At Duncree we believe in raising our Shetlands in the most natural environment possible. The herd provides security and social structure for youngsters to learn their place in the herd. It is not unusual to find one the dry mares or geldings standing watch over the sleeping foals. There is the occasional fight, but if gets out of hand, senior members of the herd will step in to break up. It is a genuine thrill to watch the ponies run and play together . It also helps keep them fit. We currently have 27 ponies living in one group.
Proper nutrition is vitally important to make sure your shetland is happy and healthy. A healthy 10.2 h.h. shetland gelding with medium bone weighs in at around 235kg. Protein is a vital part of their diet. Our ponies are fed whole oats and meadow chaff and allowed constant access to hay. The amount of oats is balanced with the amount of grazing. The better the grass, the less oats are fed out. We do not "lock up" our ponies, but instead move them to areas where there is less pasture and giving them plenty of good meadow hay.
W e have found that this holistic approach:-
has improved the overall performance of our ponies.
In case you are wondering, the larger member of the group below is Reimann, a Trakner who often visits with his owner Stephanie
