What is the smallest size pony you can drive?

H

heidiho

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Jul 30, 2010
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My friend has a miniture shetland 27'' I think he measures. She has asked me for advise about driving. Is this little guy too small to drive? If he isn't what harness and vehicle would you recommend?

I broke my own 12.2 pony to drive, I am presuming this would be the same process for a mini if he is not too small.

Looking to reading and hearing some advice from anyone.

Thanks Heidi
 
I don't think at that size it will be a mini shetland?

And it's not so much about height, but build and conformation.

A friend drives her mini (32") in a four wheel cart with about 16st of people in Cart without any problems.

I wouldn't be happy with that for my mini though as he has rubbish wonky legs!

Process for breaking is the same
 
27 inches is a perfectly ordinary size for a mini Shetland, though I don't see the point in the Minis.
You could drive him, but you are going to have bother finding a small enough cart and harness.

Don't know about the Robinsons ones, I think Hartland did a cart for Minis. But 27 inches if pushing the boundaries.
 
This is our smallest driving pony, she's 36 inches, so a lot bigger than 27inches.
178-7826_IMG.jpg
 
Wally said:
27 inches is a perfectly ordinary size for a mini Shetland, though I don't see the point in the Minis.
You could drive him, but you are going to have bother finding a small enough cart and harness.

Don't know about the Robinsons ones, I think Hartland did a cart for Minis. But 27 inches if pushing the boundaries.
Click to expand...

My mistake thought they were 28-32" for minis for some reason - though did say I thought lol.

I too don't understand the purpose of minis or why they are bred - a standard is much more practical. Obviously I love my little man just don't understand breeding them
 
Reading through the history books it seems that occasionally a crofter's mare would throw a teeny tiny one that never grew big enough to work on the croft. However the horse dealers were keen to buy them as curios and sell them to rich folk down south in big country houses as "collector's items"
Because Lord and Lady Snot did not need these ponies to earn their keep they bred them and had little shows amoung themselves, which grew in popularity. The work pony is a big, poweful strong chap, the mini is just a pet really. Though they often have a lot of brain that need occupying, so a cart seems the ovious compromise. There is no lower limit SADLY for mini Shetlands, which has encouraged folk to take things to the extreme often breeding from ponies with the dwarf gene that causes all manner of congenital deformities.

All the responsible breeders in the Isles will put dwarf foals down once weaned.
 
Wally said:
Reading through the history books it seems that occasionally a crofter's mare would throw a teeny tiny one that never grew big enough to work on the croft. However the horse dealers were keen to buy them as curios and sell them to rich folk down south in big country houses as "collector's items"
Because Lord and Lady Snot did not need these ponies to earn their keep they bred them and had little shows amoung themselves, which grew in popularity. The work pony is a big, poweful strong chap, the mini is just a pet really. Though they often have a lot of brain that need occupying, so a cart seems the ovious compromise. There is no lower limit SADLY for mini Shetlands, which has encouraged folk to take things to the extreme often breeding from ponies with the dwarf gene that causes all manner of congenital deformities.

All the responsible breeders in the Isles will put dwarf foals down once weaned.
Click to expand...

intresting story!
 
Wally said:
Reading through the history books it seems that occasionally a crofter's mare would throw a teeny tiny one that never grew big enough to work on the croft. However the horse dealers were keen to buy them as curios and sell them to rich folk down south in big country houses as "collector's items"
Because Lord and Lady Snot did not need these ponies to earn their keep they bred them and had little shows amoung themselves, which grew in popularity. The work pony is a big, poweful strong chap, the mini is just a pet really. Though they often have a lot of brain that need occupying, so a cart seems the ovious compromise. There is no lower limit SADLY for mini Shetlands, which has encouraged folk to take things to the extreme often breeding from ponies with the dwarf gene that causes all manner of congenital deformities.

All the responsible breeders in the Isles will put dwarf foals down once weaned.
Click to expand...

Really enjoyed this very interesting piece of history,thank you for sharing.
 
Thanks for that wally - interesting and utterly believable too.

I am fortunate that I can have "a pet" and that as he is growing up, he is needing less "brain work" to keep him out of trouble - but at 8yrs old, he certainly is taking his time to mature. And by keeping him out of trouble, I would not say he is trouble free... Characterful shall we say - he escapes him stable 4-5 times a week, refused to come in tonight... Breaks things, throws things.... Everything is now "rascal proof" :D

Hideous there isn't a minimum height... Rascals conformation is rubbish in his legs, thankfully he has reasonable teeth - but they are prone to teeth issues and I imagine that is compounded the smaller they are?
 
Yeah I think the teeth just haven't caught up with the body - they have bigger teeth (or rather normal teeth) but a smaller mouth leading to overcrowding and parrot mouth is common
 
Yes, Shetland teeth are a problem. To get a stallion through his vetting his teeth have to be 100% perfect.....well the Island vets insist on this as they know the issues. Maybe vets down south are not so clued up as to the issues.

Stifles are another HUGE problem. Our vets spend a lot of time manipulating the stifle joint, the SLIGHTEST hint of a stifle problem they will fail them. They might go on to be a perfectly happy, active gelding, but not worth the risk of passing it down the line.
 
Yeah rascal has stifle issues - the back legs are just too straight to keep it in place.

He is perfectly happy, but he shouldn't be bred from (and can't be!)
 
Lots ado ahve very back leg conformation, but they cna kead useful lives, Working them actually helps stabilise the joints.

Friend had a little chap who was plagued with stifle bother, He was too mjuch for the kids to ride so she gave him to me to put some miles and muscle and manners on him in harness. The gentle work helped stabilise his hind legs, the work sorted his head and the manners we knocked into him made him into a much nicer riding pony for the kids.
 
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