Brilliant ponies, not for soft-hearted handlers

Shetland ponies are remarkable animals but they will absolutely take advantage of soft or inconsistent handling. My pony tested every boundary in his first year — barging, nibbling, refusing, gate-crashing. Firm, consistent, fair handling sorted all of it and he's now a genuinely good pony. But anyone who gives him an inch finds he takes a field. They're not malicious — they're simply intelligent enough to figure out what they can get away with.