Is a shetland pony a good kids pony?

Question

my friend wants me to loan her shetland for my kids. they are 3 and 5. we have our own land and stables at the back of our house so its no problem having another horse but are shetlands suitable for small children?

Answer 1

noooo!!!

with past experience with workin in a pony club i dont think they are good for children.

i think it is better to buy/loan a pony that is about 11hh. shetlands cant jump and children are unable to do rising trot as their strides are too short. the children who have little pony are alot better as they cant jump and have prober strides which the child will be able to sit too when the understand rising trot!

also shetlands temperment is pretty c**p as they bite and are v stroppy!

x

Answer 2

Everyone always seems to have a horror story about Shetlands, but a well bred, well handled and well trained Shetland is the best kids equine that there is.  I've raised Shetlands and Welsh and the Shetland will make a better first pony if all other factors are equal.

Only you can tell if this particular Shetland is suitable for your children, but I can promise you that the breed is suitable.  Many of the horrid, cranky, witchy, or otherwise unsuitable ponies are often NOT Shetlands but the results of breeding lots of grade small equines of unknown origin.  Most are undersized horses and have very little,if any, pony blood in them at all.

I've owned and handled many exceptional Shetland kids ponies.  If properly handled and if the children are properly trained the pony is never hurt or confused and will die for it's child.  Poor ponies have either bad breeding the disposes them to being difficult, as some lines in many breeds of horses also do, or they have been mishandled by someone in their life.  

Answer 3

not really no they are usually escape artists, very stubbornn and quite bossy (withexperiencee of riding at a stable with over 12 Shetlands i rode all of them and i would describe themajorityy of them

Here is a list of in my opinion good kids ponies.

DARTMOOR they are usually reliable, sensible, kind and quiet

HIGHLAND PONY there temperament tends to be docile, intelligent and sensitive.

CONNEMARA there temperament tends to be gentle, trusting, and willing

EXMOOR temperament usually alert, intelligent and kind.

NEW FOREST Intelligent, willing, docile and friendly.

WELSH SEC A kind, brave and spirited

WELSH SEC B Intelligent, kind, brave and spirited.

WELSH SEC C Intelligent, kind, brave and spirited.

all of these would make ideal kids ponies and most of them you could ride aswell because they are all quite strong (ALTHOUGH if you got a small one then you most likely couldnt ride it

Answer 4

I would say not. Shetlands are very quick learners and they will soon cotton on to the fact that your children are not experienced riders. Ok for lead ring but not to be set free.

Answer 5

When my daughter was smaller she had two shetland ponies before going on to a Welsh pony.  The first shetland bucked like stink but we soon found out that he had a seriously bad mouth (teeth) better after that.  The second was a quality shetland in hand winner county level.  He was an absolute nightmare but hadn't been broken in correctly just sat on.  That is the trouble with a lot of shetlands because they are so small people just tend to get on them and muck around for a bit then say they are broken.  To be a good childs pony any pony shetland or otherwise needs to be broken correctly.  Our shetlands were playful ponies and suited my daughter down to the ground.  The really good thing about them is the distance from the saddle to the floor and of course children feel less intimidated by their size.  Also alot of shetlands are spoiled because they are 'cute'.  

My daughter is now 13 and has ridden since the age of 2, she has competed and shown all her ponies over the years, we have never sold one.  The temprements havn't changed over the years, the only time temprements change are if there is a physical or mental change in the ponies, i.e. back, teeth, stabling etc.  

The most important thing to look for in a pony is 'suitability', size and schooling.  This is often not a 'breed'.

Answer 6

yes as long as you do not have more than 80 pounds on the horses back including tack.

Answer 7

Like 95% of them are horrible to be around. The other 5% can make good kids horses.

The problem is that it is hard to get them well trained. It takes a very small rider to get on them and most small/light weight riders are kids that cant deal with an overly smart, sometimes naughty ponies.

My pony of choice for a small kid would be a welsh or cob. Possibly one crossed with a shetland to make it a little smaller.

If you really are interested in the pony then you might want to find a small (but good) rider in the area to test ride it for you a couple times. I know a couple girls that can really ride but they are small enough to take a shetland through their paces. It is the only way to ensure the pony will be safe for your children.

Answer 8

If the pony has been properly trained!! Then yes, they can be great little ponies!!

******edit*****

Shetland ponies are like any breed of horse. It is ALL in the training for a childs horse.

Answer 9

agreed with the first answer.

ponies are sweet when young but act like old mean biotches when there older....so i would not reccomend it get your kidds a horse.

Answer 10

I agree a welsh or welsh mix is alot better for children. Shetlands tend to be moody for the most part. Unless your children are experienced riders.

Answer 11

No. They are strong, and bloody minded, and too intelligent. Unless you are a very good horse person and can keep it trained.

Answer 12

I had a Shetland pony called Barney and he was a fantastic kids pony, he was so sweet and the smallest child could handle him easily, but he was kept with another Shetland who was nippy, naughty and virtually unrideable.

I think u have to check the pony out very carefully. Look at his background. Has he been ridden at all? is he usually handled by children? .what are his manners like?

As he belongs to a friend im sure u wont mind if u ask her lots of questions. If u are happy to go ahead then have the pony on trial and supervise your children very closely just in case

Like all horses and ponies some are little gems and some are little devils and your childrens safety is paramount

Answer 13

My first pony was a shetland, named Silver and he was a jerk! Next came a welsh/arab cross, thus began my love affair with the beautiful arabians.

Answer 14

Yes they are fine but they will need close supervision from adults as children are not as strong as ponies however this could be said for all breeds of pony.  But if they are supervised and the pony's temperament is okay, you should be fine.

Watch for laminitis.

Answer 15

As cute as Shetlands are, they are quite moody, and unsuitable for children to ride. It might not be safe for your children, so try other breeds.  

Answer 16

No they can be very snappy and impatient. Just get s pony about 12.2h. Mixed breed would be best.

Answer 17

I wouldn't recommend a shetland, especially if it's an older pony. Shetlands tend to be very moody, mean ponies. I would recommend a welsh pony, a chinchoteague pony (we had one who was very gentle, we sold him to a 3 year old girl.), or a smaller pony cross.

I guess if the pony is really gentle and has been handled properly it wouldn't be a problem. Some shetlands can be nice if handled properly, and others are mean.

Answer 18

I would suggest a different breed like a welsh which is small  as well but has a much better temperament . Shetland ponies are very aggressive little ponies. I had one as my first pony when i was 8 and i got dumped every single ride. And if they are young like you said this could really hurt their confidence towards horses.

Answer 19

Usually they are little brats & they are horrible to work around...I would suggest a Welsh cross...or a Welsh Cob for your kids...they are SOOO much nicer!!

Answer 20

It depends, you can get some that'll look after the child and others that will be quick to drop the child. I started on a 12hh pony, she gave me three weeks and that was it. She never did anything naughty, just made me ride properly. I'd prefer a section A to a shetland and if you are looking for something long term I would suggest a small pony but not a dartmoor, Welsh are always nice and have a nice temperament. If it's on loan and you believe that it's suitable, it sounds like a good deal and I'd go for it! Good luck!

Answer 21

Only when they're fairly young.  They get to middle age and turn into snappy, moody nightmares.

Answer 22

I would proceed with caution. It has been my experience that Shetlands are often quite a challenge ( remember Thelwells' Penelope and Kipper?)

http://www.thelwell.org.uk/images/ponies...

Unless your children are quite experienced (the ages you state, leaves me unconvinced) OR that the pony is completely bombproof, I would pass a Sheltand pony by for a first mount.

Answer 23

It really depends on the pony and its previous owners.

I had Shetlands as a young child, and I have one now for my kids.  I think they're fabulous ponies and I'd always recommend them as a breed.  However, they are very sharp witted and shrewd, and with incorrect handling this can often be converted to meanness.  Shelties are not inherently mean but they have a bad reputation - they're incredibly intelligent, far more so than most people give them credit for.

If they are looked after properly and treated as ponies, not dogs or other fluffy pets, they're brilliant.  Treat a Shetland as a working animal and you will get a working animal in return.  Treat him as a pet, and he'll quickly get the better of you.

Answer 24

Before I accepted the loan, I would take my children (who presumably ride some?) and let them be around the pony for an afternoon.  Have them groom her, lead her, ride her for several hours under close supervision.

Make sure they have 'enough' bit on her.  Kids are small and not nearly as strong as a pony.  Both my kids learned to ride on Shetlands and we found a long shanked western snaffle - snaffle bit with 6" shanks like a western bit - worked best.

Make sure they don't have bad habits like balking or biting - and rubbing against things to get kids off.  If they do any of those things I would say - do not take her.

Also be prepared to hop on her and give her a tune up if she gets feisty.  When I did this - I just bridled them - hopped on bare back and took them to the ring and made them walk trot canter back up and turn and if they did not respond quick enough - I corrected them with a riding crop.  Just generally making them get on their toes and pay attention.  Then all went well for awhile and then time for another tune up lol.  While I did not 'beat' them I was not sparing with the crop either if they were not responding well.  My husband always said if I was around - in sight - the ponies always worked better.

They outgrown them fast though and you really have to watch their hands or they will get 'hard' hands from pulling ponies around.  One time Chiquita laid down with our daughter riding her around in a paddock and would not get up.  That was her way of balking.  We took the hose and sprayed her in the face and she never pulled that one again.

So hope these words of advice help.  Good luck!

Good luck!

Answer 25

I have had mini and standard shetland meres and a shetland stallion and they all were fab and great with kids inc the stallion as he was such a gentilman!!!! Just make sure your fencing is good as that is the only problem I had with them was keeping them in the feild!!! Shetlands have great carecter and I will definatly get another one when my baby is old enough to ride!!!

Answer 26

Unfortunately, Shetland ponies aren't so great for kids. They have a tendency to get quite nippy and kick if they don't get their own way. Of course, the Shetland you are considering may be perfect, but I suggest that you and your kids go and meet the pony and your kids groom and ride it (supervised of course), so you can see how well it behaves.

Another option is any other pony breed. Very small ones like Shetlands can be annoying but bigger ones are definitely a lot better. I'm guessing that the only reason you are considering is because you were offered one, but if you think it's a good idea now have a look at ponies for sale, preferably ones that young kids have learned to ride and have now outgrown, and they may be a more suitable pony for your kids.

Good luck :)  

Answer 27

I think it is. Just make sure they are not easily scared by children.