tell me all about your Shetlands/youngsters

[PatchyPony]

Having very recently had Roxy the Shetland bought for me I would love to hear all about everyone elses Shetalands - and how everyone keeps theirs/what you do with them etc etc. Also, Roxy is just rising 2 so Id love to hear from those of you who have started/backed youngsters and what sort of timescale you did things.Roxy should make 42 inches, both parents are solid!!!!!!!

Roxy lives out with my Irish cob mare. She isnt rugged - is quite podgy:D.. and gets a carrot sliced into a bucket with a teensy amount of chaff and water to eek out the amount of time she takes over it (about a desert spoon full), while Tally gets her feed. My plan is that if the weather gets really really bad she can come in with Tally- into a teporary pen next to Tally's stable.

She has been really well handled and has been shown. She lifts all her feet, you can handle her anywhere with no fuss, she leads nicely and is all round a darling! so far im just bringing her in to groom and play with a bit. Then I planned on leading her in the school practising stands and walk/trot inhand. Maybe go out for some walkies too:D

[eventerbabe]

At rising 2, if she handles well, will be polite when having feet messed with and leads well i'd really leave it at that. Give her time to be a baby then maybe start walking out when she's a little older. You don't want to do too much with them. They do need chill out time and lots of it to digest even the smallest lesson they've learned.

I fed mine limestone flour when he was that age just to aid bone development. A good broad spectrum vitamin supplement is always a good idea too. When i got my cob as a 3 year old he'd developed a disgusting habit of poo eating because his diet before he came to me was lacking.

[PatchyPony]

cheers EB:)

[Wally]

Our babies get a small amount of limestone flour too and a multi vit lick in the field.

Apart from that they only get their feet done and minimal handling lesson wise. As long as they lead and are olite about hiving their feet done that's all we do.

We go and sit with them and chill out with them,but that's it really.

[PatchyPony]

Our babies get a small amount of limestone flour too and a multi vit lick in the field.

Apart from that they only get their feet done and minimal handling lesson wise. As long as they lead and are olite about hiving their feet done that's all we do.

We go and sit with them and chill out with them,but that's it really.

thanks:) so when do you start doing more with them? .... and I just wonderd what type of vit lick to you use? Ive been looking at a few in the the shops, and wondering which would be best. The lickit one seems to have a lot of sugar in it.:confused:

[Wally]

We get one made up by our local feed merchant, cheap and cheerful.

we start them seriously when they are 3 rising 4.

[jenmac_85]

Hamish is only 1 at the moment and we are working on the front feet at the moment. The back legs are a big no no to pick up as you end up with a swft kick, but you can stroke them to a certain point.

Just building up trust at the moment, ensuring he will let us take the headcollar off and put it back on, walk on when we ask him to without pulling on the leadrope etc. He is doing so well. Progressing really far.

He comes galloping up the hill for higs when we go to see him lol.

Jenny and Tyler
x

[Palomino Mare]

sorry, cant help but, swiftly:eek: you chnaged your name?!! i like it though!!

[Wally]

Now, when I have a young one who does that I persevere and make sure that every day I get that foot up , held on to and picked out.

yes, you might get a little kick occasionally, but I can guarantee within the week the picking out of the back feet issues will be cured.

Certain little people thought emulating a mule might be a good idea! This from one who you could handle all 4 feet while he was with his mum. It only lasted one or two days because we just insisted quietly that we WERE going to have his tootsies and pick them out and he wasn't going to die in the process.