Worst thing your mini has ever done.

P

Patchworkpony

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 July 2012
Messages
1,536
Visit site
Given that many a loved Shetland has been referred to as the 'shitland' I am just curious to hear about the worst thing your mini has ever done. And you have forgiven it of course!
 
Mine are generally very good, so i was a little surprised as i had considered not getting one cause of the rep. I cant keep a rug on one for toffee, one will destroy anything left sitting about and in the summer my mare will not be caught. But in general they are good little spuds lol
 
there is nothing remotely *****land about any of my shetlands, it makes me sad when I hear people calling them so. I currently have 5, including 2 colts who are an absolute delight. I honestly think they are largely misunderstood and that the term must come from the idiotic, revolting non-horsey parents who buy one to stick in their garden for their equally revolting spoilt children and land themselves in trouble, as they would with any equine under the same circumstances. I have found the breed to be gentle, extremely wise and deep thinking souls who are extremely good at reading people.
 
NeverSayNever said:
there is nothing remotely *****land about any of my shetlands, it makes me sad when I hear people calling them so. I currently have 5, including 2 colts who are an absolute delight. I honestly think they are largely misunderstood and that the term must come from the idiotic, revolting non-horsey parents who buy one to stick in their garden for their equally revolting spoilt children and land themselves in trouble, as they would with any equine under the same circumstances. I have found the breed to be gentle, extremely wise and deep thinking souls who are extremely good at reading people.
Click to expand...
That's so lovely and I do agree about non-horsey parents. Do you have any photos of your lovely ponies - I would really love to see them?
 
My minis are surprisingly well behaved too. They don't have a great deal of respect for fencing so can be a bit "free-range" but apart from that they are great little guys.
 
There is one on our yard, most the time she is a delight but if she doesn't want to go out, she is very fair weather, she sits down and won't move. Its an actual sit down, very funny to watch.
 
NeverSayNever said:
there is nothing remotely *****land about any of my shetlands, it makes me sad when I hear people calling them so. I currently have 5, including 2 colts who are an absolute delight. I honestly think they are largely misunderstood and that the term must come from the idiotic, revolting non-horsey parents who buy one to stick in their garden for their equally revolting spoilt children and land themselves in trouble, as they would with any equine under the same circumstances. I have found the breed to be gentle, extremely wise and deep thinking souls who are extremely good at reading people.
Click to expand...

This. They are very intelligent & get bored easily to I imagine that is when you could start getting some trouble.

I have 4 boys 2 who are colts & only had trouble with the 1st one we had, I'm not ashamed to say I was terrified of him :) I made the mistake of spoiling him (got him as a weanling) & letting him away with stuff that I wouldn't let my big horse away with he quickly escalated into a horror....started treating him like my 17hh mare & he has turned into a great wee chap, wouldn't be without him now in fact I quite often say if only he was 14.2! We didn't make the same mistake with the 3 that followed and we haven't had any issues with them.
 
Mine are great, ones quiet as a lamb ones got a huge personality, likes to go off exploring has had me hike miles to fetch him home, when he sees me he trots back home like it's all just a big adventure. He will try to box your ears if you bath him or if your a vet trying to do his teeth, but that's his only really naughty trick.
 
The latest one today - the wind had blown the electric fencing about, they decided that it obviously wasn't live anymore so trod it all into the mud and tangled it in knots. So off I go to untangle it and put it back up, get 3/4way along and 2 of the little gits scoot behind me and the bit I have just done and then careen off across the field with it in their chests! Not content with that one then gets it round his hind leg so of course he then has to run around in circles - around the other mischief maker before finally shaking it loose. Thus it is now even more tangled than ever and 3 more posts are broken.

Old Man Flint just looked on and scooted out of the way when they came at him with the electric. Flint's only fault is he can't be caught...

So yes! Very deserving of their adopted title today!

2 days ago the little ginger *street corner lady* decided that I wasn't allowed to bring my big grey tb in so she chased him round the field for 20mins flat out. Whilst I was working and had no time for such things! Cue neither of them getting food for another hour which was most inconvenient! She only does it when she knows you are busy! No amount of food or coaxing will stop her.
 
Last edited:
My Shetland X is an absolute delight, clever and attention seeking but never oversteps the mark. The newly acquired Standard has I think been very spoiled in the past and although submissive with the other ponies has kicked 2 dogs when out, tried to lash out at mine (dog too quick) and kicked me without warning or provocation when I walked past with a barrow of hay. That was end of Nov and knee still not right. He needs to shape up or ship out :(
 
Mines and awesome little monster :biggrin3:

Can't currently keep her in a field, she hates storms and wind and usually would rather be out in them but as it's really muddy she refuses to stay in a field. Even the lovely little 4 strand electric fence pen I have made her right in from of the stables so she can see her chums......nope, she just puts her wee head down and barges through. She then goes on the rampage up to see baby ponies, breaks in with them for a bit, runs about, then gets annoyed when my 2 year old, who loves her, rags her about by her mane. She then breaks out again and rampages round the garden for a bit.......

Needless to stay she's staying in till the spring :rolleyes3:

She is the sweetest natured, cuddliest little thing ever tho and does really well in the show ring and is a delight to handle :biggrin3:

Wouldn't swap the rampaging weasel for anything :biggrin3:
 
Last edited:
Been kicked and bitten by one.. I'm sure they are lovely if treated correctly... It scares me if I have to go near it,its a friends...
 
I love and adore my little mini - but you have to treat them like any other 'big' horse, or they will take the mickey. They are incredibly bright and love to be worked. The only thing I would say I don't like about my little one is her propensity to break out of her paddock ... nightmare in summer when I'm trying to strip graze the wee lass and she's adamant she should be out in the long grass! They are very determined little things.
 
I had the 'pleasure' of owning 2 shetlands for several years, and in general they were delight, except for when…..

We were walking hound puppies - they managed to slip under the fence into the shetlands paddock, and we found one of the shetlands had picked up the the dog puppy in his teeth, and was swinging the poor thing around by the scruff of his neck!

The poor puppy was terrified and dread to thing what would have happened if we hadn't found it so quickly…..
 
Love Shetlands, had a pair of elderly shetties that escaped and found their way to the trailer full of recently ploughed veg, how they managed to climb up there i'll never know :D Loved them both, both very opinionated, but in an intelligent way :)
 
Neversaynever-that really is lovely.
Our mini is gorgeous too-rising 2,a bright little chap who learns exceptionally quickly,has beautiful manners and is loved by all who meet him. Agree with the treating as a big horse sentiment-he's handled exactly the same as my 17hh mare. Tempting as it is to 'baby' him,I know that way lies ruin!
 
Mine too is wonderful. Very sweet kind temperament although a little feisty at times. He let himself down on Christmas Day of all days when he showed how brave he was (neither of the other big horses would ever have the guts to leave home totally alone!)
He managed to escape through two lots of fencing, wander down the lane and into a neighbouring garden where he grazed her lawn before waking the ladies dogs who woke her up. Poor lady (very not horsey!) managed to catch the little monkey and lead him back up the lane on an extending dog lead (not sure how as he had no headcollar and would normally pull away) before securing him back into the field with lots of string!
Bless her, it's pitch dark and I'd not have wanted to do all that in my pj's!
 
I've know good and bad. The good ones were treated like proper ponies with the same boundaries. The bad ones were tested like pet dogs were allowd to do as the pleased because they were little they were proper shitlands.
It's the same with any horse or pony they need to know the rules.
I can't say anything about escaping my 13.2 is a nightmare to keep in the field if she can't slip under she'll jump over. Trouble is she's a junping pony who can jump damn high!!!
 
My friend had a little horror who given chance when tacking up would reach round and pull the saddle off when you were trying to reach the girth. He'd also reach round and pull the riders off by their feet if you didn't watch him. Little beast kicked me on the wrist when I tried to brush a back leg and smashed my best watch which put him in my bad books too.
In his youth he had a fight with my pony and managed to bite the tip off mine's ear. :(
 
Last edited:
I have 5 miniatures. They all have their own personality. But your original question, what is the worst they have done.... they all love to follow me like a pack of sharks while I'm poo picking and knock the barrow over! Other than that I have one who is so old she's a demented so and so and knows she can get away with anything she pleases, one who is stubborn as a mule, one who was a nervous wreck when he arrived, now the sweetest thing but swear he can hear my thoughts and two who are just easy, peasy nicey ponies. They all respect leccy fencing, love a cuddle (bar the geriatric who just likes a scratch behind the ears) and are the best thing on 4 legs. They came to me via a HHO post - 4 of them anyway - wanted 'a' companion for my existing. Hah. I think minis are addictive. One is never enough.
 
PStarfish said:
I have 5 miniatures. They all have their own personality. But your original question, what is the worst they have done.... they all love to follow me like a pack of sharks while I'm poo picking and knock the barrow over! Other than that I have one who is so old she's a demented so and so and knows she can get away with anything she pleases, one who is stubborn as a mule, one who was a nervous wreck when he arrived, now the sweetest thing but swear he can hear my thoughts and two who are just easy, peasy nicey ponies. They all respect leccy fencing, love a cuddle (bar the geriatric who just likes a scratch behind the ears) and are the best thing on 4 legs. They came to me via a HHO post - 4 of them anyway - wanted 'a' companion for my existing. Hah. I think minis are addictive. One is never enough.
Click to expand...
lol at the poo picking. Mine do that to -drives me nuts. I also think they are addictive. Started with 1 & had 4 within 2 years.
 
NeverSayNever said:
there is nothing remotely *****land about any of my shetlands, it makes me sad when I hear people calling them so. I currently have 5, including 2 colts who are an absolute delight. I honestly think they are largely misunderstood and that the term must come from the idiotic, revolting non-horsey parents who buy one to stick in their garden for their equally revolting spoilt children and land themselves in trouble, as they would with any equine under the same circumstances. I have found the breed to be gentle, extremely wise and deep thinking souls who are extremely good at reading people.
Click to expand...

Very well said, absolutely hate this blanket reference to wee ones. Thing people forget is that they are just small horses and need to be treated as horses (yes of course extra snuggles as so cute!). We have two miniature Shetlands and a miniature horse cross on our yard (two are ours) and they are an absolute joy to deal with.
 
I had one that was from a charity, he was straight off Shetland and was all but ferral when he arrived at 18 months.

He was a really sweet nature, but thought nothing of demolishing fences, electrified or not. One of his not so fine hours was when he was on arena turnout in spring (would go out for a couple of hours AM and PM on a field, and be in the arena the rest of the time) and he pushed his head and neck through the 4 bars of expensive post and rail fencing and used his tank like body until about 30m of said fencing was laid on the floor :-(

Once, when long reining round the village he planted, the traffic built up and the only way to shift him was when OH put his arm through the (loosened) gullet of the saddle and lifted him (legs flailing) bodily out of the middle of the road.

Also, when he was older I rode him the 100 years or so in from the field every day with no issue, but at first if a stranger got on he would do *something* and off they would come.

He made a wonderful pony though, and went on to "do" school fetes etc with aplomb. I know that he is happy because if the little tank was not then he would not do it! Very strong willed but clever and obliging when treated fairly.
 
I have two standard Shetlands although they are small in height compared to other standards.

When they arrived as a 3 and 4 year old they were mostly unhandled and honestly when I got them home I wanted to send one back, he was awful lol

But over a few months he settled and is now the easiest.

The other one is just a cheeky so and so, never ever leave anything lying about or it will be dragged, thrown, stood on etc, never leave anything hanging out of a pocket or it will get stollen, never have any loose clothing as it will get tugged at.

Never catch the other pony first as he will come over and try to get him to play by biting him on his bum lol

They're just great fun, playing in the field is great to watch, they just live to antagonise each other and when one is bored with playing they go and hide behind the big horse and he ends up involved while they have a rest. They're great
 
Thank you SO much everyone - these tales are hysterical. My OH was choking over his morning tea when I read out some of the replies, especially the ones about knocking over the barrow as it brought back 'happy' memories. I love that you all defend your little horrors and you obviously adore them which of course is why we are planning to get a couple this year - there is nothing else quite like them.
 
I have 4 atm and have helped look after many (20-40) in the past 5 yrs. one of mine I've had for 15 yrs. I can't think of anything he's done that is particularly bad or that any of my others would have done ie pushing through elctric fencing when it's off. I have him and his field mates behind one strand of electric and as long as its on and tensioned correctly then I have no problems at all....same as my horse and other ponies.
Of all the Shetlands I have kept and looked after, I had one that was a biatch and would kick merry hell out of anything nearby given the chance but she was rehomed with one other pony and is now good as gold.
I really don't get the reputation they have tbh...I find them the easiest things in the world to look after.
Mine love pushing my wheelbarrow over too but so does my cob...he pretend he's just itching his nose butI know what he's up to ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top