So hard to find full up island type ridden Shetlands these days!

Metallicblue

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May 16, 2017
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Is it me or is it just impossible to come across full up, proper old fashioned island type ridden Shetlands these days? I fear that the new regulations prohibiting certain sized riders from ponies is just going to have a knock on effect which makes it harder and harder to find these sorts. While you are going to always coming across the "that's ridiculous, why would an adult wish to ride a small pony" brigade, people who do own these sorts of Shetlands know quite what tremendous weight carriers they are, and what smashing fun they are to ride! In Australia it seems the norm to see adult and larger riders on Shetlands at high level. They have some lovely larger ponies albeit sometimes a little light on the bone. Here in the UK, 42" old fashioned types broken to ride are like hens teeth to find! Any leads to find Shetlands of this type would be much appreciated! I simply can't find one.
 
you are right, they aren’t easy to find as riddens.. i had one for sale. A big chunky island bred mare, 41” that I backed and I seriously was inundated with messages but I decided to keep her and breed her for now. Up to height, old fashioned ponies are exactly the stamp I am trying to breed.Try some of the breeders in the islands (PM me if you wish), you’ll get an unbroken pony for sure but already being ridden away.. more tricky.

this is the mare i had for sale and an example of another of my mares

JJridden_zpsnhfwc78y.jpg


elsajane_zpsd2nrgss1.jpg


elsafrost_zps286vseoi.jpg
 
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Sadly it seems the fashion to breed so many of our natives lighter and lighter, I worry that the true types will be lost forever. Welsh sec As used to be substantial, like a mini D, but now I see ones that look more like small Bs and the faces are overdished to a caricature of what was once a beautiful practical pony that was small enough for a child yet had enough bone that an adult could ride it too. There are New Forests out there that would collapse if ridden by a man, yet they used to be the rides of the foresters. Welsh Cs and Ds that are top heavy so they look like weight carriers but aren't (my D is lovely but definitely light of bone in my eyes - kept slim he's more than once been mistaken for a partbred Arab). And although not a native pony the ID has been bred lighter until now there are purebreds that are similar in build to the IDxTBs that I knew as a child.

Where will it end? I fear that in a lot of cases we'll lose the good foundation stock and have nothing to go back to, maybe then we'll realise what we've lost.
 
i really agree carthorse! i recently read a write up in native pony from a well respected judge who said of mini shetlands - what purpose do they serve other than pets - they are too small and light for anything else. Well our 34” mini who is an old fashioned deep, substantial type would disagree, My 5 year old son still has years on him going by his leg length!! Id love him to move onto a Sec A when he is ready but I too would be looking for something about 11.2hh that is an old fashioned, chunky type and I rarely see any! I see plenty of A’s who are more up to height but have no bone and as you say, such fine faces.
 
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My welsh B I had as a child was by solway master bronze and was chunkier than the Welsh bs you see now! I rode him from been 2 on lead and at 14 I still could potter about on him. Our Welsh A we bought as my younger daughters first pony of her own she is very dainty and nothing like the Welsh As you used to see. x
 
Breeding for "type" i.e. looks not function has a lot to answer for. The lovely driving teacher who took me out with a Comtois was bemoaning the lack of substance and body in Shires and Clydies these days - "being bred to look like TB crosses" he said. And apparently the Suffolks and Comtois were being bred for height to the extent that they started to lose the bone and breadth that had made them great workhorses for centuries.

I'm very sorry @carthorse to hear about the change in the ID, the (old fashioned) horse of my dreams. I want one not much more than 15hh high with 10" of bone!
 
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Well I guess it's not just me then. It's a huge shame when you start to see native breeds of a higher standard overseas than here at home. Australia has some lovely up to height Shetlands. They seem to really have the height and quality over there, as well as great action, though they are sometimes a tad lacking in the bone department I have noticed.

Here is a fellow many would poke fun at but they went on to win the Queensland dilute state championships under saddle!:
http://gallery.horsedeals.com.au/photos/thumbs/46663.jpg

Another fun pic!:
https://wuxiexpatdom.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/shetland-ponies-the-latest-wuxi-expat-status-symbol/

Seems the Europeans have the right idea too!:
http://www.tierfotoagentur.de/pferdebilder_3/pinto_fotos_957/SS-22398

Nice to see the odd one being put through it's paces in the UK still too!
http://mikehodgsoncarriagedriver.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/blackie-dressage.jpg
http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/prophetsstar/media/toby and star july 11/P1110665.jpg.html
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...-your-non-dressage-types-doing-dressage/page3

It seems that here in the UK minis are plentiful (a popular breed for those who may not be physically able to ride or handle a larger animal) but the full up old fashioned type are basically becoming the thing of myth and legend. I think the general consensus of Shetlands (and other small natives) being too small to be ridden by adults in this country is going to be the end of them at this rate. I have trawled endlessly through Facebook Shetland sales posts but all you see are rug and head collars, the odd poor pony who should never have been bred and a plethora of minis. People are losing the notion of them having any use other than that of an ornament and are utterly naive when it comes to their extraordinary weight carrying abilities. Its a shame that balanced small adults riding them is being deemed a welfare issue when its all good and well to put toddlers on them to jab them in the mouth, wack them, bounce around like peas on drums and then add insult to injury by stick their fingers in their ears on the ground and what not! (Oh yes, I have seen this!) My cynical side thinks a great deal of the displeasure (and the subsequent emergence of rulings to prevent adults on small m&ms at shows) does boil down to the fact that people don't like their tiny tots to lose rosettes to tidy adult riders!

I am an adult of 8 stone and 5ft 4' and have ridden small ponies all my life. It has actually come to the point that I feel utterly over horsed now if I hop on a 14hh! My biggest dream? Starting up an adults only Shetland racing club! :p Anybody in?! haha!

If anyone knows of any good ridden old fashioned shetlands for sale, or who's owners may be tempted to sell, please do let me know!
 
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Is it me or is it just impossible to come across full up, proper old fashioned island type ridden Shetlands these days? I fear that the new regulations prohibiting certain sized riders from ponies is just going to have a knock on effect which makes it harder and harder to find these sorts. While you are going to always coming across the "that's ridiculous, why would an adult wish to ride a small pony" brigade, people who do own these sorts of Shetlands know quite what tremendous weight carriers they are, and what smashing fun they are to ride! In Australia it seems the norm to see adult and larger riders on Shetlands at high level. They have some lovely larger ponies albeit sometimes a little light on the bone. Here in the UK, 42" old fashioned types broken to ride are like hens teeth to find! Any leads to find Shetlands of this type would be much appreciated! I simply can't find one.

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/s...link=/search?keyword=Standard+Shetland&page=2

Something like this?
 
You can say that again, re the Australian ponies lacking in bone, they lack mane and tail too and are adorned with wigs sometimes to make up the deficit,
 
There was an old guy here, in his 90s 20 years ago who said a good Shetland ought to plough all morning then drive you to the next village in the afternoon,


This was our little stallion, rider is 5 foot 4 maybe 5 foot 5 and 60 kgs. I think he was 40 inches,


And Andrew and Charles, 41 and 3/4 and maybe 39 inches.....I never really measured them
 
Beautiful Wally!

The hand coming out of his bum?! Please explain, I'm intrigued! :p
:D :D :D, it was in a box of stuff a friend asked us to take to the charity shop, It was one of those arms you shut in the boot of your car to make it look like a body was in the back......anyway we shoved it under his tail and originally the caption was something along the lines of "did the vet find the thermometer? Never mind the thermometer, where's the vet?"..the lass riding him is a vet

He was a very, very sweet natured stallion, so kind, so laid back, you could put tiny tots on his back for pony rides.

I just missed this photo of a friends 5 year old, She had been cuddling him with his whole head in her arms at a show where he'd just got the Best Black Stallion trophy...he was almost asleep, such a sweet , sweet boy.
 
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Love it! hahaha! He was a lovely sort and sounds a gem. I don't subscribe to the whole "Shetlands are demons" ethos. Treat them like any other horse and they'll follow suit. My standard mare is the kindest little thing, certainly not a kid's pony under saddle but such a sweet, utterly compliant soul. I feel a lot of Shetlands get the short end of the stick and a bad reputation due to being handled like toys. A real shame!
 
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