western australia

Do you travel on shank's pony?

@JudyEv (386296)

Rockingham, Australia

July 25, 2025 7:21pm CST

Our son in Melbourne doesn’t have a car although he has kept his licence up-to-date. He has recently moved and, without a car and on unemployment benefits, he has had to rely on friends to help him shift. A friendly store-owner offered him some carpet offcuts to put on the cement floor of the place where he is living. When he explained he was on ‘shank’s pony’ and couldn’t get them home she offered to deliver them. There are some very kind people out there. All that is just backstory to pad out this post and ask if you’ve heard of shank’s pony, meaning you’re walking. A shank of course is the part of the leg between the knee and the ankle. The photo is of my two harness ponies. They are eyeing off a bucket of carrots.

18 people like this

18 responses

@AmbiePam (124813)

• United States

26 Jul 25

No, I have definitely never heard of that. I’d also hate to be without my car.

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@AmbiePam (124813)

• United States

26 Jul 25

@JudyEv I’m used to everything being too far away to walk.

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Lenore Plassman

@sallypup (69646)

• Centralia, Washington

26 Jul 25

@JudyEv He is young enough and healthy enough that he can walk where he needs to go. That's super.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul 25

He doesn't want a car and doesn't like driving. I'm not sure why he has kept his licence up to date. Maybe it's helpful when he needs to prove his identity.

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@LadyDuck (507174)

• Italy

26 Jul 25

You are so right, there are more kind people than we imagine. We got lost two weeks ago while searching for the place where to take our car for the local "revision". A very nice woman told us to follow her car and she drove us there.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul 25

That was so kind of her. The young girl in the airport couldn't have been kinder. We were getting really stressed.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul 25

@LadyDuck I understand. These things can be so confusing sometimes. We rely too much on our GPSs sometimes but they're not foolproof by any stretch of the imagination.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul 25

@LadyDuck We try to check the route at home on the internet, especially if we are really unfamiliar with the region.

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@RebeccasFarm (91336)

• United States

27 Jul 25

That was kind of the woman to deliver to your son. How is the lad doing Judy? Yes I walk and so does my son..everywhere. I know the saying well.

We also say hoofing it.

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@RebeccasFarm (91336)

• United States

28 Jul 25

@JudyEv Wonderful to know then Judy bless him.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Jul 25

We've just spent four days with him which was nice. We have a better idea now of where he is, etc. He's doing okay, thanks.

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@LindaOHio (223997)

• United States

26 Jul 25

I've never heard of that. The ponies are lovely. I want to pet them and feed them a carrot.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Jul 25

They loved their carrots and would lick my hands after to get every last bit.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Jul 25

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@LindaOHio (223997)

• United States

27 Jul 25

@JudyEv That is so cool. I went nuts feeding carrots to giraffes. I LOVED IT!!!

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@Mshafeeq (2746)

• Kuwait, Kuwait

26 Jul 25

I want to ride upon pony it's my dream since my childhood never got a chance.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul 25

I was very lucky to be raised on a farm and we always had ponies to ride.

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@Mshafeeq (2746)

• Kuwait, Kuwait

27 Jul 25

@JudyEv That's so cool.. I wish I too had a pony I would pose in front of my friends haha..

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@Beestring (15372)

• Hong Kong

26 Jul 25

No, I haven't heard of this phase.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul 25

You will know lots of Australian sayings soon.

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@Beestring (15372)

• Hong Kong

26 Jul 25

@JudyEv That will be great!

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@GardenGerty (170420)

• United States

26 Jul 25

Kind people. I hope things improve for him soon.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Jul 25

We have a few plans and are working on making one or other come to fruition.

@DaddyEvil (176946)

• United States

26 Jul 25

I've always heard it called "shank's mare" here but both mean the same thing. (I remember two of my brothers coming home after an extended tour in the military saying they had to get different places by shank's mare. I don't know if they picked that up from dad or if dad picked it up from them or someone else.)

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul 25

I haven't heard it in, like, forever so was a bit surprised. Perhaps our son got it from my Mum. It's something she would have used.

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@DaddyEvil (176946)

• United States

26 Jul 25

@JudyEv It seemed like it was used a lot more when I was a kid.

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@wolfgirl569 (138859)

• Marion, Ohio

26 Jul 25

I hadn't heard that one

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Jul 25

It's an old one I think.

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@RasmaSandra (99888)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

26 Jul 25

That is why I am mostly home public transport is slow and almost nonexistent and all I have are my two feet for walking, I am so glad there is online shopping,

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Jul 25

Online shopping would be a great boon for anyone in similar circumstances to yours.

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Vicki, #1 Creek Girl

@1creekgirl (44560)

• United States

26 Jul 25

You have the most interesting posts, Judy. Hope your son will be driving soon, instead of walking.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Jul 25

Thanks for the kind words. He doesn't want to drive. He hasn't driven for years and seems to have no confidence or wish to start.

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@Traceyjayne (12893)

• United Kingdom

26 Jul 25

It’s a well known saying here with the older generation ….i am in that class now …..nearly. I do a lot of walking ….we live near a huge arboretum and it’s lovely to walk in there.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Jul 25

I know my Mum used to say it a lot.

@Ronrybs (21917)

• London, England

26 Jul 25

I spend a lot of time on shank's pony, only using my bike for journeys of more than half an hour. Long trips it is train

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Jul 25

It saves problems with parking. But we did see a bike wheel chained to a post but the rest of the bike had been stolen.

@MarieCoyle (61334)

•

26 Jul 25

I have heard of the saying Shank's Mare, which basically means the same thing that you say of your saying, that your transportation is your own two legs. The ponies are so very sweet, Judy.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul 25

Someone else knew of Shank's mare too. The ponies were lovely - just good boys.

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@snowy22315 (212023)

• United States

26 Jul 25

Your poor son Learn something everyday. Today I learned about Shank's Pony

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul 25

We're trying to work out a better solution for him but it will take time. I was surprised to hear him use the term. I haven't heard it in ages.

Lenore Plassman

@sallypup (69646)

• Centralia, Washington

26 Jul 25

Your ponies are handsome. I've heard of that saying but not often. I'm glad your son has good people near him.

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul 25

I haven't heard it for so long and was really surprised to hear my son use it.

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@paigea (36144)

• Canada

26 Jul 25

I'm glad you told me what it meant. I'm sure I've heard it before but would not have remembered what it meant

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@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul 25

It really surprised me to hear him say it. I haven't heard it in years.

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@Soobinah (491)

•

26 Jul 25

It's my biggest dream to ride on a horse. But I dont have the opportunity to do it. There are some places here that we can rent a horse. I hope someday I could visit one of those places and ride a horse.

@JudyEv (386296)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul 25

I've been very lucky to have been around horses most of my life.