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Veteran
Posts: 230
 
Location: Louisiana | We are picking up a pony this weekend. It is our first pony and my understanding is that she is overweight. Apparently one of those ponies that stays in good weight on air.
Where should I be putting this pony? On a dry lot with a roll of grass hay and no grain? Should she go out in the pasture that has been grazed down? I want her to be happy and not bored. I don't want her to be hungry all the time either. I just have no experience in feeding a small one like this. I guess she is never going to have grain.
Any helpful tips would be great. Also if she arrives and is a bit too much for my girls - how do you work with a pony too small to ride? |
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Location: KY | Ponies are great. How old is she? She should do fine in a dry lot with hay; suggest that you go with a mixed grass that is not too rich, and a free choice salt/mineral mix. Now you might want to look for a pony cart and harness! Showstoppertack.com usually has good deals on harness and they also carry the Liverpool bit which is the best (imo) bit for driving, also countrysupply.com. I got my carts from American Cart and Harness in Oregon. Driving is soooo much fun. Please post more once you get the pony home. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 792
Location: East Tennessee, USA, Planet Earth | How overwgt is she? I would turn her out daily for a few hours with a muzzle and dry lot her the rest of the time. Have you talked to your Vet about her? I would slowly start working her, you can hand walk her or work her on a line or in a round pen. How tall is she? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 644
Location: Odenville, Alabama | I have ponies. They are my business . . . Pony Tales LLC. Dry lot, dry lot, dry lot! I would not put out a round bale if she'll be the only thing eating it. It will go bad before she gets through, and she may eat enough to founder, if she hasn't already. It sounds like you haven't seen her?? Fat, could mean "fat and foundered". Overweight ponies usually have. My Shetlands get 1 cup of crimped oats and 1 flake of hay a.m. and p.m. The bigger ponies get 2 cups of oats and 1 flake of hay a.m. and p.m. They "pretend" to graze and they may get a sprig of grass here and there, but for the most part their 2 acres are dry. If you have grass, the muzzle would be a good idea, but put her up at night. Ponies loose with halters on are not the best idea though. They are notorious for sticking their heads where they shouldn't be. Good luck. I just have a ball with my ponies!! |
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Location: Brighton, Colorado | Be very cautious about the founder. Like it was said above, fat = founder. Over weight horses/ponys can founder extremely easy and take years to recover. |
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Veteran
Posts: 230
Location: Louisiana | She is not foundered and has no history of founder, thank goodness. She had a prepurchase exam done and is in good health except for the excess weight. So we have only seen pictures and the vet report. She is a lovely 10 hand, 15 year old, Shetland mare. She has not been worked with regularly in some time so my main concern is working with her so that my children can eventually ride her in the round pen off of the lead line.
So you all think that the dry lot is the best situation for her? And turnout in the pasture with the grazing muzzle on. I will forget the round bale idea and just go with a small hayrack or net each day. I am leaning towards no grain at all but I am not sure that the hay will meet all of her nutritional requirements.
I really think that she is going to work out well. We are very excited to get her home. And if for some reason she doesn't work out for the children at least she can live out a life of leisure. I think that at her age she has probably paid her dues many times over.
I really appreciate all of the replies and will update you all when we get home. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 644
Location: Odenville, Alabama | 15 years old? She's a youngster! My Magic is 32 this year! And still gives pony rides. He's great. |
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Location: KY | like N2 said, 15 is nothing for a pony; they last longer than their larger relatives. How wonderful that you were able to find her...Please keep us posted. |
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Veteran
Posts: 243
Location: Maine | My 16 y.o. mini is now turned out with a grazing muzzle. We were not diligent with her last year and she foundered. She's still only turned out for an hour or so at a time on the pasture and then put in the dry lot for the remainder of the time. She doesn't seem to mind the muzzle and in fact, knows she's going to get to go out with her buddies when it goes on. One thing I did do was cut the hole at the bottom slightly larger. When I first put it on, it only tormented her, she couldn't get anything. My farrier is pleased with where her weight is now, she looks sleek and healthy! |
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Expert
Posts: 1989
Location: South Central OK | I rode my POA until she was 32. |
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.jpg) Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico | My old vet said his pony was 10 when he bought him (per his papers) and he's had him for 29 years now. He bought the little guy for his kids to learn with, then kept him for their kids. Now he's got the run of the place and thinks he is the "king". |
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Veteran
Posts: 230
Location: Louisiana | Well we are now in possession of the cutest pony I have ever seen. When we arrived to get her after an extremely long drive our girls were asleep. So we started to get the pony loaded when one of the girls woke up. She ran barefoot out of the van and up to the pony saying, "OOOOHHHH I LOVE HER!!CAN I HUG HER PLEEEEEEASE?" and she promptly threw her arms around the pony's neck and squeezed her. That darling little pony dropped her head and half closed her eyes as if to just drink in the love of a little girl. It was so cute and sweet that I almost cried. You could just see the whole demeanor of the pony change. I wonder how long it has been since she had a hug like that.
After one sniff she jumped right into the trailer. She rode home like a champ. A whole 12 hours including that horrible stretch of I10 past Houston. My husband dropped her off at the farm in the round pen for starters because it seems the safest place for the first few days. Then we can take her for a walk and show her the boundaries.
The only thing that I noticed which wasn't even mentioned in the prepurchase is part of her left eye is blue. Would that be a sign of eye damage or possibly eye disease? She can see out of it. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 303
Location: Grapeland, Texas | Relay101, they haven't improved I-10 yet?? It can be awful.
I just read an article on a pony that was suppose to be the world's oldest pony. I think he was in England and had to be put down due to problems with his health. He was 56 yrs. old.
Edited by longearsrule 2007-06-11 8:56 AM
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Veteran
Posts: 230
Location: Louisiana | There were points along the way that were positively scary. Absolutely no room for error. Concrete barriers on the lines. And other parts reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer adopted a mile of highway and thought it was ok for him to widen the lanes. Some parts were so smooth and nice others felt like we were sitting on a jackhammer. |
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Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan | Have a vet check out the eyes if you're not sure. Hard to tell without seeing it. You could also have the vet run a test or two and see if you're dealing with cushings, which fat ponys usually have. Then you know what you can do for the critter. fat ponies can be big problems- founder,colic and cushings but you just never know, heck they generally live longer than most people even fat.... |
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Veteran
Posts: 294
Location: Fort Worth, Tx | My former western trainer had a pony that had some cloudy blue develop in her eye-she had to take it to a specialist and it turned out she had uveitis (moon blindness) developing. She ended up blind in that eye while I knew her but was still a FABULOUS pony, I used to give lessons on her and she was just as safe half blind as she had been seeing. On the "fat" bit, i have been trying to remember the name of the grazing muzzle that The Horse Journal recommended and it will not come to mind...it was fabulous though. Check the Horse Journal. |
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Veteran
Posts: 243
Location: Maine | You mentioned that you had a pre-purchase vet check. A very smart thing to do. If you are dealing with a reputable vet, I am sure he/she would have said something about her eye if it was a health issue. Is she a pinto pony? My pinto mare has a half-blue eye. One blue eye is sometimes called a "watch eye" and it's not all that unusual especially in pintos, paints or bald-faced horses and ponies. She sounds wonderful. Every little girl's dream! Congratulations on finding a sweet friend for your daughter! Can you post a picture! We'd love to see her! Don't forget to get back "on topic" and don't let her eat too much! |
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Expert
Posts: 1989
Location: South Central OK | In Texas blue eyes are called "glass eyes" and they come on AQHA horses too. |
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Veteran
Posts: 230
Location: Louisiana | On the fat note. I don't think that she is really that fat. It is not as if you would look at her and say she is obese. She just has a few more pounds than she needs as a pony. A little bit of a heart shaped heiny.
Her eye is not cloudy blue. She is not a pinto pony. She is snow white but the points around her eyes, nose and dock are all black not pinky. The blue in her left eye (which is mostly brown) almost looks like her eye is partly blue. It is just around the edges on one side and it is a clear pretty blue, not smokey or cloudy, with black flecks in it.
On the cushings note - don't horses with cushings normally have trouble shedding? She is slick and shiny. A beautiful snow white coat.
I did order a pony size grazing muzzle for her and we will see if she can tolerate that. I would love for her to spend alot of time outside in the fields because she can really move around with the other horses.
I will get some photos of her today and make a webshots album so that you can see her eye and then her fat little behind. Thanks again for all of the tips. |
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Veteran
Posts: 243
Location: Maine | White pony with one or two blue eyes, not unusual. Don't fret! She sounds like a beautiful little thing!
I was skeptical about the grazing muzzle and how my mini would accept it. She was absolutely fine after the first couple of tries. Now she doesn't even notice it. But she does look really funny wearing the muzzle AND her fly mask. She looks like something out of a sci-fi movie!
Someone else on the board reminded me to make sure to take it off once in a while so she can get a drink. Some will not drink with the muzzle on. I have not seen my mini drink with it on, so I make sure she has plenty of opportunity to drink with it removed. |
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Location: KY | She is probably technically a grey....I wouldn't worry about the eye unless you see some discharge....and again, 15 is a youngster for a pony or small horse. I had a 13.2 hand horse who lived to 30 plus. He was pure white but with the black skin, so technically a grey.....he was 15 plus when I got him...and he was wonderful. So glad you were able to find a good pony. |
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Veteran
Posts: 230
Location: Louisiana | I thnk you are right, Rose. The vet put grey on her coggins certificate. |
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Veteran
Posts: 230
Location: Louisiana | Well the girls rode the pony for the first time by themselves. Up until now we were just getting to know her on the lead and lunge line. I just let them ride her bareback in the round pen. At one point I noticed the pony take the lead and turn back to the gate. I told my daughter to let her know who the boss is. As children often do, she took me literally and leaned down and said loudly into the pony's ear, "I am the boss, ok?". It was so cute. The pony got a bath and introduction to the clippers and she did really well. She seems to be a really sweet girl. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 644
Location: Odenville, Alabama | Good for you! Sounds like you have a keeper. Good ponies are SO hard to find!! Send pictures! |
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 Regular
Posts: 66
Location: Maryland | Sounds like you did find a keeper and your new pony found a keeper also !!!!! That's great. I love to hear about stories like this, keep us posted and post pics of the pony and your girls !!!! |
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New FAT pony
