Can I train my Shetland to ride?

[chubbypony]

I thought last February that I was buying a weanling mini as a companion for my old Arab. But, she's grown a lot and looks more like a classic shetland. She is now about 39 inch at that shoulder and around 350 lb. with good bone and a medium build. When she's grown I think she would make a great kid's pony, but I would like to train her well first. Do you think that I would be to big to train her myself? I am 5.5 and around 109 lb. Any help would be appreciated!

[Esther.D]

I broke all mine to ride myself but I did wait until they were at least 4 before putting my weight on and then for short times. At the time I was 5ft tall (well I still am) and about 8 stone (I don't know that in pounds). Now I am heavier I only lean over my youngsters rather than getting on as shetlands are late developers and I am concerned about my weight when they are young. However I would still happily ride the adults and used to ride them a lot when they were a bit younger (the two I used to ride are 23 and 17 now so I have stopped). My ponies are about the same size as yours.

Have fun. I would think you can do it providing you are cautious and don't stay on her back for more than a very short time until she is fully mature. The other option is enlisting a light teenager to help, they would have no bother riding for longer periods. I tend to lean over etc myself then do all the schooking from the ground - on long reins etc - then if I wanted them as riding ponies I would enlist a lighter person (I am about 9.5 stone) to do ridden schooling with them. However I drive mine rather than ride so I just lean over them, teach them to accept saddle etc and then concentrate on their driving as they are unlikely ever to be ridden (if I ever had to part with them it would be to driving homes).

[Laura+Phantom]

"The other option is enlisting a light teenager to help"
Chubbypony's only 7.5 stone!

Anyway I agree with Esther.D, give her a while to mature before you put any weight on her. I broke my shetland mare in when she was 5, and I was 15 and quite light back then, and she was so good. I remember ending up underneath her once though because she was such a barrel her saddle would always slip. Hehe.
Anyway she's 11 now and never been ridden since, apart from the odd child sitting on her but I thought it would do her good to experience being ridden.
Have fun with your little pony!

[Esther.D]

"The other option is enlisting a light teenager to help"

Sorry I didn't manage to translate the weight from pounds to stone....too much maths for me :rolleyes: :D I didn't realise you were so light...sorry!

That is easily light enough then, go for it once she is a bit more mature. When I was that weight I was doing 7 mile rides on mine (fit, mature ponies) including galloping:D I used riding as an extra method to get them fit for competition driving.

[Wally]

A 39 inch Shetland would laugh in the face of that sort of weight! have no worries at all, you will be fine on her back so long as she is mature and no younger than 4 years old.

Train her to harness too, then the bigger adults can have fun with her, keeps her fit and free from laminitis.

If your standard Shetlands in the US are anything like the genuine Isles bred types you'll have to find her something to do to keep that little brain occupied....other wise she'll think up her own devilry!