first word was "Benji", my pony. He wanted to start riding at 4, I never asked him if he wanted to ride. He used to love sitting bareback on Benji then wanted a pony like him. Along came a fab loan pony, 11.1 NF mare.

My sons have grown up with my ponies and my eldest is very confident. It is a great thing to share later on and teaches them how to look after animals properly.
 
just to add a different view - i bought a mini shetland for my lo when i was pregnant, she is a companion also. Lo is now almost 20 months and yes he likes to give her a pat and have a little sit on her. However, he is far too young to get any real benefit out of her and there is no way I would be leading him without someone holding him. Im actually considering loaning mine out to a friend for a year or 2. We have other ponies here he can pat and sit on. I also never , ever have him round any of the ponies ‘loose’ so to speak, and i mean him, not the ponies ;) There is just too much risk of accident, even with my leadrein pony who is literally ‘the’ perfect little pony. Pony only has to step sideways and small person ends up hurt. Ive decided to leave it til he’s older, also, that way he can develop an interest for himself if he wants to. Ive spoken to several people who have found after having little ponies for their kids they end up not keen and lose interest.
 
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