Holiday cover for a Shetland pony is mainly an exercise in protecting him from generosity. A Shetland is a native pony built for sparse island grazing and hard weather, and on ordinary lowland pasture he gains weight fast, with laminitis the standing risk behind every extra hour of grass and every oversized hay net. He is also far stronger and more opinionated than his height suggests. Your instructions need to make the restrictions feel like the care they are, so a sitter who thinks he looks hungry or hard done by holds the line you have set.
Lead With Restricted Grazing, Muzzle Rules and Weighed Hay
A Shetland pony's feeding paragraph decides whether the holiday goes well. State exactly where he lives during your absence, whether that is a bare pen, a track system or a small worn paddock, and say in plain words that he is not to be moved onto the grass field for a treat or because the weather is nice. Give his hay weighed, in the small-holed net if he uses one, split into the number of nets per day you specify, and describe any grazing muzzle routine with its on and off times. If he receives a small feed for supplements, give the measure and say it stays that size even if he begs, which he will, convincingly.
Write Handling Notes for a Small Pony With a Large Will
A Shetland pony's handling section should correct the assumption that small means easy. Explain that he may plant his feet, lean against a child's weight, or snatch at grass on the way to his pen, and describe how you lead him, where you stand, and the firm, unhurried routine that works. Say clearly who may handle, groom or lead him while you are away and who may not, including whether visiting children may be near him at all, because a Shetland's cuteness draws helpers you have not vetted. Cover catching honestly: whether he walks up for a bucket, whether he must be cornered calmly in the pen, and what never works, such as chasing him around a field.
Cover the Coat, Feet and Daily Once-Over
A Shetland pony grows a coat that handles most weather without help, so say whether he wears any rug at all and warn against rugging a hot, thick-coated pony because the yard feels chilly. Ask for feet picked out daily and checked for heat, and for a hands-on feel of his crest and ribs at least twice during the stay, noting whether the crest is thickening or the ribs are getting harder to find. His small size makes the grooming check easy to assign: a brush through the forelock and mane, a look at skin under the thick coat for rubbing or scurf, and a watch for any itchiness that has him rubbing fences.
Name the Laminitis Warning Signs as Call-Now Items
A Shetland pony's emergency list should put sore feet first. Write that reluctance to walk, rocking back onto his heels, lying down more than usual, warm hooves or a bounding pulse in the pastern area means the pony comes off grass into the pen and you and the vet are called the same day, not monitored until you return. Add the general emergencies any sitter needs: not eating, repeated rolling, injury, or escape. Leave the vet and farrier numbers, your contact order, and the location of his muzzle, nets and the scales for weighing hay. Sharing these instructions as a KinsLe Care Pass keeps this Shetland's grazing limits, handling rules and foot warnings in front of your sitter at every visit during your break.