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Author Topic: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.  (Read 47317 times)

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #45 on: July 05, 2011, 11:19:09 am »
And if you don't want the poo yourself, look out for someone with a really lovely garden, especially if it's got lots of roses, and / or veg, and offer it to them.  They'll probably be prepared to come along and pick it up off the ground for you, if you want!
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #46 on: July 05, 2011, 10:22:56 pm »
I was thinking about this pony (mab's) today, along with the Monty video.

Mab, if she will let you groom her and put your arms round her and is genuinely happy in her body language for you to do that, I think you need to get a headcollar on her asap. Without seeing her (caveat), it doesn't sound like she's afraid of you and the headcollar - she's just knocking a rise out of you. THis is why learning to read her body language is important - if she is genuinely afraid of the headcollar, the strategy is quite different to if she's got your measure and is working you ;D This isn't a criticism, by the way, so let me explain my thinking. Let me also explain that Smokey got my measure about 2 months after I got him - and he was well in control  :(

One of the things that Parelli tells you early doors is "that in horseland, whoever causes the other's feet to move is dominant". So one of the early lessons is that you don't move your feet - you cause your horse to move his. In the Monty video, he tells us that it's who CONTROLS the footfall that's important - so it's not important for you to stand still to move the horse but you have to be in control of your horse's feet. Now, some folk will be reading this and thinking "has she just got this?" and will see it as self-evident.

Your pony will allow you to groom her and pet her ON HER TERMS. When she gets fed up, she can walk away. You can walk after her but who's controlling whose footfall? She is controlling yours. That's why I think you need to get a headcollar on her so that YOU can control the footfall. I'd recommend a rope horseman's halter - don't buy a Parelli one, they are hugely expensive - you can get the same thing much cheaper, but do invest in a 12ft rope line. It's a wonderful tool.

Once you have her in the halter and line, you can start to move her around. I like to play  a game with Smokey and Bugsy called "I'll groom you without moving my feet" which is just what it says. I stand in one place and move them around to groom them, pick out their feet and so on. It give a purpose to the movement and the ponies understand purpose. We haven't quite sussed it all yet but it's fun working it out together - since you have to do the job, you might as well make it a constructive learning experience for both of you.


egglady

  • Joined Jun 2009
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #47 on: July 05, 2011, 10:27:51 pm »
aye, i agree with all of that Rosemary....and it most definately makes a difference to the 'who's in charge' game!

mab

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • carmarthenshire
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #48 on: July 06, 2011, 03:54:17 pm »
Rosemary, you may well be right; I'm not certain if she's afraid of the headcollar, or just giving me the runaround because she's learned that she can - I may have been too diffident in my handling of her.

I'm not so confident of my horse reading ability as I am with dogs; i.e. if I'm stood beside her shoulder and her ears go back, is that 'cos she's just listening to me of is she expressing doubt about what I'm doing?

I was experimenting with gently pushing against her whilst grooming to maker her move in an attempt to establish myself as the one who gives instructions. Also I have persuaded her to let me touch the headcollar to her nose without her turning away (though one or both ears go back in a 'doubtful' expression).

I was thinking about using some chopped carrots/apples for treats so I could reward her for cooperating, but am not certain how much she could have as treats without it becoming a health issue.

The headcollar I've got is a blue synthetic strapping type; I've see rope ones online but I wasn't sure what size to get (does 'pony' fit all ponies?).

Of course, in accordance with the laws of Sod whilst trying to find the time to work with her, I've had a customer run off to france owing me £600 (and other people a lot more), the dog's been ill and one of the ex-bats had to be PTS (tumor)  ::) why does it all happen at once.

Still I should count my blessings - the sheep have (so far) been fine  :)

mab

egglady

  • Joined Jun 2009
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #49 on: July 06, 2011, 04:02:14 pm »
mab, i wouldnt give a shetland treats as it can really encourage them to nip

shetlandpaul

  • Joined Oct 2008
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #50 on: July 07, 2011, 05:10:27 pm »
oh but the love there carrot. you will get the odd love bite anyway well the daughter does she must taste nicer than me. the wife got a real nice nip on her cheek (face) that will teach her to sit down amoungst a herd of shetland fillies.

faith0504

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Cairngorms
  • take it easy and chill
    • blaemuir cottage
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #51 on: July 07, 2011, 08:55:26 pm »
mine get the odd treat but it is put on there food bucket, its never given out of my hand, once they start nipping its a hard habit to break  :wave:

shetlandpaul

  • Joined Oct 2008
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #52 on: July 07, 2011, 10:24:40 pm »
true. but your pockets get a good snuffle and a very sad look if you have nowt.

Daisy

  • Joined Mar 2010
  • Near Earlston Scottish Borders
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #53 on: July 08, 2011, 08:48:56 am »
I got a rope halter from these people http://www.natural-knots.com/Rope_Halter/p214110_408472.aspx, it's very nice quality and they will custom make for you instructions for taking the measurments are further down that page.

They were very quick, I got an email within a couple of hours saying the clour I had chosen wasn't in stock and listing the ones that were, delivery was really quick

mab

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • carmarthenshire
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #54 on: July 09, 2011, 12:20:56 am »
Thanks for that link! though I'm not sure she'll let me measure her nose yet  ;D

Well I've got two books to read so-far, and if I don't make headway with them I was thinking of asking a local school/stable if they might give instruction in basic horse handling. Reading books is all well and good, but sometimes it helps to have someone watch and tell you if you're giving the signals you think you are.

cheers

mab

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #55 on: July 09, 2011, 08:55:00 am »
Well I've got two books to read so-far, and if I don't make headway with them I was thinking of asking a local school/stable if they might give instruction in basic horse handling. Reading books is all well and good, but sometimes it helps to have someone watch and tell you if you're giving the signals you think you are.

I'm be careful who you ask. There are some pretty rough folk out there who have years of experience with horses and know nothing about horse behaviour. Where are you?

mab

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • carmarthenshire
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #56 on: July 09, 2011, 11:12:29 am »
Fair point, I'll have to ask around a bit. I was going to try the DIY route first though.

I'm in Bungay, Suffolk.

mab

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #57 on: July 09, 2011, 11:59:14 am »
Thanks for that link! though I'm not sure she'll let me measure her nose yet  ;D

Well I've got two books to read so-far, and if I don't make headway with them I was thinking of asking a local school/stable if they might give instruction in basic horse handling. Reading books is all well and good, but sometimes it helps to have someone watch and tell you if you're giving the signals you think you are.

cheers

mab
Wish I could find somebody good to do that with my dogs.  They don't seem to know the same body language as me sometimes!  I think you're doing great, wish I could have a pony, just not safe here so close to the village.
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

mab

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • carmarthenshire
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #58 on: July 10, 2011, 02:33:51 pm »
Victory!   8)

I can now put Rosie's headcollar on again, at least today (twice); and if I'm patient I should manage tomorrow. I didn't need treats either.

 ;D Suddenly I'm feeling massively optimistic.  ;D

Might try the measuring rope tomorrow too if the headcollar goes well - then I can measure her up for that rope halter  :)

Thanks everyone!

mab

PS. at the risk of asking a silly question; What's the 12ft rope line for?

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: help: advice needed for keeping a Shetland pony.
« Reply #59 on: July 10, 2011, 02:53:21 pm »
Not an expert, but is that not a lungeing line - to exercise and school the horse/pony in a circle round the handler?
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

 

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