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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
ABOUT THE SHETLAND PONY

Please note before you read the answers that they are based on my own experience and are my own opinion . I am learning all the time.

Q. What use is the Shetland pony?

A. This is probably the most commonly asked question. The Shetland pony probably has the most various uses of any equine breed. The most obvious use is as a child's riding pony. If properly brought up they make excellent first ponies. They suit children from the age of, well as soon as they can be placed on the back by an enthusiastic mum, or dad, to 14 years, dependant on the size of the rider and pony. That
is a far larger age range than any other size of pony for a child. Driving is another option, a popular pastime. There is no need for the Shetland to be sold at the end of it's riding career, it can be driven by adults. The most common reason I sell most of mine for is as a companion for a horse. They are very economical companions, eat less, poach the ground less, no shoes (just trimming), take up less room, healthy (as long as you keep the weight down) therefore less vet bills, and as a bonus a pleasure to know and have around. They can be
useful on large stable yards as sometimes a horse needs to be stabled for long periods of time and the shetland can be a valuable and patient tonic. They can travel to shows when only one horse needs to be taken. Can be used as a nanny to weaned foals. And of course the shetland can be the yard's mascot at the same time. People can get a lot of pleasure from showing, just as someone has a dog to show, they can show a shetland pony. There are many classes for shetlands all over the country. It is not just the winning , it is the social side that many people enjoy.

There is nothing wrong with having a shetland as a pet, they are great characters to have around, and cuddle. People often say 'they feel sorry as the pony has nothing to do', but the pony is doing something,it is there for you. As long as the pony is looked after properly, and please kept with another pony or ponies, if this is not possible then you will have to have two. They will not be as happy on their own and some can be
clearly very stressed and develop behaviour problems. Breeding, another option for the enthusiast, and that is what you truely need to be.
Do not breed for money, believe me there is no money in it. Very occasionally one shetland will go for a reasonable sum , but for that one there are many that do not. At this moment in time there does seem to be more shetlands than there is demand, so think carefully about the foal's future, and if you do decide to breed , breed quality with registered stock and with a licenced stallion who will have been checked for hereditary defects. A lawn mower, please no, there can mow the lawn but are not always very tidy, also frequently eating more than just the lawn, and most lawns are not big enough specially in view of the fact you cannot keep one on it's own . They may appear small but you would

be surprised at the area they need, not just for grazing but also for stretching their legs, and in winter they will turn any lawn to mud.

Q. I have heard that Shetland ponies do not have very good temperaments?

A. Shetland ponies are not born with bad temperaments, if they are treated correctly and educated the same as a large horse, they have lovely temperaments. The problem seems to be that because they are small and cute they are not taught how to behave, when they are naughty, as any young animal can be, people often find it funny. They would not let a large horse get away with it, so do not let your Shetland! Also titbits are a major contribution to bad temperaments. Shetlands are intelligent and learn very quickly, just one titbit and they are looking for another. My Shetlands will come over to me in the field to say hello and have a little scratch, not for titbits. Ponies that come over for titbits are often very demanding, do not see the person and just looks for food, leading to biting and arguing amongst themselves which people can get caught in. Do not teach them tricks that could prove dangerous when they are older, especially if they are to be children's ponies. Someone had taught a foal to jump up and put it's forelegs on their shoulders! I'll leave it to your imagination, what this led to when the Shetland was older. Please educate properly, it is very simple things, like not letting them push or pull you around and no titbits.

Q. My Shetland pony keeps escaping from his field, what can I do?

A. Shetland ponies are small, and unfortunately as with most things in the horse world, things seem to be designed for the larger equine. Post and rail is good if the bottom rail is low enough and the lowest and second rail does not have too large a gap. It is a safe fencing, and unlike wire it does not move under pressure so they are unable to push their way through. However not good if you breed, as foals can lie down close to the fence and can frequently get up and find themselves the wrong side, this can be fatal in young foals. Plain wire does not work well unless you have many strands and good strainers, it is often used on the Shetland Islands, but down south, this type of fence is not built properly. Barbed wire is not good. There is the danger aspect with barbed wire, although thankfully Shetlands do often seem immune to the danger with their thicker coats and skin. For this reason though they do not respect the fence, and I have seen a Shetland neatly and easily step through the fence to the other side, a gap that I felt no way could a pony fit through. Stock fencing seems to be the best, they cannot get through, only a very few inches of the ground so a foal cannot roll underneath. A strand of electric fencing about bottom height, will stop the ponies scratching their bottoms and ruining your lovely tight, smart fence. The electric also keeps them off the fence, preventing any risk of getting a foot through. I have found if they do get a foot in the stock fencing, the wire can slide making the squares larger, allowing the Shetland to free itself. The electric fencing also prevents the ponies leaning on it to reach the grass the other side, I actually had a Shetland stallion who used the fence as a ladder, carefully balancing his feet on the squares and using his weight to lower the fence, therefore reaching more grass the other side. I use stock fencing for external use of the field and any permanent fencing internally, especially for stallions and young foals. For temporary fencing or fencing that may be moved at a later date, I use electric fencing. It seems to be electric fencing that most people have problems with. You can never be sure your electric fence will keep you pony in, hence advising the stock fencing, but I have had a high degree of success, after having high degrees of failure over the years and learning what seems to work the best. I know exactly how it feels to stand in the middle of a field with a handful of muddy electric fencing, it is late, wet and dark and you wonder why you ever got into keeping ponies! I use the turbo polywire, this tends to go further into the coat than the tape which can just lay on top. The Shetland has such a thick coat that the electric is just not felt. Polywire also can break under pressure hopefully avoiding serious injury, because inevitably there are occasions they crash straight through it. I use three strands, the secret is to have the lowest strand low enough for the Shetland to touch with their nose, where their coat is the thinnest, if they first touch the fence with their forelock they will not feel a thing and they will go straight under. I recommend using a car battery or the mains if possible to get a strong enough shock.

It is far easier to get the fencing correct in the first place so that the pony never knows he/she can get to the other side of the fence. It is something they learn and when they have learnt it, and they know it is possible, they will seek any opportunity to get the other side.