Posted 2013-09-07 5:49 PM (#154612) Subject: Need help......new pony for grandkids
Veteran
Posts: 153
Location: Grant City, Missouri
I haven't had a pony for a long time. This little pony has been on a dry lot; he is 7 yrs old. Right not here in N. Missouri, on the Iowa line we have been suffering from a drought. Will it be okay to turn him out? I sure don't want him to founder. The folks that owned him seemed to think that since he was a pony, he didn't need to be on pasture. Please let me know!!!
Posted 2013-09-09 4:28 AM (#154627 - in reply to #154612) Subject: RE: Need help......new pony for grandkids
Member
Posts: 41
Location: Lexington, SC
Start out slowly introducing the pony to the pasture grass. I would start by only letting the pony be out a short period of time & increase the time every other day or so. Ponies can founder so easily but can become pasture ponies with time.
Posted 2013-09-09 11:30 AM (#154632 - in reply to #154612) Subject: RE: Need help......new pony for grandkids
Veteran
Posts: 186
IMO Ask a local pony expert. (not all vets know beans about this stuff) We do not know what your pasture looks like? Weeds play a bigger role in founder than most people think. Every pony I ever knew foundered out on pasture, unless it was a very sandy poor type pasture, or the pony was worked every day. If you do turn the pony out on good grass a little bit a day then the supplemental hay shouldn't be full of sugars (mature grass baled hay) good for you for asking. But as I said each case needs to be evaluated individual.
Posted 2013-09-15 8:58 AM (#154758 - in reply to #154612) Subject: RE: Need help......new pony for grandkids
Regular
Posts: 64
Location: Knoxville
You can buy a muzzle for the pony, so he can go out, but he won't be able to overeat. Our pony, Polly, has done fine on pasture, with muzzling in Spring, for years. She's a bigger, stout, halfinger/welsh cross though.
Posted 2013-09-16 9:07 AM (#154778 - in reply to #154612) Subject: RE: Need help......new pony for grandkids
Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: missouri
Turn him/her out for a few hours daily and monitor his activity and body score. Good luck with your pony adventure. I hope your grandkids enjoy and find a life long passion for horses.
Posted 2013-09-16 6:53 PM (#154795 - in reply to #154612) Subject: RE: Need help......new pony for grandkids
Veteran
Posts: 153
Location: Grant City, Missouri
This pony is not the first pony I have had and we always allowed our ponies to run with our horses but since he hadn't been on a pasture I was unsure. Thanks everyone for the input. "Cowboy" is doing fine. He goes out for the day but comes in at 5 for the nite. I am awaiting a grazing muzzle; hope it fits. Everything I've ordered him so far is too big! The 3 1/2 yr old grandson is here for a few days and the pony seems to be more comfortable with him than my husband and I. Hopefully they will bond and become great pals.