maya2008
Well-Known Member
So…last autumn, when I began to despair of the Shetland ever coming sound, I bought a sweet little 11.2hh to do her job. Pony arrived with a spectacular eviction reflex relating to being mounted and bullied in the field, but we worked through that. The worst she does now is shudder from time to time on being mounted, and that’s only bareback - the extra layer of the saddle helps enormously. You can now swing a child up and plonk them on at random (bareback or saddle), child can get on from mounting block bareback (gently) or with saddle (any old how!) and we started leg-ups with no issue ready for using the stirrup now we have a saddle that fits.
Ridden, she’s a dream. Goes first or last or in the middle, has been brilliant both on the lead and off. She’ll walk quietly next to me while someone behind her is losing their mind at a random tractor wheel on its own in a field, or horses gallop up and down the fence next to us. Goes to arena hire like she’s been doing it all her life, ignores strange horses galloping around and just focuses on the child, has walk/trot established and some canter in the school (she’s only been going once a week for a few weeks). Kids did all the walking out in-hand, got her used to traffic etc themselves. They catch her, rug her, the lot. She’s so easy and sweet.
Shetland is now sound though (thanks to the most amazing supplement ever) and vet has advised she will need to come back into as much work as possible, leaving sweet little 11.2hh kind of out of a job. I’m torn about what to do.
A) Advertise now for an experienced home with her basically just backed and going nicely.
B) Advertise her in the summer when she has done more and has been in work for six months at least.
C) Keep her until the kids’ legs are swinging under her belly and eventually sell her as the first ridden she will most definitely be by then.
Which option would get her the best home?
Ridden, she’s a dream. Goes first or last or in the middle, has been brilliant both on the lead and off. She’ll walk quietly next to me while someone behind her is losing their mind at a random tractor wheel on its own in a field, or horses gallop up and down the fence next to us. Goes to arena hire like she’s been doing it all her life, ignores strange horses galloping around and just focuses on the child, has walk/trot established and some canter in the school (she’s only been going once a week for a few weeks). Kids did all the walking out in-hand, got her used to traffic etc themselves. They catch her, rug her, the lot. She’s so easy and sweet.
Shetland is now sound though (thanks to the most amazing supplement ever) and vet has advised she will need to come back into as much work as possible, leaving sweet little 11.2hh kind of out of a job. I’m torn about what to do.
A) Advertise now for an experienced home with her basically just backed and going nicely.
B) Advertise her in the summer when she has done more and has been in work for six months at least.
C) Keep her until the kids’ legs are swinging under her belly and eventually sell her as the first ridden she will most definitely be by then.
Which option would get her the best home?
