starting a shetland ???

Personally speaking I'd rather my daughter ride something bigger with more experieince although smaller with more experieince would be ideal.

No way on earth I'd buy something to produce for her to ride.

There's no saying that their interest will hold to make it worth the while. Also I don't believe in putting an inexperienced child on an inexperienced pony.

If it were a choice between a young pony and a relatively calm older horse then I'd choose the horse :o
 
This is how we do it, Finlay is 41 inches or thereabout,

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Lightweight teenagers are worth their weight.

2 and a half is way to early to have been sat on, we start them at 3 and a half, turn them away and start again at 4.

It all depends on the disposition, Finlay is a great big puppy, nothing phases him, he is a genuine kid's pony, born to it.
However, Charlie who is 8,or is it 9, this year is a pocket rocket and is no way a kid's pony, in any way, shape or form.

I would very happily put the tiniest tot on Finlay at 4 and he'd potter along and look after his rider. Charlie at 9 is not suitable at all for a novice or tot, and would dance along on the leadrein, kite flying, he needs a fearless little jockey who can ride well.

This is why Shetlands can get a bad name, not all of them want to be kids ponies, however they are often forced into the situation and then get a bad name.
 
Theres a lady on the native pony forum that has a few shetties, one is young although i would say they weren't broken until they were well over 3. They do everything together now, pony club, long hacks, showing, side saddle. The daughter is quite young & the pony is 4 i think? Always get the most fantastic show stories from them!

Fair few adults ride shetties too!!

Oh & there was sheland at Olympia in december that was better schooled and ridden by a young girl. Would have put many adult/horse combos to shame! Marvelous little thing!
 
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I think ToG is referring to me :)

Hi everyone - this is my first ever post on here!

I am lucky enough to have in my family the best Shetland ponies in the world ever!!! (OK, so I'm a bit biased - but not much lol!)

Bridget and Megan are mother and daughter. Bridget is now 9 years old, Meggie is 5. They have been in our family for more than 4 years now, since my daughter was 13 months old. We also own Daisy, sister to Megan, 4 years old now. She's out on loan.

I had planned to buy a pony for my daughter when she reached 2 years old, and without thinking it through too much had expected to get a Welsh section A, full up if possible so she wouldn't grow out of it for ages. But one day I was in Robinsons looking at the noticeboard and saw an ad for the cutest little ponies ever, mare & foal, 34" high... Needless to say I was smitten, and OH, daughter and I went off to see them. The mare had been lightly backed but was only a 4yo herself, so hadn't done much. Foal had been weaned and separated from mum for a few weeks.

We bought them both. Best £500 I ever spent in my life.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/BridgetMeg-1.jpg

As I say, my daughter was only 13 months at the time, but loved "riding" her little pony, and Bridget seemed perfectly happy to potter around with Cerys on her back (one person leading, another holding Cerys on!) The following summer we showed both ponies inhand, and had loads of fun playing with them.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/DSCF0360.jpg

One day Bridget rather surprised us all :rolleyes: by producing Megan's baby sister (I'd suspected she was in foal from the Alien-like movements in her belly :p so had given her time off from being a ridden pony.)

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/BabyDaisy1.jpg

The following summer, Cerys and Bridget started their ridden showing career, Cerys was just 2 years old, and became the season's points winner with Bridget in the Bonny Pony class :D

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/CerysRidingBridgetJuly06.jpg

We weren't ready for anything more serious at the start of the season, but by the end Cerys was having a go at Handy Pony too (seen here having a practice session at a friend's yard).

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/DSCF1177.jpg

So what of the two babies? Well Meg was backed at 3 (by plonking Cerys on board with someone ready to grab her, but Meg just got on with it) and is every bit as good a child's pony as Bridget.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/Photo-0062.jpg

The two are now interchangeable - sometimes Cerys wants to take Bridget out, other times she chooses Megan.

Cerys has had a fantastic couple of years with the ponies. We only do local showing as the ponies are not registered Shetlands (Bridget is actually a registered British Spotted Pony - just lacking the spots!) We've done novelty classes, LR showing, LR equitation, side saddle, Concours d'Elegance, LR handy pony, LR gymkhanas, LR jumping, LR dressage... Cerys is an active member of our local PC branch, regularly takes part in rallies and even went to mini-camp last summer. We hack out, take trips to Delamere Forest and Ainsdale beach, ride in the fields and school in the sand paddock - and generally have loads and loads of fun :)

First ever show - Cerys aged 2yrs 2 months!

BoldXmasShow2005.jpg


Dressage with Bridget 2006

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/MDIRFDressage2.jpg

Dressage with Meg 2008

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/ST Dressage 08-03-08/IMG_7352.jpg

Side Saddle (Megan's second outing under saddle, and first side saddle)

IMG_7991.jpg


Inhand with Megan

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Fun with the big kids on the beach

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/Beach 14-10-07/IMG_4284.jpg

And hacking around Delamere Forest

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/Delamere 08-06-08/IMG_2702.jpg

Cerys did her first off-lead classes on Bridget last September, 6 weeks short of Cerys's 5th birthday. She's not ready for FR or even FYFR classes, as she's only just learning to canter, so is just doing novelty classes off-lead this year.

6e7b4048.jpg


Daisy is out on loan because she enjoys getting lots of attention, and I thought she'd be best with a one-to-one partnership with a small child. We lightly backed her (plonked Cerys on and walked her around on LR) before sending her to a new home with experienced parents and a small novice child. She has proved herself to be another fabulous kid's pony, and regularly goes out on hacks and beach rides. Her little loaner rides off-LR at the farm but mum does ride & lead off her pony when they go out to play.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/c969f68e.jpg

I am so glad I found my little ponies. Not only are they totally adorable and cute :) but they are Cerys-sized. She can do everything with them - lead them, groom them, bath them, load them, help tack them up. She's started showing them inhand, and can mount them from the ground with no help. Having a pony is so much more than just riding, and with them being so little, she gets to experience it all directly.

Bath time!

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/Field 06-07-08/IMG_3378.jpg

And cuddles

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Shetties/Field 06-07-08/IMG_3379.jpg

The ponies are now ridden quite regularly by older jockeys, including one coming up to her 12th birthday! She's too tall for the picture to look right, but adores riding Bridget especially, and is very slim so well within Bridget's limit. The ponies know who's riding them, and behave accordingly.

They're good as gold for Cerys but can be a bit cheeky with the older ones, who ask more of them. They're steady as a rock with a tot on board, but happy to gallop along the beach and through the sea with a capable jockey.

I wouldn't have any qualms about buying another young Shettie and starting all over again - in fact my next plan is to get a young (yearling or 2 year old) standard Shetland, to make 40"+ and back him/her when old enough as Cerys's next pony... I love having them as babies, and knowing that by the time we come to back them, they've been fully acclimatised to life with small children! Nothing fazes my little ponies, they accept whatever life throws their way!
 
1. Two and a half years is too young to start if you take the horses physical development into consideration (knees only close over at 4, back vertabrae at 5.5 years min)

2. If you've never started a horse yourself, I definitely would not start with a green pony for a young rider, as particularly in this case you need a BOMBPROOF horse and to get that you need to be a good/experienced horse trainer & rider who can deal with training issues that will come up.

3. Find something cute, old, furry, gentle & ploddy. Safety for your daughter would be my driving concern.
 
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Oh why don't you hold onto your roan pony? He looks lovely, I know she must look teeny on him she'll grow! Children grow like weeds. My YO's granddaughter has been riding a 13h pony since she was 5, she's 6 now and even takes it hunting.
 
Up the Shetties! Our little chap is rising 4 and has been sucessful showing in hand - we are breaking him this summer for the Grandchildren, our 2yr old grandaughter has been sitting on him for a year now and he is quite accepting, he has had bridle and tack but no real weight on yet, my daughter is breaking him and we are looking to LR with him next year if he is ready, cannot see any reason why he shouldn't, he is brilliant with Children, I for one get a little fed up of the bad press that Shetlands get..... We all have so much Fun with him, hes full of Character , never boring and takes everything in his stride , I bought him as a yearling and it was the best thing I have ever done.

I do disagree with breaking/riding too early, we had thought ours would be ready to back over winter but have held off as he is a little croup high so have decided to wait until summer now at the earliest for him to level out again.

We also have a Welsh Sec A Gelding rising 2 who we will eventually produce for a FR, but again will not even think of doing anything other than in hand with him until he is 4/5 at the earliest.
 
If you get the right 3-4 year old Shetland, and there are more out there than you'd think, they are find on the leadrein.

I have a 2 year old who is like a little old man about the place, a bomb could go off and he might blink. He will make a super kiddies pony, even at 2 you could give him to a toddler to lead about and he wouldn't take the pee.

I have other 2 year olds that will never be, never want to be a kid's pony. Just becaasue they are small does not automatically make them perfect for kids, but get the right little chap and they are the best thing a child could have to learn with.

This is why Shetlands get bad press, everyone assumes they all want to be kids ponies. Not all are.
 
I think that applies to any breed of pony, you get some that are a real handful, spirited as they say, wouldn't dream of FR with them, but some do persist and then wonder why its gone wrong!
Our 13-3 veteran cob is wonderful with small children riding on LR, but would never dream of every suggesting she is a novice ride.......
 
I adore shetties. So clever and chock full of character. I have an 8 month old and a 20 month old. My 4 year old daughters can do everything with them and love grooming, playing, cuddling etc. I think shetties get an undeserved bad press because they are often not properly trained in-hand as youngsters. Bigger horses have to learn manners because the dangers of a horse that tramples you, barges, drags you all over the place etc is obvious. The dangers are far, far less with shetties so this aspect can be neglected.
If you treat them like any other horse and do the groundwork they are no more likely to be strong and disrespectful than any other horse imo. Mine are properly halter trained and my kids have no problem leading them around, trotting them in hand up the lane etc.
 
Id say buy an old pony thats been there and done it! A friend of mine did exactly what youre thinking of. The pony was very difficult to train - shetlands are not the best behaved! and was far to small for any adults to get on to sort him out. In the end the little girl lost interest in him as she didnt have fun with him being naughty all the time and he got sold (possibly as a lawn mower!)

Unless of course you know an experienced horse riding midget who can break it for you!!
 
Krissie I said:
I adore shetties. So clever and chock full of character. I have an 8 month old and a 20 month old. My 4 year old daughters can do everything with them and love grooming, playing, cuddling etc. I think shetties get an undeserved bad press because they are often not properly trained in-hand as youngsters. Bigger horses have to learn manners because the dangers of a horse that tramples you, barges, drags you all over the place etc is obvious. The dangers are far, far less with shetties so this aspect can be neglected.
If you treat them like any other horse and do the groundwork they are no more likely to be strong and disrespectful than any other horse imo. Mine are properly halter trained and my kids have no problem leading them around, trotting them in hand up the lane etc.
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I agree with you 100% there Krissie! Lots of people have commented on how good my little ponies are, but that's because I've insisted on it. A vet recently commented to me that she's treated a lot of Shets recently and some of them have been really naughty, but they're so little the owner just laughs about it. Mine have always been handled by my small daughter, and we've done everything with the knowledge that they're kids ponies. They're tiny for me, but for Cerys to handle them is the equivalent to my handling a 15-16hh horse. So they've been halter trained from the start, taught to lead quietly at walk and trot, to stand when bring groomed etc.

Little Daisy was shows as a 2yo by an adult friend in a youngstock class and didn't put a hoof wrong once. The judge said she was too well behaved for a baby, and placed her bottom of the line, below ponies that had been rearing and bucking in their shows and in the line up. We were only there to give Daisy show experience, so it didn't bother me, but I thought it a sad reflection that manners didn't seem to count, even in a child's pony.

After that, I always let my friend's 6yo daughter show Daisy, so that it was obvious she was a child's pony. They did much better!!!

Get the right pony, and a Shetland can be perfect for the smallest child. And as I said earlier, the advantage is that the small child can do everything with them, as they're just the right height. But get a Shetland that's been allowed to get away with bad manners because it's small and cute, and it'll not be suitable for a child at all.

I do realise that temperament is only partly nuture, and partly nature, and there may be ponies out there that will never make good kids ponies by nature, no matter how much good handling they have. I guess I've been lucky that Bridget has such a wonderful temperament and has passed it down to both her daughters.
 
shetlands are not the best behaved!
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Depends upon who has trained them, it's like saying TBs are not the best behaved.

The pony was very difficult to train
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Some breeders do not handle their ponies from foals, they don;t seem to think that human contact is important, then when you try to get them to play ball at 3-4-5 years old they have their own ideas.

I agree if you get the wrong pony it will all go pear shaped, get the right one who is happy to play the kids pony they will be easy from 3 year olds. Get the wrong one and you are in for trouble.

For me, for my own personal horse Charlie is perfect, not the easiest to train, he is quick witted and very, very forward going, the best horse are not always the easiest to train, however I would NEVER sell him at 9-10 years old as a child's pony, not even a lead rein pony. He'd be okay with one of the fearless Grand national jockeys on his back.

The bay horse in the lead file is a stallion and a better kids pony could you wish to meet. I'd rather put a toddler on him at 4 as an entire than Charlie at 9 as a gelding. Frances will attest to this the last time we tried to use him as a lead rein pony! ;) ;)

IMG_2147.jpg
 
That's interesting wally! about a stallion making a good kids pony, a local lady had offered me an entire bay shetland but still was unbroken, about 3 years old but she said he was the nicest temprement shetland she had. I thought she was nuts if i'm honest as i never thought of putting my daughter on a stallion!!!!! until now:rolleyes:
 
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This is him in pairs, every inch a dear boy.

You cannot compete a stallion in lead rein classes, the youngest jockey has to be 12 and over.
 
think i would have to have him gelded to be on our yard, the woman said only one tesical has dropped, does that mean the castration would be more er `intrusive' and is it necessary for health reasons? might give my vet a ring to check:confused:
 
We had a colt at 3 only had one testicle. This made normal castration impossible, we asked the vet if he'd ever done an internal to look for the lost family jewel, he hadn't.

Anyway we made arrangements to have him operated on, we have no posh Horspital here, so we made one in the horse shed. Propped him up with two big bales and one vet kept him topped up in the vein with anaesthetic and the other two, (who also had not done the op., so wanted the experience) had a good grope in his innards. After about 30 mins we found a very deformed and nasty testicle in the dpeths of his guts and it was removed along with the other one. Had the internal one been left there was a big chance of it becoming cancerous. It was not a healthy looking thing anyway.

The wound left was maybe 4 inches long, if not smaller, he recovered very quickly and went on to make a smashing driving pony. As a rig he was a gobby little so and so.
 
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