Wanderlust

Couldn't agree more. The depth of knowledge of the equine foot anatomy that farriers have is incredible. If my horse has a problem in the foot I always call my farrier before I call the vet. Don't get me wrong, I've always been very lucky and had superb vets for my horses but the farrier is "the king" when it comes to their feet!

(quote) Is it barefoot trimming you have trained in or traditional? you might well find extra income from that. I have a pony and have been trying to teach myself barefoot trimming from books and seem to be getting the hang of it but would love to have a trained person check my work and I doubt I'm alone in ths. I won't be moving up to your beautiful part of the world for over 18 months but once there I too would be very interested in somebody that could teach me to trim my horses feet be it barefoot or traditional. I'm fully aware that farriers train for many many years and are extremely skilled and knowledgeable in their trade so I am not pretending that I hope to take his /her place but if I could carry out a very basic trim when needs be that would be a fantastic skill to have. If you feel that you would offer this service to islanders please do PM me so that I can keep your info on record for when I arrive (can't come soon enough!).

Having lived in France for 5 years I'm surrounded by people that came here to live the "dream life, living of the land" only to discover that the reality is entirely different. So I'm more than aware that to be truly self-sufficient requires financial input at the beginning, A LOT of time, and also A LOT of luck re weather etc. I have a friend whom is entirely self-sufficient and has also built her own eco straw bale house but it has taken her over 10 years to become truly self-sufficient. It really isn't my intention to become self-sufficient and we both want to work part-time in other trades on the island. I would just like to at least grow our own veggies, supply our own eggs and I am also looking into goats for milk and cheese although this in itself can require alot of hard work and commitment. If this all works out I would then look at a couple of sheep and pigs just to supply meat for ourselves. Please don't think I have my head "in the clouds". Having worked with horses in studs and showjumping yards and a trekking centre in SW Ireland and kept my own horses for more years than I care to remember I am more than aware of the hard work, of being outside in all weathers, of trudging through mud at 2 o'clock in the morning to bring horses in to stables during a storm (!), of being constantly wet and constantly tired and of 5am starts to muck-out 16 horses! It's hard but I wouldn't have changed the strength of character it's given me! I too have decided to make my life easier and now only have TWO of the critters! I'm prepared to accept whatever the Shetland weather throws at me and also to put in hard work and effort to make the life we wish for but at the same time am very grounded and realise that this has to be mixed with "modern" life too. I may be crazy but I love nothing more than coming in of an evening soaking wet and muddy from working outside with the horses and getting changed, showered and plonking myself down in front of the fire (with the obligatory glass of wine of course!) - to me that's what life is all about........

Thanks again to you all for your advice and info. I'm taking it all in and will continue to enjoy reading all your posts. The move can't come soon enough for me!

I must admit Henry that I have been seriously considering whether it is "practical" to bring our horses with us given how much land they require and how much they cost to feed! I'm just trying to persuade my husband that perhaps it's best for us to sell them before we make the move but it's difficult to give something up that's always been part of our lives. Apart from obviously the lovely Shetland Ponies are there many private horse-owners on the islands? We do really hope to keep animals on the land but if this did become too difficult legislation wise would just growing vegetables, keeping chickens etc be acceptable to the crofting commission if it's only a 4 or 5 acre croft? Although if we don't bring our horses we would have to put some livestock on it to graze and manage the land anyway so I guess that answers my own question! Thanks again everybody. All input very gratefully received!

Thanks ever so much for your replies. Ghostrider the info you have given me is so helpful and detailed - thanks for your time! I understand that the croft I am interested in is owner occupied but I am not sure whether it is actually "registered" so that is something I will definitely look into. I'll also be ensuring that there are no other tenants already "insitu" on the land. I had a feeling it may be a bit of a minefield so your advice is very welcome. From the sounds of things I think you are probably right in that it will be easier for us just to buy hay straight from the field if it is available or if not from a local dealer. Although we like the idea of being "self-sufficient" we also realise this is very difficult to achieve so we will both be also looking for part-time work on the island to supplement our income. My husband is an osteopath and I am a bit of a "heinz variety" and train horses, teach pilates and am also a nutrition specialist although I have also worked as a secretary for many years previous to this. I hope you don't mind me asking but are you a crofter yourself? If so, would it be possible to stay in touch? I feel confident that I can achieve what I am setting out to do but it would be nice to have some expert advice to hand. Just one last question, although I am hopefully buying a croft within the next 2 or 3 months I will not be able to move into it permanently for almost 18 months. If the land is registered would this cause a problem with the Crofting Association? I have e-mailed them too but to date have not had a reply.

Hi I am hoping to move to Shetland within the next 18 months or so with intention of buying a small croft. Depending on the land size (currently looking at properties on Yell with 5 acres, 3 acres and 1.5 acres) it is our intention to hopefully bring our 2 horses with us, grow our own vegetables, keep chickens and possibly a couple of sheep or goats (again depending on the land size). The horses will obviously be for leisure but it is our intention to make the land work for us as a family in the most efficient way (albeit we hope with much advice from current crofters). Would this be termed as "crofting"? I am aware of the issues surrounding the gradual loss of this way of life and would want to ensure we do everything we can to support crofting even if it is very smallscale. Also, is hay very expensive to buy on the island from other farmers? Does it need to be imported? I'd very much appreciate any advice from local crofters. I am currently looking at properties on Yell.