[colliewoman]

Hi all!
I'm getting fed up of doing all the lugging round here and as I have spare poor grazing it has been suggested that I get myself a shetland to work with me.
Sounds great except I don't know much about horses!
What would one need (or 2, or would goats be companionship enough??)
How do I know if I am getting a good pony?
HELP!!!! Please

[SallyintNorth]

Yes you need 2; ponies need another pony for company. The companion won't need to be a working pony - you should be able to get a non-working companion on loan without any bother.  In fact you would probably be inundated with offers.

I suspect there are 100s if not 1000s of times as many of us with ponies we want to / plan to work as there are with ponies that actually make a contribution.  So if you love ponies, by all means get a couple and have a lot of fun.  But if you really only want them to make a contribution to the work - make sure you get one that genuinely works, and get yourself some training / help in using it to do so! 

[lachlanandmarcus]

the companion one you could get on loan from World Horse Welfare, that way you only pay a small fee and then if plans change etc in the future, the horse always has a home with them. They have lots of wee ones looking for homes; come to think of it they often have Shetlands which can be ridden/driven looking for loan homes too.
 

[WarescotFarm]

I have a falabella who's bessie mate is a pygmy goat, we have limited space so works well for us, and they love each other to bits!
You have to think about
- farrier costs, hoof trimming and care
- worming, I guess you do tonnes of that already
- a shetland can live on fresh air so food etc... not too much of a worry

have fun

[sabrina]

Sorry, Shetlands cannot live on fresh air !!! They need the same care and attention of most native ponies. For their size they can do and enjoy quite a few jobs. A good pony is worth their weight in gold. they are quick learners and taught their job well will be a pleasure to work with. The handler needs to know what they want and have the experience to get the best out of the pony. all this takes time.

[Brijjy]

In my experience I wouldn't necessarily recommend a pure shetland as the all the ones I have known have not been for novices despite their reputation. I would go for a shetland cross or New Forest or similar. The easiest mistake alot of people make is that small ponies are much easier to handle. If you don't know what your doing, small ponies have a tendency to take the p*ss more than bigger equines.

[colliewoman]

Thankies all! I have just volunteered for the local driving for the disabled association and they said they will teach me what I need to know! woo Hoo!! And I get to help out a good cause at the same time!

[SallyintNorth]

Excellent plan, colliewoman