hey im going on saturday with my work to ride there shetlands on the beach as a late chrissy preasnt

im never ridden a shetland off the walker b4 l ride big horses more my size 13 - 15hh l have no idear about how these little guys act!

out at work there cheekly and that but thats on a lead line wiht the bridle and can buck allthough we tend to push there heads up b4 that happens! and were going bareback and l feel like omg coz l have ridden bareback but only trot/walk and im hopeless l did try a canter but l only got half of a stride and she stoped coz my instuctor walked in and we couldnt get her going [she doss this all the time she wil go by hershelf she is sturborn whenu get someone in the arena]



i was woundering

wat should l wear at the beach?

wats it like riding a shetland?

is there anything l should look out 4 on these little guys?

and yes l know there shetlands and there a bit smaller but trust me these little things mainly get ridden by 2 - 12 year olds and can be little well yeah...

and is there anything l should know about there gates and that?
yeah im guessing it will be heaps of fun and lol l will let my feet touch the ground l know these ponys very well on the ground as l work with them just not there back as well l cant wait l have to get up at 5 am to get to owrk and load up the ponys then pick up some of the other girls mum driving l hope she dosint have to pull one of the floats LOL she cant evan drive a trailer very well she thinks the trailer is just like the car sad really =]

tnxs laods =D
im not afraid of falling off its life im just scread they will go bersecr when swiming chances are l will end up geting one of the younger ones with alot of fight in them

coz im oone of the girls who have ''some'' riding exspriance as the other girls dont do lesson or anything shame really they all love the pony very much and really look like they wont to give it a go so will go on the the much non-fighty ponys coz theres like only 5 of us who do lesson or opwn a horse and thers like 8 who didnt know how to ride l hope they have a great time 2 =]

l think the only dif in their gate is it might be a little faster cuz there legs r so short. you should be able to hold on pretty well and if u do fall off the sand is chushy and they will prob understand

Trust me - it will be soo much fun!

Do not worry about the shetlands being lazy. Once they see the beach they will get excited & want to have fun too.

Wear what u would normally wear to go riding - johds,boots,hat & coat.

Riding a shetland is just the same as riding a normal horse/pony just ur feet r closer to the ground & they cannot run as fast. But dont underestimate the cheeky ponies, they're stronger than u think & can canter/gallop.

You should wear something safe, yet comfortable. In case something does happen u wo not get scuffed up that bad.

When u ride any horse, u should NEVER let ur guard down, even if it is a horse you've trained yourself, at any moment something could freak em out & you'd never have a chance. So be care full. Get to their house a little early & see if they will allow u to just chill ax with the sheltys before u go riding. l never get on a horse l have not inspected fully & properly. l went to church camp & l know how testy some of those horses can be. But u have to remember, you're in charge, & bigger.

But, if worst comes to worst, & they start bucking, here is a secret that will save u a load of scrapes & bruises...
LET u feet touch the ground.!!!


Have fun & be care ful
do not be ashamed of being cautious k?

Ponies can be difficult little buggers to ride.especially bareback.though they r lots of fun.

What to wear: Definately good jeans ( suggest jeans over riding pants because they grip better) & a good pair of boots. Probably want a nice sweatshirt or jacket too.

Riding a Shetland is like driving a really small Ferrari.LOL.they r quick, somewhat unpredictable, & difficult to handle, but the good thing.if u fall, u do not have far to the ground. They have ''choppy'' gaits for the most part if u r used to riding big horses.

l would just stay centered, keep ur legs out & ur hands wide (the wider ur center of gravity the better), & do not go any faster than u r comfortable going. Just because the others r galloping does not mean that u have to.if u feel uncomfortable, get off & walk.

You will probably end up falling in love with whichever one u ride because they r just, well, lovable.

If you're going bareback, Just wear a t-shirt, board shorts & ur riding boots with socks long enough that they do not scratch ur leg.

Riding a shetland is a ton of fun because even though you'd think it feels awkward, they're very hardy little guys & carry weight very easily. Their legs tend to move a bit faster to keep up so expect the trot to be a little bit springy. Other than that, they're very smooth & usually round & comfortable & hard to fall off.

They might tend to get a bit nippy with the other ones if they get grumpy or tired but it is not hard to control.

Their gaits r no different to a larger horse, their legs move the same as a thoroughbred but just at a different length.

They're great little guys & l am sure u will have a ton of fun! Hope it helps (: