# Cost of keeping a shetland pony per annum?



## Dizzy socks (12 May 2012)

Hi,

Can someone please help me out? How much(approximatly)Would it cost to keep a shetland pony(companion) for a year?

Thanks, and just rough is fine, excluding rugs, headcollar etc.


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## MrsElle (12 May 2012)

Just the cost of worming, insurance (if you have it) and farrier.

A Shetland shouldn't need rugging and mine lived on fresh air year round.  I didn't need to hay in winter, but it depends on your grazing.

I reckon mine cost me under £100 a year each.


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## floradora09 (12 May 2012)

Annual vaccinations too (if you vaccinate) bumps it up a bit


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## Littlelegs (12 May 2012)

Also depends on whether you have to pay per horse. And if grazing is too good for a shetland, as it often is, the cost of hay in spring & summer if you have to keep it off the grass.


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## FinkleyAlex (12 May 2012)

Our grass is rubbish at the mo thanks to all the horrid weather and the shetland is still as round as ever! He isn't mine but he doesn't need any hard feed or hay and just gets his feet trimmed every few weeks and I'd imagine his flu/tet jab. They're hardy little things and absolutely will not need rugging so just a diddy headcollar and leadrope and you'll be fine - very cheap animals!


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## Honey08 (12 May 2012)

Possibly add elec fencing if it needs restricting for grazing...?


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## L&M (12 May 2012)

Just sold my little lovely, but these were my yearly costs (kept at home so no livery):

Farrier trim 4 x a yr @ £25 -£100
Worming 4 x a yr @ £5 approx - £20
Vaccs 1 x a yr @ £35 approx - £30
Winter hay 10 bales @ £3 - £30
Winter economy mix 2 sacks @ £7 - £14

Therefore approx £194, barring any emergency vet call outs etc, plus mine wasn't insured so you would need to add that on if you require it.


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## catkin (13 May 2012)

As the pony is to be a companion then he/she will most likely to be on the same management regime as your others, and they still need the same regular care/procedures as a larger horse. 

Our sheltie companion lives in the same way as the riding horse, so part stabled year round:

Foot trimming and teeth will be approx the same - it takes as much care and time to do the little ones. We have them done at the same time to reduce visit costs. Discuss with your vets exactly what vaccinations are needed, all will need tetanus but a companion who doesn't compete may not need flu if you keep them in a low-risk environment.

Bedding if stabled - and as they are very good doers the chances are that you will be stabling/keeping off grass part of the time. I allow for about 2/3 bedding of the Sec D as the sheltie is smaller.

Hay and food - you can allow for much less but you must budget for some. We allow 1/3 of the cost of the bigger horse based on a size v size ratio. Same for worming.

Insurance - both are covered for public liability on the same policy but the sheltie does not have vets cover.

Unexpected extras: 
electric fencing - may need a second strand to contain the little one.

you may need to adapt stable doors - we made ours a platform to allow her to see over the door, other ways to do this would be cutting/replacing the bottom door or fixing up a stall-guard

shetland-sized tack and equipment - for example, our little one does a bit of 'fat-busting' on the lunge and longreins, so we've needed to get a sheltie-shaped cavesson as none of our old ones fitted. Same with bridle and headcollar and we needed to cut down an old pair of long reins too. Although most of the time she doesn't need rugs she has needed a little lightweight turnout and cooler these past few weeks to be comfortable - if you are handy with a needle then others can be adapted but be warned, they are a different shape and consequently sheltie-shaped rugs ain't the cheapest.

Ours is a delight, great company for the other one and generally fab to have around, but we never forget that she's still a horse.


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## Neburu (13 May 2012)

Depends on the pony. I had one that would go down with laminitis if it ate the littlest of grass. He wasn't a good doer either so had to have hay all year round.


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## flying solo (13 May 2012)

My shettie costs about £1500 a year by the time you add up livery, wormer, teeth, farrier and hay/bedding as and when needed. He needs the farrier more offen too as his feet grow quickly due to limited road work.


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## Nosey (13 May 2012)

Not a lot! Most expensive thing was electric sheep netting as everything else we tried wouldn't contain the little b***er! Don't feed him much but 2 snowy winters he git through a bit of hay..has couple of handfuls of nuts & some hifi each day in worst of winter..jabs, wormer, trim every 10 weeks.


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## Dizzy socks (13 May 2012)

Thjanks for replies, our will be a companion to an 11hh, so can share restricted grazing, so no extra there.Will probably be a mini, so no tack, just in hand exercise.We have our own land, so no prob hereWill be living out all year, with restricted grazing and hay in winterThanks, more replies on actual cost?


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## juliette (13 May 2012)

My friend has a mini and in the stable she walks a lot so her bedding gets gross and therefore is not that cheap to do considering her size! She also has a rain sheet and a cooler fleece for her, not used often but needed occassionally and there in case she is ill. 

Her feet need trimming very regularly as they grow up at the front otherwise.

Oh and her stable was built for her so just the right size with lovely little door so she can see out.

She is absolutely delightful!


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## Shettie (13 May 2012)

Iv'e got a rescue shettie so shes currently rugged and fed (costs a small fortune). 

Farrier every 8weeks roughly - £10
Vaccs per year (although shes only starting hers soon when shes fully upto weight)
Wormer around £20 a year. 

She gets hifi, sure grow, conditioning cubes and a few pony nuts at the momment and has several meals a day. 

Shes a devil at escaping so had to sheep wire the whole field as she was limboing through all the electric. 

She costs £10 a week livery.


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