Small pony, serious contact list
A Shetland pony carer needs your number, a backup handler who knows ponies, your regular equine vet, an emergency equine practice, and your farrier, written together with the field address. Do not let the pony's size shrink the list: a Shetland in trouble needs the same fast vet access as a full-size horse, and a small pony that is down, cast, or loose still needs two adults to manage safely. Add who can authorise a vet visit and transport, where the headcollar in the correct small size hangs, and which stable or pen the pony goes into if the vet wants it off grass immediately.
Weight, grazing, and hoof details at the heart of Shetland care
A Shetland's vet details should centre on weight and feet, because this thrifty island breed is built to survive on sparse grazing and gains condition on pasture that would barely maintain a larger horse. Record the grazing plan in plain terms: hours out, restricted strip or track setup if you use one, muzzle routine if your vet supports it, and the soaked or weighed hay arrangement in everyday language. Note past episodes of sore feet, reluctance to turn, or a bounding pulse feel that your vet has assessed, plus current hoof trim status and any cracks the farrier is monitoring. A carer who can report grazing breaches and foot warmth accurately gives the vet the two facts that matter most for this breed.
The no-treats rule and the escape-artist fence check
Shetland notes must state the feeding rule in words nobody can soften: no treats, no bread, no handfuls of rich grass from visitors, however pleading the pony looks. Put that rule on the gate as well as the sheet if children pass the field. List the fence lines this clever pony tests, the gate it has learned to nudge, and the electric line routine if one is used, because a Shetland that reaches a lush verge or a feed room can eat itself into an emergency in an afternoon. Name companions and the pony's usual catching method, which for many Shetlands is a bucket with the correct ration and a patient approach rather than a chase.
Shetland warning signs that mean vet first, message second
A Shetland carer should call the vet at once if this pony is reluctant to move, shifting weight between front feet, lying down more than usual, or showing hot feet, and equally for colic signs, choke, a wound, or an eye injury. A grazing breach into rich pasture or a feed store also deserves a same-day call for advice even if the pony looks cheerful, because waiting for obvious pain wastes the useful window. The farrier's number covers a lost shoe equivalent in pony terms, such as a split hoof or sudden short stride, and written permission to stable the pony on deep bedding should be on the sheet.
Proving the routine before the pony tests a new person
Have the carer set up the grazing area, fit the muzzle if one is used, catch the pony, and pick up one foot while you are there, and walk the fence line together pointing out the nudged gate. Leave the contact sheet in the stable and on their phone, with the no-treats rule printed directly beneath the vet number where a kind visitor story cannot override it. Shetlands test new routines for gaps, so rehearsal is protection. Keeping the handover in KinsLe via Care Pass means the temporary carer holds this Shetland's grazing limits, hoof history, and vet contacts in one shared packet for the days away.