A new vet taking on a Shetland pony needs the records that describe a small, thrifty, long-lived pony accurately: his passport and identification, vaccination and dental history, farrier notes, weight and grazing records, and a dated account of anything that has changed. Add your previous vet's details so the clinical file can be transferred properly, plus handling notes written by someone who knows him. Handed over as one packet, those records save the first appointment from becoming an interview and let the vet examine the pony instead.
Start with passport, identity, and life history
Identity opens a Shetland pony's handover because his passport is both a legal document and his medical identity. Give the new vet his passport details, registered or stable name, age, colour, and markings, plus his microchip or other identification number if he has one. Add his life history in brief: where he came from, how long you have had him, and what work he does, whether children's pony, driving pony, companion, or retired. Note any previous homes or yards if you know them. A pony who may live into his thirties accumulates history, and the new vet needs the thread of it from day one.
Hand over vaccination, dental, and clinical history
Clinical history is the heart of the Shetland pony handover, so pass it across completely rather than summarised. Include his vaccination record with dates, his dental history and when he is next due, and notes from previous examinations, investigations, or stays, with your previous practice's contact details so originals can follow. List any long-running management the pony is under in plain terms, such as a controlled grazing plan or regular monitoring of a known issue, without guessing at details you are unsure of. Flag anything time-sensitive at the top, like a dental check already overdue, so it is booked rather than buried.
Include farrier notes and movement observations
Feet and movement tell a new vet a great deal about a Shetland pony, so include the farrier's side of the file. Record his trim interval, whether he works barefoot or shod, any balance or shape notes the farrier has made, and when he was last done. Add your own dated observations: any stiffness after rest, reluctance on hard or stony ground, changes in how he moves downhill or turns, and how he has been after farrier visits. Small native ponies are stoic, and short written notes made at the time carry more weight than a general feeling at the appointment that he has not seemed quite right lately.
Add weight, grazing, and feed records
Weight management is the record set a new vet will study hardest in a Shetland pony, because the breed is built to thrive on very little. Hand over his weight tape readings or condition notes by date, his grazing arrangement, whether restricted, tracked, or on sparse ground, and exactly what hay and hard feed he receives. Note seasonal changes too, such as when he comes off grass in spring or gains rugs and extra forage in winter. If his weight has crept despite the plan, say so plainly; an honest record lets the vet adjust management early, which is far kinder than a crisis later.
Finish with handling notes and today's concern
Handling notes close the handover and they matter with a Shetland pony, whose size invites people to underestimate his strength and opinions. Write down how he behaves for examination, injections, dental work, and clipping, what settles him, and anything he objects to, from having his ears handled to being caught in the field. End the packet with a dated note of today's concern in your own words, or state clearly that this is a registration visit with nothing currently wrong. Hand over the packet, keep a copy, and add the new vet's summary to it afterwards. Storing it in KinsLe's Pet Passport keeps his records together in one portable packet, ready for any practice he visits.