Very very proud mummy, and some advice please.

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Christmas_Kate

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I have found someone both small and able enough to help out with the vertically challenged Ginger one.
When we brought him we really just wanted a confidence giving LR pony. We were told he'd been broken off the LR but hadnt really done alot TBh and needed someone with confidence to ride him off. My eldest who's still a beginner has ridden him off lR but only with me walking by his side ready to jump in of there was a problem.
Ponio is a very lazy little man.

We went out yesterday with said young girl, starting off on the LR until she was sure of him and vice versa. He did his usual "I'm not doing anything" routine.

I took him off the LR and girl rode him by herself. Well, how much can a pony change in a few minutes? He became alert, happy, interested and was having a whale of a time
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. He wasnt strong, he was easily controlled, and concentrated, actualy listened to his rider, was on the bit and behaved, dare I say, impeccibly. I had originally thought that in return for riding and a few lessons this young lady could help school him to go off the LR in order for him to be able to have a change of scene and decent exercise, but it seems he doesnt actually need teaching anything. To say I'm thrilled is an understatement. So I'm planning to get him fit enough to do a couple of shows , and so he can have a good hack out a couple of times a week and keep his weight down. And we've decided that perhaps this young lady could help me teach him to pop small jumps
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The only problem is his feet. He's always had fab feet and during the winter never had a problem on the roads (He's barefoot). But just lately I've noticed him tripping (when he's not listening) and taking chunks out of his hooves.
He's out 24/7 atm and the ground is dry. I recon perhaps his feet have dried out just that little bit (though they're not cracked and they're very shiney). I'm loath to start shoeing him, really I don't think it's worth it for the amount of roadwork he does.
So how can I harden his feet up? It's been suggested to me that as he only actually needs a trim rarely (and farrier told me to keep doing roadwork to keep his feet good) I might be able to rasp myself. Has anyone asked their farrier to show them how to do this?
 
No ideas about the feet, but you must be delighted with pone!
My welsh A has come on in leaps and bounds with getting a competent rider on his back, and he is now much nicer for my Small Boy to ride.
 
It makes such a difference doesnt it? I've been tempted to get on him myself but the only way of doing that without my feet touching the ground is to ride jockey style and my bones aren't up to it
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good news on the mini jockey. I wouldn't worry too much about the feet personally. Soak them in water when ever possible and keep to regular farrier visits, they should be fine.Don't know if you are feeding anything, but a broad spectrum vit/min would help to support them
 
Thanks. He was on abbroad spectrum vit and min when he was in and getting two very small feeds of happy hoof a day. hHe was also on sunflower seeds. Now he only gets a token feed after working which consists of a handful of happy hoof. Due to the sheer weight of him (he is very porky) he gets no other feeds.
 
Next time you have your farrier out just ask him to show you how to tidy his feet. I do this with my shettie and along with the concrete I have in front of my field shelter which stops his feet from getting long, means I haven't had the farrier to my shettie for over a year!! (I do get him to check him when he comes to make sure).
 
yes, last time farrier came out he hadnt been trimmed in ages (this was when we brought him) and farrier said he didnt need trimming at all, but just rasped him. He's worked on roads to get to the bridleways, so not too much, but enough to keep his feet in trim. It's just the chunks that keep coming off atm....
 
My farrier was having a very uncharacteristic moan about lay people trying farriery. Apparently, THE ONLY thing a non-qualified person is lawfully entitled to do, foot-wise, is to remove a shoe which would otherwise endanger the horse - i.e. half lost, nails digging into foot etc. So no rasping, although to rasp smooth a sharp chip sticking out would be OK I'd guess.
 
Sounds like a corner has been turned
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I am VERY impressed he was going on the bit, not sure I have ever seen a shettie on the bit (awaits tons of photographic proof from all of the disgruntled shettie owners
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) As for the feet, agree with all of the above advice
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[ QUOTE ]
My farrier was having a very uncharacteristic moan about lay people trying farriery. Apparently, THE ONLY thing a non-qualified person is lawfully entitled to do, foot-wise, is to remove a shoe which would otherwise endanger the horse - i.e. half lost, nails digging into foot etc. So no rasping, although to rasp smooth a sharp chip sticking out would be OK I'd guess.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually that isn't true. A layman can remove a shoe for the reasons you state, and can trim feet as long as they are not preparing them for shoes. We have a barefoot trimmer do our horses, there is NO WAY that I would do them myself, although I know there are people who do.
 
I used to school a shetland stallion that went on the bit! However he was a stallion and was only worked in hand or driven so not quite the same, I tried riding him once but my feet touched the ground!!
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I've always assumed Shetlands would find it almost impossible to flex at the poll being such thick set, short necked ponies. Would love to see a picture of him on the bit Katy, bet he looks so cute.
 
PMSL
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Absolutely not having a dig, but I love your posts about your pony. If you didn't know, you'd think you were referring to a thoroughbred or something of that type with the way you talk about him. Infact, I was quite surprised the first I realised you were talking about a wee shetland.
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I assume this means you have a saddle for him now.
 
My welsh sec, A is barefoot. We do roadwork 2-3 times a week and the farrier has visited twice in the 8 months we have owned him and both times looked at the feet and said they needed no work doing. I use keretex hoof hardener once a week and think this really helps.
 
well, we've borrowed a saddle for thr time being which does the job!

This pony has done so much for us. He's resored my son's confidence and I trust him so much my 2yo rides him bareback on the LR. He really is a pony in a million. I've never had any experience of shetties before and TBH he just cracks me up. So much personality in such a little pony.
A friend said to me only yesterday that you either get a evil shetland, which alot of them are, or you get one in a million... ours happens to be the latter and as the only equine in the family he's my 3rd baby
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We're doing a bit of charity work with him over the coming months, and he's given so many children round here a big smile on their face I can't help but be so proud of him.
 
kk, I have to get a photo of him next weekend, I'll have to cut the rider out as i doubt her parents would want her piccie on the internet....but I will get a photo!
 
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