What is it with big and little equines?

[poiuytrewq]

Seriously! Just seen a video clip on fb of a 17hh being terrified of the teeniest pony.
When I got my Shetland the horses were all absolutely terrified as were all the horses at my work place of a tiny pony.
Tiny ponies on the other hand...are they scared or even slightly nervous of big horses ever?!
Makes absolutely no sense at all 😂
Who's found this, who’s found the opposite? (Surely someone?!!)

 

[MotherOfChickens]

little horses have no idea they are little. big horses are just stoopid (or not socialised)

 

[Gift Horse]

There is a miniature stallion on one of my hacking routes, he is stealthy - my 16.2hh is not scared of anything but the mini pops up suddenly from behind a tree and makes us both start, gets us every time we go past! 🤣

 

[Carrottom]

I'm not sure they figure out that a Shetland is an equine, even worse are donkeys!
One of my ex racers seemed to think that my friends coloured horse was more like a cow when they first met. Up to four years old he had only met other tbs.

 

[Meredith]

My daughter’s tb was frightened of the first foal she met!

A friend has a rather large stone statue of a horse in her garden. Some horses don’t notice it, others are terrified.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

One horse has met a Shetland before... guess which one LOL!

ETA - please ignore the chop job on chestnut mare's mane. She dreadlocked it and this was part way through the mane rescue attempt. It's all grown back now thankfully.

 

[PapaverFollis]

The one who has met a Shetland before is not in the picture cos it is hiding at the other end of the field?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

It was CM with the bad haircut who is looking very unimpressed. The shetland she first met was this one.

He was rocking the Hannibal Lecter look then too and she must have jumped six feet in the air when she first spotted him. *eek*

 

[tallyho!]

HAHA!! Butter wouldn't melt with humans.

Horses? Only one way to deal with these dumb slow big headed creatures. Scream. If really slow, swipe.

 

[Gloi]

When my friend bought her Shetland as a two year old colt from a dealer he was in a field of big horses and was firmly attached to the leg of a Shire by his teeth.

 

[HorseyTee]

My welshie loves the tiny ponies. He is 14.2 and much prefers little neds to big ones. All his friends have always been the small ponies.
Maybe they give him some sort of superiority complex lol.

 

[Fluffypiglet]

My boy loved a miniature Shetland at our last yard. It was a major bromance, his absolute best friend ever and I felt guilty when we moved away. I'd love to get him another one but not willing to pay livery for one!!

 

[Blanche]

This little pony seems to scare a lot of horses, I think he is an Icelandic.

 

[poiuytrewq]

When my friend bought her Shetland as a two year old colt from a dealer he was in a field of big horses and was firmly attached to the leg of a Shire by his teeth.

That’ll be why then 😂 little monsters!

 

[Bradsmum]

Oh how could anyone be afraid of Ozzie

 

[Berpisc]

I think for lack of logic my mare Willing takes some beating, she grew up with a section a pony as part of the group in the field etc. One day when we were out hacking we caught up with and passed a similar sort of little grey pony out with child and mum on lead rein.
After we had passed them, Willing started to have the complete abdabs and was all on for carting me off into the field by the track.....after sufficient safe distance had been made she started to calm down. Presumably she thought she was safe from his evil powers at that point

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Jeff didnt care when I brought him home but we had a grey mini shetland on the yard at that point anyway. Gray however had never seen anything so small! He danced and pranced down the driveway - dodgy leg and all! Now he is inseperable from the critters! On the plus side if I ever take Gray and a Shetland to a show I know I won't be the one spooking across the ring when said shetland is plonked at the edge for ease of picture taking 😂😂😂

You get said equines used to ponies and then ... you ride one of them! Oh all hell breaks loose again then! I mean come on! A pony being ridden!?!?!?!?!?!?! Pft! Not in Gray's world!

I have also scared numerous show hunter horses by riding my shetlands in "their" collecting ring 😂😂😂 and been sworn at and called many many names 😂😂😂

 

[Nudibranch]

My 17.3 beast was pretty bold except when there was a Shetland in sight. The smaller, the scarier for some reason best known to himself.

It's not that unusual, only he grew up with one 🙄

 

[Megan V1]

I bought my minis because my very chunky Welsh D was terrified of passing two shetlands whilst out hacking. Him and my TB X Welsh were petrified of them but now they all get along just fine and Celt loves them but he was still afraid of the shetlands out hacking.

 

[Leam_Carrie]

I laughed earlier as my 16hh horse was heading purposeful up the field. My mini Shetland was in the way. I thought he’d move as the big horse is boss... nope she had to go round him.

 

[_HP_]

Mine have never reacted any differnently to any of the small ponies I've introduced. This was the first time Mystic was introduced ...

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

I've read (possibly on here) that its because our bigger horses dont recognise shetlands as horses; they are too small and more likely to be dogs / pigs...but, they smell like horses. It's the confusion that causes the uncertainty and fear.

 

[Sealine]

My horse is equally scared of very small ponies and very large dogs. I agree that it’s because they’re not sure what they are. There used to be someone near me who hacked out with an Irish wolfhound trotting along behind him. My horse is generally Mr Sensible but he would spook and spin when we came across them out riding.

 

[pansymouse]

If you think they react badly to a small pony in a field wait until you meet one being driven - you'll be lucky to get home alive

(My mare is Welsh x and like many Welsh dramatic overreaction is in her DNA)

 

[SEL]

I think horses are worried about any other horse that is a size / shape / colour they don't recognise.

My old YO used to get about 4-5 ex-racers in at the beginning of every year to school on. They were all young and were used to being stabled so didn't get turned out to start with. The day after a certain set arrived I really made their day by 1) bringing in the appaloosa - apparently white bottoms are not something racehorses have seen before 2) following the Appy came the Ardennes. That had every one of the newbies hanging over their stables with their eyes on stalks. Just to finish off their education the yard had kids in that morning for a grooming session so in came the shetland and the mini.

I regularly take Militaire out for walks and we meet other horses who go past him sideways with their eyes on stalks. Apparently Ardennes are as scary as shetlands.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

SEL that might be because Ardennes look like big Shetlands and the horses are thinking 'bleeping hello I've only just got over small hairy beasties being horse and now here's a big one? 🤯'

 

[only_me]

Billy (17h ISH) loves Ralph (approx 36”) and I’d love to put them out together but unfortunately there would be mayhem as they both like to play. They have do to with going hacking!

Billy is a bit weird though as he loves his alpacas so most animals aren’t scary to him - he sees them as “potential friends” lol