The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Horses, ponies, donkeys & mules => Topic started by: Sylvia on May 18, 2012, 07:46:02 pm
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Does anyone keep them? Are they easyish to keep? Pros and cons, please. I haven't kept horses for years and am more used to thoroughbreds and hunters :)
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Hi Sylvia
I have a mini and a cross and I LOVE them. If you are used to keeping thoroughbreds then your main challenge will be keeping weight off them - they look at grass and get fat lol. so rough grazing is best or restricted (you will need robust electric fencing, if anything like mine!) They can get a bad reputation for being bolshy and nippy, but treat them like mini horses, and not dogs! don't hand feed and get a good one from the start and I defy anyone not to fall in love with the breed! Good luck!
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Hi, we have 2 and adore them. :thumbsup:
As ppd says be sure to treat them like horses, expect and insist on manners and that they do what you ask when you ask and ours are not bolshy or nibbly at all. I trust them round anyone especially children, we drive ours as a pair and they love working and have amazing stamina. You will need good fencing as they like to have a good run around but because they always seem to be on starvation rations they will push they're luck with any fencing. They are a little addictive though one will lead to another etc. They are easy to keep and hardy, ours are stabled at night (it limits their eating for 12 hours) as laminitus is your biggest battle. Finding tack and rugs to fit is tricky but they are definately worth every minute/penny.
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Louise - I love the pics and gorgeous ponies!
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I have just agreed to take two on for someone who cannot keep them. I used to drive a miniature shetland and loved him, and thats what I intend to do with these two. Both are stallions at the moment.
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Thank you, I think I have agreed to take two colts rather than see them fed to the lions at the zoo. I wish I could padlock my gob sometimes ;D
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Yes, I am the same where animals are concerned. The owner was desperate as these poor ponies have been passed from field to field. They are in my neighbours 7 acre field at the moment, but penned in a tiny section near the wall - the owner had them loose on the whole field until I told her to get a temp fence.
Same old story, her daughter now a teenager, lost interest in the poor little ponies.
I am looking forward to getting the two boys in harness.
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Just remember no mater how small a Shetland is, in their little brain they are as big as any horse, brave, willing and a joy to own. ;D
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Well done Roxy and Sylvia for both agreeing to rescue some mini's. Lots of people think that size and amount of looking after are related :-\ but as we all know they take just as much attention and time as anything 16hh.
Good luck with breaking them to drive, it's addictive. but the downside is every drive we go on in our village takes twice as long because sooo many people leap out of cars to talk to us and take photo's that we spend ages chatting :)
Enjoy them and post some pictures when you get them. :horse:
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I have been doing some serious thinking about this and realised that these little things may well outlive me :o :o I think I will break them to harness and maybe find a good home for them when they are going well.
A few years off yet though, they're not weaned yet :)
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Love minis! Used to work with a small herd at Farway Country Side Park. Halter broke and walked them out. They were lovely! Would love some again! X
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Our first Shetland that I bought when my son was 5 lived until the age of 30 years. he died of heart failure 3 weeks after his best friend Teejay my ex racehorse passed away. May seem daft, it was almost like he was broken hearted.
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I seem to be posting doom and gloom posts this evening, but here goes anyway.
I think you can get colts of pretty much any native breed for free at the moment - but of course they ain't free, it'll be what? £150-ish? each to castrate them.
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I thought about the costs too, Sally. Gelding, feed, shoeing, harness, exercise cart, and wondered if I could, then " heard" my late mother whisper at my shoulder "Do the work that's nearest, the Lord will provide" :) :horse:
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we have one, called Cadlan Valley Rosetta, she runs with the big herd and is a little diamond, i used to get worried about her getting run over, but i need not worry as the big cobs are very good with her and pretty protective :)
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I was £400 to geld 2 Shetlands, 1 yearling ,the other 2 year old. but if you look at how much it cost to get a bitch or cat spayed its not that more. My 2 Shepherds were over £300 for both. My first Shetland was 36 ins and he used to boss my riding horse. ;D
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Hellybe...your post reminds me of a relation of ours in NZ who bred throughbred's...He kept a shetland stalion in with his brood mares He said it was the best way of telling when the girls were ready to go to the big stalion (poor little chap) He was the boss of the field though!
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hehe, well the funniest thing ever is watching a 15.1 welsh cob scratching the shetties bum and the shettie grooming the cobs forearm...bless :)