Shetland Pony

What is a Shetland Pony?

A native pony from the Shetland Isles, not exceeding 42 inches (107cm) at the withers - measured in inches rather than hands, which is a quirk of the breed society. Standard Shetlands are up to 42in; miniatures up to 34in.

They are the strongest equine on earth relative to their size, capable of carrying or pulling far more than their height implies. That strength, in a pony small enough to be treated as a pet, is the source of most Shetland problems.

History and origins

Bred on the Shetland Isles for at least two thousand years in conditions that killed anything less efficient: no shelter, poor grazing, and seaweed eaten off the beach in bad winters. Used for crofting and peat-carrying, then in huge numbers down British coal mines after the 1847 Act prohibited women and children underground. The stud book opened in 1890.

Appearance and size

Small, wide, deep through the girth, with a short thick neck, small ears and an extraordinary double coat in winter. Any colour except spotted. The winter coat is long, coarse and almost waterproof, and the spring shed is spectacular.

Temperament and personality

Bold, cheerful, and entirely unimpressed by things that would frighten a larger horse. They are not naturally nervous, which makes them excellent for children on the ground. They are also opinionated and will test any handler who lets them, and being knee-high they are usually let.

Intelligence and trainability

Very intelligent - among the quickest of any equine to work out a gate latch, an electric fence that is not switched on, or a person who will give up. Trained consistently they are willing and genuinely fun. Trained inconsistently they become the barging, biting little pony that everybody has met.

Children and other pets

Superb for a child's first experience of horses - leading, grooming, feeding, small in-hand showing - and the right size for that job in a way no other equine is. Ridden, a Shetland suits a child up to roughly six or seven. Many families buy one as a first pony and find they need a second within two years.

They live well with other horses and are commonly kept as companions for larger animals.

Health problems

Laminitis. The defining risk. A Shetland is a starvation-adapted animal and UK pasture is, from its point of view, a permanent feast. Most need a bare paddock, a track, or a muzzle, and weight must be actively managed all year.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome and PPID. Very common, particularly with age. Both are testable and both are manageable if caught.

Hyperlipaemia. Small ponies mobilise fat dangerously when they stop eating; a Shetland that goes off its food is an emergency, not a wait-and-see.

Dental and hoof neglect are the two commonest welfare failures, because a small pony is easy to leave in a field and forget.

Daily care routine

Daily check, feet picked out, water and fencing. Farrier every six to eight weeks, dentist annually, vaccinations annually, worm counts through the year. Weight-taped or condition-scored every fortnight - by eye you will not see a Shetland getting fat until it is.

Grooming and coat care

A heavy winter coat that takes weeks to shed. Daily brushing in spring, mud fever watch through winter, and feathers checked for mites. They rarely need rugging: the coat does the job better than the rug does, and rugging a fat pony removes one of the few ways it burns energy.

Exercise needs

Modest in ridden terms but important for weight. Driving is the answer for many owners once the children have outgrown riding - Shetlands drive beautifully and it keeps them in work into old age. In-hand walks, agility and showing all count.

Feeding and diet

Almost nothing. Soaked hay, a vitamin and mineral balancer, and no hard feed unless a vet has said otherwise. Grass is the enemy. This is the breed for which "good doer" was invented, and it is not a compliment about your paddock.

Price

£300-£2,000 for a handled pony; £2,000-£6,000 for a proven show or driving animal with breeding. Miniatures and coloureds fetch more. Very cheap Shetlands are common and usually unhandled, unregistered, or both.

Keeping one costs roughly £1,500-£4,000 a year, which is the number that matters. The pony is never the expensive part.

Buying advice

Insist on the passport and check the microchip against it before anything else.

Handle it, pick up all four feet, and lead it away from its field companions. A pony that cannot be caught, led, or have its feet lifted is a project, whatever the advert says, and a project the size of a Shetland is still stronger than the child who will be holding it.

Have a five-stage vetting done by your own vet, and ask directly about laminitis. Look for divergent growth rings on the hoof wall and a cresty neck. If the pony is over ten, ask for an ACTH blood test for PPID.