What is the smallest field you could keep a pony in?

[Enid]

I am seriously thinking of turning part of our garden into a field for a Shetland.

it is small though.

I am sure some horsey experts will be along but I thought it was half an acre per pony?

I dont think it is half an acre

its long and thin

its a stupid idea it will be miles too small poor thing

i think about half an acre to be fair.

have a look here about tings you need to consider

shetland you will needf to keep in quite a small area if you are converting from lawn (lush grass), or a bigger area but fence of small bits at a time to keep him on so the grass gets really short, and almost bare, be cause if you give them any grass worth talking about they get laminitis

you'll be keeping him in for most of the day in the spring anyway

half an acre certainly too much of good grass at a go, you could survive on a third

ah that is so interesting

there is a shetland int he village who has laminitis, his feet are buggered poor thing

oh I really want one

would it get lonely on its own?

shetlands survive on air and a bit of hay and a small amount of land if good grass (or a whole bloody moor with almost nothing growing on it)

think of their natural habitat

needs to be big enough for him to have a run (waddle) around and kick his heels on but if you give him half an acre of ex-lawn to graze in the spring he will be crippled within 48 hours

It won't get lonly but will need taking out most adys. Also do you have room for a stable? And room for all it's tack, cleaning stuff, money for vet/blacksmith, dedicated children who will muck out?

depends on the pony. you'd need to get one that is used to being on his own and happy that way

shetlands are bloody bad tempered little things (mostly because their feet always hurt lol) you'd be much better off with a 25 yr old small welsh mountain. also live on air but are sweet and don't bite

best thing to do would be to loan one first to see if you really do want one

They're smelly.

I think we need an [idylic] emoticon for Enid and PPH threads

we have a 12.5hh welsh mountain who has always lived on his own (but likes to see cows around - spent most of his life on a dairy farm). he is 27, incredibly economical (super healthy, gets fat on half a haynet and some very poor grazing a day, has never been shod and has hooves of iron so just needs a hoof trim for a tenner every 6-8 weeks) and is Mr Sweet and Longsuffering - has never even put one ear back let alone showed his teeth or kicked

he costs us - literally - a bale of hay and say 2 bales of straw a week

yes you are right

a knackered old welsh mountain wold be better

I rather love shetlands because of their horrible personalities though

It does have rough pony grass in it, lots of weeds and currently our vegetalbe patch

we have 'another' garden on the other side which has a lawn and flower bed

goats are good company for horses. i had a pony / goat combo when younger and they were great pals. Downside to the goat was that they are great escape artsists so need to be well fenced in

That's interesting PPH - does he go out on roads?

have room for a shelter
have dedicated children

he doesn't smell!

his only vice is that he does love a good roll and makes his own mudholes to do it in

and he is grey

so he is actually stained mud coloured (will never win best turned out pony award no matter how much shampooing and primping he gets) and it can take 2 hours to groom him sufficiently to put a saddle on his back in winter

I want something that is like a big dog

something that dd1 can lurve passionatley and fiddle about with all day

and take round the village endlessly

You won't be loving them when they bite you, Enid.

The last one I looked after, that old crumudgeon bit my hip looking for treats in my pocket.

Git!

I have a huge, painful bruise for weeks.

They're sweaty and smelly, you know.

now goats REALLY smell

yes he goes on roads lucy but actually not that much, we have lots of fields and gallops around here (we are spoilt) (not that he does much galloping ha ha)

he used to hunt a lot (best working hunter for VWH and Beaufort in the same year in his youth!) and I think one year he was shod because he was doing a lot of road work

but I don't know how long ago that was -years and years

My sister has a goat. He's so cute!

Much cuter than any of the horses my dad had.

you want my pony enid

when we got him he had rather a wild hairdo and we pulled his mane for a solid 2 hours to make a dent in it

he just stood there quietly, not even tied up, and rolled his eyes heavenward every so often to say "aren't you finished yet? this does actually hurt a bit you know"

he is a superstar

I love the noise their little hooves make unshod - they sound like fairy ponies.

(Drifting off into of your kids again, pph )