Uh oh.. I think I’m entering “Sh*tland” territory!

QueenBella

QueenBella

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So, as the title says, a lady I’ve known for years is selling her children’s Shetland. I’ve been on the lookout for one for our little man but he’s only 18 months so wasn’t in a panic but since I know the woman it seems like a no brainer! Going to see him at some stage over the weekend and hopefully bring him home 😁🤞🏻

If we purchase him he will be more than likely kept at OH parents home as there is an abundance of sheep, cattle (one pet calf that could probably be kept with him, is that even suitable??) and Connemara ponies. I don’t think my girls would take to him so I’ll probably keep him away from them, for now atleast.

Now this is all new territory to me, last pony I owned was nearly 20 years ago and was a 13.2 Connemara so not sure how to care for an 8hh Shetland so all advice welcome please!
 
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poiuytrewq said:
You’d be surprised. After the initial snorting every horse we have had has become good friends with ours. He can stick up for himself if needed but I think is pretty non confrontational and just quite chilled so everyone likes him.
Restricting grass and decent fencing is out only issue!
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He has lived with mares previously with no problem which is great. I think I'll introduce everyone in the spring/summer when my girls are off their winter field.

OH over the Christmas set up a lovely hard standing area for me with 6ft horse wire fencing so hopefully it'll keep him in, but I'm sure he'll find someway out!
 
My original Shetland has always lived with bigger horses. I often joke he should work for the United Nations as he's so good at keeping in everyone's good books whilst getting exactly what he wants. Ponies that never share hay don't mind him sidling up and sharing and he always manages to keep out of trouble. It's a real skill! When I first introduced him I him an escape pen with one strand of electric only he could get under, which was well used in the early days.
 
Shetlands are one of the most resilient pony breeds I know - a friend had a Shetland that lived to 40 years old and in her life she had the following happen :

1) Escaped from field and got hit by arctic lorry - not even a scratch on her!
2) Got colic and ended up in horsey ICU for numerous weeks and survived (including technically being dead for one minute on the operating table!)
3) Took a kick to the head from a 17.2 shod heavyweight horse when she got in the way - walked away from this one with 3 stitches only!
4) Ate 2 kg of un soaked Speedibeet and only had the worlds most gassiest guts for a week
5) Got herself wedged in between two hay bales and just stood there eating her way out
6) Got tangled in electric fencing and just sat there waiting for help to arrive
7) Went on a joy ride around the local village and gave everyone the runaround for several hours
8) Casually strolled into the local doctors surgery whilst on above joy ride around local village
9) Taught several kids how to catch a difficult to catch pony
10) Followed the horse lorry 20 miles to a show, trotted into the show ground and stood next to the lorry whilst my friend frantically searched for a small enough headcollar
11) Sneakily took down electric fencing allowing the other horses to escape, whilst she stayed put, making her look like the angel child (we only found out it was her due to some sneaky covert camera footage!)
12) Threw a tantrum at being left behind for the day (she had company but not of her liking apparently!) and took herself to the local park for a day trip instead
13) Made a farrier cry with frustration at pretending to not know how to lift her hooves
14) Made a vet student cry by biting him on the bottom (in her defence he called her "a rather portly and fluffy lawnmower who could do with some more work")
15) Deposited her small rider, trotted down the road, and was found being fussed and cuddled by the kids at the local primary school

Pedro looks gorgeous - a real cheeky character x
 
A little grey Shetland turned up here a few years ago. When I say turned up - we didn’t actually get close enough to confirm or deny, but kept seeing this little tiny grey shape out of the corner of our eye, weaving around the land and forestry.
We’re miles from anywhere and I don’t know of a local Shetland owner!
All I could do was follow these teeny weeny hoof prints along the borders and stream banks to confirm this little horse was not an imagination glitch, and be amazed at it’s ability to navigate this terrain with confidence and agility!
 
I used to have a Shetland companion to my Exmoors. I loved the very bones of him. He was a major escape artist, though. I have many stories about the little sh*t getting out of fields and going off on adventures.

Whatever fencing you put up, make sure it's mains electric and don't even think of rugging!
 
Fransurrey said:
I used to have a Shetland companion to my Exmoors. I loved the very bones of him. He was a major escape artist, though. I have many stories about the little sh*t getting out of fields and going off on adventures.

Whatever fencing you put up, make sure it's mains electric and don't even think of rugging!
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Make sure the bottom strand is low enough. We had one that would lie on his side and sort of wriggle under. His sh*tland companion went too of course. After they'd eaten half the hay field they were too bloated to get back under.
Friends shetlands used to share a stable. They were clipped as used for driving, so rugged at night. One morning they were found patently waiting to be untangled as somehow they'd got their legs through each other's sursingles. They had to be cut apart! No injuries of course.
Enjoy your little one. There will be endless fun.
 
Everyone needs a Shetland! They are super cute and always up to something. Mostly food related! I backed mine & make her lug me about sometimes. (She is a midi, not a mini, & I'm tiny...)
:) And Shetland zoomies on the lunge! Adorable! Mine loves jumping on the lunge. They are impervious to electric fencing and can teleport...mine was recently found in my tack room with the door shut joyfully eating FOUR breakfasts despite the fact that I was RIGHT THERE...
 
mine lives happily with my big horses. it'll be the best decision you'll ever make! they might be tiny but their personalities are massive! thankfully, mine is good with fencing and the only issue I ever had was catching him because he was very nervous! but he comes to me now, so very little drama in that department now (obviously until he spots to vet)
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Not all Shetlands are naughty!

My first pony was a black shetland mare, Gladys (and her son Fred) they were a driving pair but she became my lead rein pony as a child (and fred was Gladys's companion). She was the sweetest pony ever and you could do anything with her. She was always clean and just a very prim and proper 'lady'. Her only failings were she was chronically laminitic when she came to us and spent a long while at liverpool university and under saddle she would not break into canter - nope not ever she walked and trotted, but canter was a huge NOPE for Gladys. So lead rein was as far as went together. Fred was a cool pony too, but had a slightly wicked side.
 
I take back my shitland comment, I love this little pony more than anything oh my god why didn't I get one sooner!! He's such a pet but with a bit of cheek, just what I want!

Luckily we have mostly 6ft high sheep/horse wire fencing in the paddocks he will be going in but I'm sure he will still find someway out if he felt like it!
 
dorsetladette said:
Not all Shetlands are naughty!

My first pony was a black shetland mare, Gladys (and her son Fred) they were a driving pair but she became my lead rein pony as a child (and fred was Gladys's companion). She was the sweetest pony ever and you could do anything with her. She was always clean and just a very prim and proper 'lady'. Her only failings were she was chronically laminitic when she came to us and spent a long while at liverpool university and under saddle she would not break into canter - nope not ever she walked and trotted, but canter was a huge NOPE for Gladys. So lead rein was as far as went together. Fred was a cool pony too, but had a slightly wicked side.
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A livery yard i was on as a teenager had two identical Shetlands the mare was an angel perfect child's pony, gentle little lady. Her husband was the devil and flatly refused to be backed, could hear a crisp packet from a mile away and was like a destructive missile, frequently just ran right over the top of you if he didn't like the cut your your jib or you refused to give him snacks. Difficulty was telling the two apart.
 
Cloball said:
A livery yard i was on as a teenager had two identical Shetlands the mare was an angel perfect child's pony, gentle little lady. Her husband was the devil and flatly refused to be backed, could hear a crisp packet from a mile away and was like a destructive missile, frequently just ran right over the top of you if he didn't like the cut your your jib or you refused to give him snacks. Difficulty was telling the two apart.
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Luckily Fred had a mealy (spelling?) nose and less of a mane. Apart from the that they were identical black shetland ponies. On occasions Fred would get a bath and show prep if the YTS girls confused the two.
 
I won my first ever 1st rosette as a child on a little chestnut shiteland. It was the end of gymkhana day everybody in gallop around a ten acre field. Oh my! you cry how could a little shiteland and the scruffy little girl beat all those bigger swift as the wind gymkhana ponies. Easy peasy if your ginger little friend just refuses to be steered around the rim of the field and cuts every corner by a huge inwards curve. I think they must have felt sorry for me and ignored the massive cheating and still gave us the first rosette. Probably not the best lesson in fair and honest competition for either the shiteland or the small child. 😂
 
24157.pngMy first rosettes. The above Shetland was ace he taught half the island to ride, had accurate aim for ditching you in puddles, melted into hedges, never had a suitably secured girth, made you nauseous trotting so fast, convinced everyone he couldn't canter (until he did, a bucket was involved), he only passed away a few years ago aged 34 having been spoilt into his dotage.
 
QueenBella said:
I take back my shitland comment, I love this little pony more than anything oh my god why didn't I get one sooner!! He's such a pet but with a bit of cheek, just what I want!

Luckily we have mostly 6ft high sheep/horse wire fencing in the paddocks he will be going in but I'm sure he will still find someway out if he felt like it!
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This is exactly the way I feel about mine. They are honestly the best thing I have ever done. Funny, cheeky, energetic, bold and adventurous but so polite and well mannered and they just love people. And they have been good with my fencing…so far. Which is more than I can say for my big ponies!

I got two mini Shetlands so they had someone their own size to play with and boy do they play. They adore each other and I find them curled up fast asleep side by side all the time. Hours of endless entertainment with them.

I’m hoping one day they will drive, but they are also learning in hand trec, groundwork and liberty type training. They are only going to be 3 this year so just doing little bits so far.
 
We used to have a mini but my daughter disliked doing anything other than walk as she was too bouncy, it was awful on the back holding and leading, 8hh is just too small. My son learned on my 13.2 which was much easier.

We went from that to a very full up 12.2hh who we will have plenty of growing room with now the jockey is 8!

I’d aim for something between the two if I had to do it again.
 
BBP2 said:
This is exactly the way I feel about mine. They are honestly the best thing I have ever done. Funny, cheeky, energetic, bold and adventurous but so polite and well mannered and they just love people. And they have been good with my fencing…so far. Which is more than I can say for my big ponies!

I got two mini Shetlands so they had someone their own size to play with and boy do they play. They adore each other and I find them curled up fast asleep side by side all the time. Hours of endless entertainment with them.

I’m hoping one day they will drive, but they are also learning in hand trec, groundwork and liberty type training. They are only going to be 3 this year so just doing little bits so far.
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They should prescribe shetlands doing zoomies round the field on the NHS. It's the best medicine I've found when I'm feeling down.
 
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meleeka said:
The should prescribe shetlands doing zoomies round the field on the NHS. It's the best medicine I've found when I'm feeling down.
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I used to livery within sight of the Shetland Pony Club fields, which are on a steep hill and they are on herd turnout. Seeing that many joyous zoomy potatoes in the morning never failed to make me smile. I would love to have one but the fencing here wouldn't be the faintest of challenges.
 
QueenBella said:
I'll post more photos in awhile when he gets a bit of a glowup, he is quite scruffy at the minute.

I think its only fair I get another as a friend for him right???

Also I love hearing everyone's stories, I cant wait for all the adventure we will have with Pedro 🥰
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I made a promise to mine that when we were down in numbers, I'd get him a friend his own size. He's always lived with bigger horses and his last BFF was an ancient Welsh mare (that's how desperate he was 😂). When she went I got a straight from the Shetland Isles gelding. His little face when he walked in will stay with me forever 🥰. They play every day and he's so active he's not had a sniff of laminitis since, so I'd say two is a health benefit for them as well as you!

Eta - this photo sums them up!
 

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