Shetlands..

[Befff*]

Does anyone have any advice for keeping weight off a shetland that is lightly ridden once a week (at a walk) and has an adorable face that makes passerbys feel sorry for the little piglet?! (Signs were a no go)

She lives out 24/7, has a handful of healthy hoof in winter and no extra feed in summer..

Also, she can't wear a bridle so I have tried to lunge her in a headcollar and 10ft leadrope and she just wouldn't go round! Epic FAIL.

Any help much appriciated. (sp?) lol

<3!

 

[Wally]

Why won't she wear a bridle?

With a Shetland you have two choices, restrict grazing, but that makes for a very bored and unhappy pony, or up the work load, either driven or ridden or just taken for walks like a dog.

Get yourself a klibber and some big carrier bags and put the pony to work, litter picking, poo picking, food/hay carrying, shopping carrying, you name it, whatever you used a wheel barrow for, use the pony. If you can carry a pair of shopping bags, the pony can carry 10 times what you can.

 

[scoob&lill]

My 2 shetlands are restricted grazing and muzzled during the growing months,they both go for daily exercise etc, 1 drives aswell but he has just got over frostbite in his feet so is being fetched back into work slowly,the other mare is elderly and upon vets advice a gentle walk round the estate is more than enough for her(arthritus).
Re the passers by put a "warning electric fence" sign up,we are about to do it(ours will be electrified by the weekend) as people encourage ours to the fence etc,but my dales will push the fence if they get 2 close,more out of annoyance

 

[Sparky Lily]

I couldn't get out with mine when it was all snow and ice, so I took them into the school for a run around. As I have two, I didn't have to do much as they took the opportunity to play chase. I also took them individually into the lunge pen to loose school. I just stood in the middle with a lunge whip and asked them to walk trot canter around me. No need for bridle, headcollar or lunge line! They obliged with gusto! Is there anywhere you could try something similar with your girl?

 

[Befff*]

She had an operation on her face and teeth and as a result she's a bit traumatised I never thought of using her to carry things! There's not really the facilities to try what you did, i'll try lunging her.. again!
Thanks guys! xo

 

[Esther.D]

Make sure you have a helper with the lunging - it takes them a while to get the hang of it, and then some love it and some are still not impressed!

Is there any scope for extra walks/runs? echo the electric fencing for keeping off the well meaning pony feeders, plus a strongly worded sign about laminitis and the risk of death if she is fed extra to her controlled diet.

 

[Esther.D]

Get yourself a klibber and some big carrier bags and put the pony to work, litter picking, poo picking, food/hay carrying, shopping carrying, you name it, whatever you used a wheel barrow for, use the pony. If you can carry a pair of shopping bags, the pony can carry 10 times what you can.

o/t but I am plotting that with Gonzalez my castrated billy goat, he is going to be broken to harness as my new wheelbarrow around the croft this summer