Needs and Costs This is a very important page to read if you are starting out. Copyright: Fairytail Stud 2010-2100 To keep a couple of these lovely ponies you would need a paddock with at least a one acre paddock of well kept grass land with a shelter or stable and clean fresh water must be available by way of an automatic drinking trough. Filling buckets does not work in hot summer days when you are taking the moment. If you forget the ponies for just a few days they will die. Setting up an automated drinking system is very easy, it costs about £150 to put a trough in a field with all the fittings and pipe. You need to dig a small trench to bury the pipe though. They are relatively cheap to keep, eating grass when available or good hay. (Ponies are much happier if they have a companion so it is best to have two if possible). Cost of keeping a couple of ponies. The cost to keep a couple of miniature Shetland ponies per week is as follows:- If not on good grass then one miniature pony would eat just one or two bales of hay per week at £2 - £4 per bale. The ponies would need to have their feet clipped three or four times a year which costs about £10 - £15 each time. They would need worming regularly at eight to twelve week intervals depending on the product. This costs about £3 - £4 each time as a £12- £16 syringe will do four little ponies. (One syringe will do four mini Shetland's or one four times). Veterinary costs are rare if you look after your ponies well. So total cost of keeping a mini Shetland pony for a year is approximately £140 - £200 excluding vet fees which are rare. This is actually cheaper than keeping most dogs if you have a large garden or some grassland. We are not breeding after the 2010 foaling season – but we will use our pet ponies to graze our land and to keep it tidy.