Archive for June, 2009

Living through the financial crisis is difficult enough, but add horses and ponies which depend on you for food, protection and medical care, every little bit helps.

It’s a shame that many horses and ponies are abandoned or given up every week, as horse lovers fight to cope with the current economic climate.

This is exceptionally thorny for horse charities and Sara Tuppen from the Horse Refuge in Wittersham Kent is an expert about looking after horses when money is limited, living off on donations to keep over 40 saved horses in good health. 

She lists below a few points which could help make owning a pony on a tight budget more manageable:

 1.      Many horses can exist quite happily outside for most of the year, as long as there’s food, water and protection to harsh elements available. Could this be an option for your horse, it could reduce the cost of stabling considerably.

2.      Removing shoes is an easy way to keep costs down. If not ridden regularly, or on rocky ground, most horses will not need shoes.

3.      Sharing your horse is a great way to reduce (even divide in two!) costs, and provides a cheaper introduction to horse ownership for someone else.

4.      Frequently you can get free stabling and sometimes hay and bedding in return for doing jobs. Mucking out, grooming, maintenance etc. are all tasks which could save you cash for a  little hard work!

5.      Vets bills are an unknown factor but must be considered. If money’s a little difficult, you may find a lot of Vets will consider spreading the costs, and pay in instalments.

6.      Most people can make lifestyle changes! It’s not all about finding ways to keep your horse more cheaply, see if you can do it for yourself!

7. What about your other pets, you may have put animals in boarding, what about a pet sitter? The pet may prefer it and the pet sitters often do other things.

8.      Is it possible that you can club together to buy feed and bedding in bulk, reducing the total price and passing on savings to all.

9.      I hope it does not come to it, you can look into getting your horse a foster home, even as a companion.

  If you’re in a position to loan, or even buy a horse or pony, there are many horses and ponies that are for sale, try a good directory such as the Horse and Pony Directory.

Shetland ponies, one the UK’s native horse breeds, are those gorgeous tiny horses you see in pantomimes like Cinderella. They provide rides to children on farms and in zoos, and with their shaggy faces and stocky legs, are an ideal animal for children to share their first interaction with the equine world. In fact, a Shetland pony is perfect for children as they are usually kind-natured and brave – behaviour required when dealing with youngsters. Care needs to be taken, though, that the pony is not spoiled either by the children or their parents. As with many animals, it’s the human input that shapes a pony’s behaviour, and care needs to be taken with how a pony is treated. Also, as with many animals that are thought to be ‘intelligent’, this can be construed as being ’stubborn’. And a Shetland pony is considered ‘intelligent’. Facts to bear in mind when combining a Shetland and children; they appear to have a lot in common!

Believed to originate from the Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland (although this is debated) the Shetland pony has to be smaller than 10.2 hands at the withers. Don’t let the height bother you – the Shetland pony is the most powerful for its size of all the horse and pony breeds. This makes it ideal for pulling loads, as it can lug an incredible two times its own body weight, compared to a draught horse, which can only pull half its weight. A Shetland is also great for (as mentioned above) children’s rides, and as a pet. It has been used on settlements on the Shetland Islands to plough fields and haul loads.

The Shetland pony was the first pony with its own organisation (the Shetland Pony Stud Book Society), formed in 1890, to encourage a strong breeding line. The first mention in writing of the pony was in 1603, although it is thought their origins go back as far as 8000BC when Scandinavia was connected to the islands. The environment of the Shetland Islands shaped the personality and appearance of the pony – hardy and hardworking, compact, muscled and thick-furred (Shetlands have a double coat for winter). Shetlands are usually black, different variations of brown or grey but rarely ‘Appaloosa’.

Interestingly, miniature Shetlands are used as guide horses, in the same way that guide dogs aid vision-impaired people. Their intuitive nature and intelligence makes for an ideal helping animal.

Shetlands have a multitude of uses, from children’s pony to show pony and work pony. Their bright personality and intellect means they are adaptable – but whatever their job, it’s guaranteed that they’ll bring more to your life than you can give them.