This week we are working with our Shetland ponies to get them ready for riding. We open Shetland Pony Club this weekend, on 2 March.
Ponies love horse whispering
At Shetland Pony Club we use Natural Horsemanship, or horse whispering. This is where we communicate with our ponies through our body language and voice, so that he wants to be with us.
Team Training in Natural Horsemanship
We employ over 60 young people to lead our Shetland ponies and they need to learn about how to “Talk Horse” too. They learn how to make friends with their pony and to be his leader, so that he knows what he is being asked to do.
Liz, a BHS Accredited Coach, is giving a lesson in this week’s video. The ponies love to make friends with their leader and its rewarding for all when they connect and make friends, forming a great team.
Opening this weekend
Yay! We open for riding again, on 2 March 2024. We are nearly full for our opening weekend, so do book online now, or give us a call.
From Rosemary, Liz, Libbie, the Team, and all the ponies at Shetland Pony Club
P.S. Bookings for riding at Shetland Pony Club are open, and we start riding again on 2 March 2024 – be quick – just a few spaces left.
Shetland Pony Club reopens this weekend – Saturday 2 March 2024
What to book at Shetland Pony Club
Starter Rides – are 45 minutes long and are specially designed as early learning to ride experiences for children. From age 3 years old. £50 per child.
Saturday 2 March – fully booked
Sunday 3 March – 9am – 3 spaces
Saturday 9 March – 3.15pm – 2 spaces
Sunday 10 March – Extra ponies added for Mother’s Day 2.15pm and 3.15pm – 4 spaces
Own a Pony Experiences – are two hours long and are delightful early riding and learning experiences for children from age 4 years old. £75 per child.
Saturday 2 March – fully booked
Sunday 3 March – fully booked
Sunday 10 March – Extra ponies added for Mother’s Day 2.15pm – 3 spaces
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 riding time, £750 for 10 children. Extra riding children (up to 18), £30 each.
March dates – All fully booked
Saturday 6 April – next party availability
Pony Walking Experiences – the perfect way for grown-ups and everyone aged 11+ to enjoy Shetland Ponies in the beautiful Surrey countryside. Come and spend time learning about and leading an adorable Shetland Pony. Followed by coffee and brownies. 1 Hour, £50 per adult.
Events
Easter Egg Hunts – Shetland Pony Treasure Hunts especially for Easter, learning to ride along a trail and chocolate eggs to find in the countryside. Ages 4 to 10 years old. One and a half hours – £75 per child.
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+. £150 per day.
Members Club
Pony Share Membership – experience a pony of your own, the easy way. Learn to ride, build a bond with your pony, come regularly to our club and enjoy pony riding in the countryside. Contact us to see if we have a suitable pony free for your child on 07734 950 309 or info@shetlandponyclub.co.uk
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 ponies originate from the Shetland Isles, where there are no trees for shelter and the weather is wet, cold, and windy. Being small means that Shetland ponies are able to adapt and survive the harsh conditions.
Are our Shetlands fully grown?
Yes, our ponies are fully grown, many people think they are babies or foals however most of our Shetlands are teenagers now. We don’t have any young foals or young stock at Shetland Pony Club.
How to measure a Shetland pony?
Shetland ponies are measured from the ground to the top of their wither. You measure them in inches. This is different from other horses or ponies who are normally measured in hands. Our smallest pony, Snowdrop, is only 32 inches high! Balmoral and Mufasa are our biggest ponies at 42 inches high.
Bookings are now fully open for 2022 riding.The office will be open throughout the winter for 2022 bookings. The Shetland Pony Club Ranch is closed for the winter and we start riding again on 5 March 2022, so do book ahead as we get really busy. You can book online here now, or give us a call on 07734 950 309.
Starter Rides–are 45 minutes long and are specially designed as first riding experiences for children from age 3 years old. They cost £45 per child.
Own a Pony Experiences – are two hours long and are delightful early riding and learning experiences for children from age 4 years old. They cost £65 per child.
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.
From Rosemary, the Shetland Pony Club Team and all the Shetland ponies
Would you like to learn to be a Shetland Pony Vet? Lots of our staff have trained to be vets and some are hoping to get places at vet school tomorrow, on A-Level results day. Good luck staff!
Many of the children who ride with us would like to be vets too. So, at Shetland Pony Club Camp the children have been learning about their pony’s health and how to care for them.
Caring for your pony
The children have learned the “points of the horse” and what to call them. They have learned about the different feeds a pony can eat and how to mix them up. It’s important for the stable to be clean, with fresh hay and water too.
Learning to be a Shetland Pony Vet
Vets need to be able to recognize poisonous plants to keep their ponies safe. They also need to see if they are healthy by measuring their weight and listening to their hearts. It’s helpful to learn how to bandage a pony too, so the children learn how to do all these things at Shetland Pony Club camp.
Association of British Riding School’s pony health certificate
At the end of a busy day of riding and pony learning the children are awarded their certificates for excellent learning. Well done children!
Do check our live booking system regularly to see the extra availability we have, or contact us on: 07734 950 309 or email: info@shetlandponyclub.co.uk
New minimum riding age of 4
Shetland Pony Club is proud to be one of the first riding schools in the country to be awarded the Association of British Riding Schools Certification for COVID-19 Safe Working Practices. Having risk-assessed our riding in the light of the government guidelines, we have changed the age for riding to a minimum of 4 years old, until further notice.
For children aged 2.5 – 4, we hope to be able to resume riding soon. Keep an eye on our weekly email, social media and the website here for more information.
Take care from
The Shetland Pony Club Team and all the Shetland ponies
We hope that you are all well and staying safe. The ponies are missing you and pony riding fun at The Ranch. Whilst we can’t ride, we have been busy creating a new free website for you, called Shetland Pony Club Online, to keep you in touch with the ponies.
It is a new fun website full of pony videos, learning and activities for you to enjoy at home. There is even a section for parents. In the Shetland Pony Club Online website you will find:
Getting Started – pony news, reward chart and certificates
Pony Learning – child-safe videos and quizzes to learn about ponies
Pony Fun Online – pony painting, word searches and quizzes
Pony Fun at Home – pony craft ideas, pony photo gallery and colouring templates to print and enjoy at home
Ponies for Parents – the benefits of ponies, the riding equipment you need and our shop
More – Shetland Pony Club TV catch up and your craft and artwork on display
Shetland Pony Club Online is our way of helping you get through these unusual times. It enables you and your children to have pony fun and learning that you would normally have had at The Ranch.
We have created this website for free, but many of you have asked about donations. If you would like to support our work you can make a small donation through the fun “Buy me a Coffee” scheme. Just click on the link to donate.
We hope you’ll enjoy our fun new Online Pony Club. Do let us know if you’re enjoying it. We look forward to seeing you inside the new Online Pony Club.
Stay safe and thank you from the Ponies and the Shetland Pony Club Online Team
