Are Shetland Ponies strong is a question we are often asked at Shetland Pony Club. In this week’s video we look at how a Shetland Pony’s shape means that they are very strong.
Compact bodies
Shetland ponies have short strong backs and strong lower legs as well as a broad chest for a big heart.
Scientific proof
It’s been scientifically shown that Shetlands are the strongest type of horse for their size, being able to pull twice their weight, which is why they were used as pit ponies in mines in the olden days.
25-26 November – last weekend riding at Shetland Pony Club
Sat 2 December – ponies visit Christmas Lights Switch on, The Old Plough, Cobham 5:30-6:30pm
Hurry – Last Riding before the ponies’ winter holidays
Hurry – there’s just 2 more weeks of riding before we close for the winter at the end of November, so book your last rides of the season now. See our availability below:
Starter Rides are 45 mins long and specially designed first riding experiences for children. Includes pony grooming and a ride on their own pony. Followed by a certificate presentation. £50 per child. Each child will have their own pony and helper. Please note your child MUST be 3 years old at the time of their ride.
Own a Pony Experiences are two hours long and are delightful early riding and learning experiences for children from age 4 years old. Includes lots of riding and pony care, followed by a rosette presentation. £75 per child. Each child will have their own pony and helper.
Amazing Shetland Pony Parties for children aged 3 -10 years old. Use of our private facility with adorable Shetland ponies, creating magical memories for your child’s birthday. One and a half hours – £750 for 10 children. Extra riding children (up to 18), £30 each. If guest numbers exceed 18 please get in touch with the office and we will see if we can accommodate.
You can experience a pony of your own, the easy way, withPony Share Membership.Learn to ride, build a bond with your pony, come regularly to our club and enjoy pony fun in the countryside.
Pony Membership – a pony of your own each week, 2 hours, from age 4+ £275 per month.
Mini Membership – a pony of your own each week, 45 minutes, from age 3+ £195 per month.
Shetland Pony Club Gift Vouchers: are a wonderful gift for anyone who loves Shetland ponies. We have online vouchers or beautiful hard copy vouchers. £45 – £135. You can purchase them here. Or call the office, 01372 844 077 / 07734 950309.
The School Trot Book– The School Trot is a beautifully illustrated children’s hardback bedtime storybook, written by Rosemary, founder of Shetland Pony Club. It’s all about her very first Shetland pony, Billyboon and Camilla, who really did ride to school on a Shetland Pony. This book is a perfect short bedtime story and makes a lovely gift. It is published in hardback only and is £8.99 +p&p. You can purchasehere.
Adopt a pony, Robin Hood– rescued pony at Shetland Pony Club. Receive a beautiful pony gift pack, access to Robin Hood’s own website, email updates and a voucher to visit him. Learn all about him and show you care. All proceeds go to help other horses in need. By adopting Robin Hood you are supporting our current horse charity, The Horse Trust. £50 +p&p. Find out more about Adopt a pony here.
What do our Shetland Ponies eat in a day is a question we are often asked at Shetland Pony Club. Our ponies like a varied diet and we need to make sure they get all the nutrients they need to stay healthy, without getting too much food.
Breakfast time for the Shetland Ponies
Our ponies are working, so they have a small breakfast when they come in to the Ranch. Sometimes they get supplements too.
Rewilding lunch break
After a morning’s riding, the Shetland Ponies need their lunch. They always have a whole hour eat grass, brambles and other tasty plants found in the rewilding fields.
Summer and winter feeding
Shetland ponies have different food needs as the seasons change – not too much sugary grass in the spring, and extra fibre from hay in the winter months. There are some plants that they really like.
Watch the video to find out more…
From Rosemary, the Shetland Pony Club Team and all the adorable Shetland ponies
Book your November Pony Riding here:
We close for the winter at the end of November, so book your last rides of the season now as we get busy.
Starter Rides are 45 mins long and specially designed first riding experiences for children. Includes pony grooming and a ride on their own pony. Followed by a certificate presentation. £50 per child. Each child will have their own pony and helper. Please note your child MUST be 3 years old at the time of their ride.
Own a Pony Experiences are two hours long and are delightful early riding and learning experiences for children from age 4 years old. Includes lots of riding and pony care, followed by a rosette presentation. £75 per child. Each child will have their own pony and helper.
Amazing Shetland Pony Parties for children aged 3 -10 years old. Use of our private facility with adorable Shetland ponies, creating magical memories for your child’s birthday. One and a half hours – £750 for 10 children. Extra riding children (up to 18), £30 each. If guest numbers exceed 18 please get in touch with the office and we will see if we can accommodate.
You can experience a pony of your own, the easy way, withPony Share Membership.Learn to ride, build a bond with your pony, come regularly to our club and enjoy pony fun in the countryside.
Pony Membership – a pony of your own each week, 2 hours, from age 4+ £275 per month.
Mini Membership – a pony of your own each week, 45 minutes, from age 3+ £195 per month.
Shetland Pony Club Gift Vouchers: are a wonderful gift for anyone who loves Shetland ponies. We have online vouchers or beautiful hard copy vouchers. £45 – £135. You can purchase them here. Or call the office, 01372 844 077 / 07734 950309.
The School Trot Book– The School Trot is a beautifully illustrated children’s hardback bedtime story book, written by Rosemary, founder of Shetland Pony Club. It’s all about her very first Shetland pony, Billyboon and Camilla, who really did ride to school on a Shetland Pony. This book is a perfect short bedtime story and makes a lovely gift. It is published in hardback only and is £8.99 +p&p. You can purchasehere.
Adopt a pony, Robin Hood– rescued pony at Shetland Pony Club. Receive a beautiful pony gift pack, access to Robin Hood’s own website, email updates and a voucher to visit him. Learn all about him and show you care. All proceeds go to help other horses in need. By adopting Robin Hood you are supporting our current horse charity, The Horse Trust. £50 +p&p. Find out more about Adopt a pony here.
Find out how you can have a pony of your own, every weekend at Shetland Pony Club – the easy way, in this week’s video.
See availability update and Christmas gift ideas below
Do you dream of owning a Shetland pony? Let’s find out how you can make your dreams of owning a pony come true, the easy way, with a Pony Share Membership at Shetland Pony Club.
Finding a suitable pony
It can be a tricky, time-consuming and expensive business trying to find a suitable Shetland pony for your child. You need to be experienced to make a good choice.
A suitable home
Once you have found your ideal pony you need to have somewhere safe to keep him, where he will be happy and healthy with his friends, all year round.
Looking after your Shetland pony
There’s lots to do to care for your pony, from regular farrier’s visits and the horse dentist, to feeding him the right amount and caring for him if he is sick. It’s also expensive to keep your own pony. So, is there an easier way to have a pony?
Pony Share Membership
Yes, you can experience a pony of your own, the easy way, with our Pony Share Membership. Learn to ride, build a bond with your pony, come regularly to our club and enjoy pony fun in the countryside. There are two types of membership to enjoy:
Pony Membership – a pony of your own each week, 2 hours, from age 4+ £250* per month (price increase in 2023)
Mini Membership – a pony of your own each week, 45 minutes, from age 3+ £175* per month (price increase in 2023)
Pony Share membership runs for 9 months from March – end November 2023.
We are matching children and ponies soon, so do join the waiting list now for a chance of a pony in 2023.
Shetland Pony Club Gift Vouchers: are a wonderful gift for anyone who loves Shetland ponies. We have online vouchers or beautiful hard-copy vouchers. £45 – £135. You can purchase them here. Or call the office, 01372 844 077 / 07734 950309.
The School Trot Book– The School Trot is a beautifully illustrated children’s hardback bedtime story book, written by Rosemary, founder of Shetland Pony Club. It’s all about her very first Shetland pony, Billyboon and Camilla, who really did ride to school on a Shetland Pony. This book is a perfect short bedtime story and makes a lovely gift. It is published in hardback only and is £8.99 +p&p. You can purchase ithere.
Adopt a pony, Robin Hood– rescued pony at Shetland Pony Club. Receive a beautiful pony gift pack, access to Robin Hood’s own website, email updates and a voucher to visit him. Learn all about him and show you care. All proceeds go to help other horses in need. By adopting Robin Hood you are supporting our current horse charity, The Horse Trust. £45 +p&p. Find out more about Adopt a pony here.
2023 Pony Riding Bookings
We are working on our 2023 programme and prices now – to be the first to hear when 2023 bookings open do join our pony riding waiting list here;
Shetland Pony Parties – Amazing pony parties for children aged 3 -10 years old. Use of a private facility with 6 ponies, creating magical memories for your child’s birthday. One and a half hours – £650 for 10 children. Extra riding children (up to 18), £25 each. Very popular- Sold out for 2022. To book your party for 2023 please contact the office: 07734 950 309 or email us: info@shetlandponyclub.co.uk
You can book online (once 2023 bookings open) or give us a call 07734 950 309 or email us: info@shetlandponyclub.co.uk
From Rosemary, the Shetland Pony Club Team and all the Shetland ponies
Mufasa and Fudge are scratching withers in the field but what does this mean and why do they do it?
When the ponies live in a natural herd outside together like ours do, you often find the ponies standing together with a friend rubbing the top of their withers.
The wither is the point at the top of the legs and bottom of the mane.
The ponies scratch each other’s withers to make friends within the heard and it is something that they learnt from their mothers when they were little foals. It’s very comforting for the ponies to be scratched on the withers. Can you see which ponies are making friends in the field together?
In the springtime the ponies scratch more so that their winter coats comes out. Which ponies are helping each other lose their winter coats?
So if you want to make friends with your pony it’s a good idea to give him a scratch on his withers then he will be your friend for life.
We close at the end of November 2022 (weekend 26th/27th). We reopen at the beginning of March 2023.
Shetland Pony Walking is the perfect way for older children, teenagers and grown-ups to enjoy Shetland Ponies in the lovely Surrey countryside. Come and spend time, enjoying and leading your very own Shetland pony. £45/ person.
Shetland Pony Club Gift Vouchers: are a wonderful gift for anyone who loves Shetland ponies. We have online vouchers or beautiful hard copy vouchers. £45 – £135. You can purchase them here. Or call the office, 01372 844 077 / 07734 950309.
The School Trot Book– The School Trot is a beautifully illustrated children’s hardback bedtime story book, written by Rosemary, founder of Shetland Pony Club. It’s all about her very first Shetland pony, Billyboon and Camilla, who really did ride to school on a Shetland Pony. This book is a perfect short bedtime story and makes a lovely gift. It is published in hardback only and is £8.99 +p&p. You can purchasehere.
Adopt a pony, Robin Hood– rescued pony at Shetland Pony Club. Receive a beautiful pony gift pack, access to Robin Hood’s own website, email updates and a voucher to visit him. Learn all about him and show you care. All proceeds go to help other horses in need. By adopting Robin Hood you are supporting our current horse charity, The Horse Trust. £45 +p&p. Find out more about Adopt a pony here.
Pony Share Membership-You can experience a pony of your own, the easy way, with Pony Share Membership. Learn to ride, build a bond with your pony, come regularly to our club and enjoy pony fun in the countryside. £175-£250/ month during the months of March- November. Join our waitlist for 2023.
Shetland Pony Parties – back on for 3-year-olds! Amazing pony parties for children aged 3 -10 years old. Use of a private facility with 6 ponies, creating magical memories for your child’s birthday. One and a half hours – £650 for 10 children. Extra riding children (up to 18), £25 each. Very popular- Sold out for this season. To book your party for 2023 please contact the office: 07734 950 309 or email us: info@shetlandponyclub.co.uk
It’s Horse Whispering Day at Shetland Pony Club Summer Day Camp. Let’s learn more about it in this week’s video.
Learning to use the round pen
The children start by watching Rosemary as she shows them how we train our ponies in natural horsemanship, using a special Shetland Pony-sized cage called a round pen.
Rosemary is in the round pen with Shetland Pony Mufasa. She sends him away as he would in the wild and after a while, he stops and licks and chews his lips.
Is Mufasa good at Horse Whispering?
Can Rosemary get Mufasa to understand her? Will he follow her and stop and start when she does in the round pen?
Shetland Pony Tricks
Rosemary teaches the children to use carrot sticks, which are not whips. They help to get the pony to move around. Soon the children have the ponies standing on logs. Which pony is the best at this?
One-off special charity event – This is the perfect way for all the family to learn about and enjoy being with Shetland ponies in the lovely Surrey countryside. Come and learn about Shetland ponies. You can make friends, groom and lead your Shetland pony around the meadows. Adorable! Shetland Pony Walk and Talk will be followed by coffee and brownies. All funds raised go directly to Cancer Research UK. Find out more here.
Sunday 21 August 2022 2:30pm – 4:00pm
1 hour 30 mins. Suitable for adults and children aged 3+ Adults £30, Children £10
Summer Camp Days – Enjoy the whole day with your favourite Shetland pony. Learn to ride him, look after him and enjoy being with him all day long. 9:30am – 4pm, Summer holidays only. Age 5+. £135/day – BE QUICK!
Tuesday 9 August 2022 – 1 space
Thursday 11 August 2022 – 1 space
Monday 15 August 2022 – 1 space
Monday 22 August 2022 –1 space
Tuesday 23 August 2022 –1 space
Own a Pony Experiences – are two hours long and are delightful early riding and learning experiences for children from age 4 years old. £65/ child.
Thursday 2 August 11am, – nearly full
Sunday, 14 August NEW 2.15pm
Sunday 28 August NEW 2:15pm
Starter Rides– back on for 3-year-olds! 45 minutes long and are specially designed as first riding experiences for children. £45/ child.
Thursday 4th August 2:30pm/ 3:30pm – nearly full
Saturday, 6 August 11.15am – nearly full
Saturday, 13 August 2:30pm/ 3:30pm
Saturday 20 August 3:30pm
Shetland Pony Parties
Shetland Pony Parties – back on for 3-year-olds! Amazing pony parties for children aged 3 -10 years old. Use of a private facility with 6 ponies, creating magical memories for your child’s birthday. One and a half hours – £650 for 10 children. Extra riding children (up to 18), £25 each. Bookings from September- very popular!
Join Rosemary in this week’s video where she looks at some of the joys and problems of rescuing Shetland Ponies.
Today our ponies at Shetland Pony Club are not rescue ponies. They are pedigree (registered) ponies and some of them have come from the Shetland Isles.However, if you’ve been following us for many years, you’ll know years ago we had the most wonderful rescue Shetland Pony called Cupcake.
Cupcake came from a home that wasn’t particularly good, they didn’t know how to look after him properly. We acquired him and he came to live at The Ranch for many happy years.
What are the problems with a rescue Shetland Pony?
Cupcake had not been feed correctly. This effected his:
Coat
Weight
Feet
Teeth
As a result rescue ponies often need a lot more medical attention. They need to see a vet more regularly and this costs more.
Most rescue ponies won’t have been to a dentist before, so the dentist bills are higher.
They need to see the farrier more as their hooves are often neglected and causes problems. They may even need remedial, specialist shoes which is also an added cost.
The cost of keeping a rescue Shetland Pony can be higher than a normal Shetland.
You also need to consider what experience your pony has had and if he is going to be a suitable pony to be around children. They can be frightened of certain situations. We wouldn’t recommend starting out with a rescue Shetland pony for riding for your children.
Cupcake brought a lot of joy, love and a lot of bills!
Although rescue ponies are often free to acquire they have bigger costs to keeping them than a regular Shetland Pony. Find out more about Cupcake here.
From Rosemary, the Shetland Pony Club Team and all the Shetland ponies
Booking update:
Starter Rides– back on for 3 year olds! 45 minutes long and are specially designed as first riding experiences for children. £45/ child. NewAvailabilitySunday 26th June 12:15
Own a Pony Experiences – are two hours long and are delightful early riding and learning experiences for children from age 4 years old. £65/ child. NewAvailabilitySunday 26th June 14:15-16:15, Sunday 10th July 14:15-16:15, Saturday 16th July 14:15-16:15.
Shetland Pony Parties – back on for 3 year olds! Amazing pony parties for children aged 3 -10 years old. Use of a private facility with 6 ponies, creating magical memories for your child’s birthday. One and a half hours – £650 for 10 children. Extra riding children (up to 18), £25 each. Very popular-Availability from July
Summer pony camp days and weeks – enjoy the whole day with your favourite Shetland pony. Learn to ride him, look after him and enjoy being with him all day long. 9:30am – 4pm, Summer holidays only. Age 5+. £135/day or £540/ week. Please note that camp spaces are filling up fast! Please reserve your space to avoid disappointment.
Shetland Pony Walking is the perfect way for older children, teenagers and grown-ups to enjoy Shetland ponies in the lovely Surrey countryside. Come and spend time, enjoying and leading your very own Shetland pony. £45/ person. Saturday 30th July 2:15pm, Saturday 17th September 3:15pm
Contact us on: 07734 950 309 or email: info@shetlandponyclub.co.uk
