I had started a series of articles about riding and working Shetland ponies, but hadn’t done the english counterpart to the western article I did. Well, our ponies certainly did well hunt seat (or english) and jumping for our daughters as their start into the hunter/jumper world. They started a good foundation for the girls. It didn’t really last long – all 3 of the girls graduated to our larger 1/2 shetland crosses and/or to the full size mares we used to create our 1/2 Shetland crosses. Skye started riding our 2nd Shetland mare, Magic (Magic Place Resida), english not long after she was started under saddle. We only have a handful of pictures – all taken at 2 different horse shows.

After Magic, Skye graduated to both our 1/2 shetland crosses and to larger pony and horse mares whom she rode english. Those pics won’t be added here, right now. The first few times that Madira rode Stuffy (LP Painted PuffNstuf), she rode english. She only rode Stuffy those few times – she did much better with Patty, whom she went back to. Sierra rode Stuffy either bareback or western.

Sierra rode Shado (LP Painted ShadoAct) hunt seat quite a number of times, but we only have one “photo shoot” of that!

Vixen’s first few rides were done under hunt seat gear. Sierra then rode her western for a while and at her first several shows.

Madira did a series of riding lesson riding english on Vixen (LP Painted Vixenation) and Sierra rode and showed her hunt seat.

Vixen went out to a professional trainer and then out on lease for a little less than a year. When Vixen came home, Sierra took more advanced riding and jumping lessons on her.

Vixen was ridden hunt seat by students with LP Painted Ponys and Starting Point Stables.

Zac & Vixen at Starting Point Stables – May 2005

Zac riding Vixen at Starting Point Stables – 2005

In 2009, Stuffy is returned to riding english with a new lesson rider.

Shetland Ponies are THE RIGHT SIZE to introduce children and small folk to riding english/hunt seat. All the photos above are just our photos, depicting our ponies being ridden english – on the flat and over jumps. There are plenty of Shetland ponies ridden hunt seat at other farms and in multiple show rings across the country.