17 year old lazy pony - good idea to have extended holiday ?

[katef2020]

I have a 13.2 welsh C 17 y/o who we have only had for 6 months or so as a confidence giver for my daughter, a job he is doing well. However he has had a hard life at working livery before we got him and is grumpy on the ground and lazy to ride. Hes had all his checks and is fine, but I am toying with turning him away for 6 months or so and just letting him have a total break to see if it restores his mojo ! Has anyone else done similar with a pony of a similar age and how did they come back ? He is is good condition and not arthritic, laminitic, EMS etc. Thanks.

 

[twiggy2]

did you discuss ulcers with the vet?

 

[Shay]

Turning away will probably help. Ponies can get very school sour used in a riding school. But he may also have just learned that the way to get out of work is to be grumpy and lazy which is harder to fix! You don't say how old yr daughter is but if she is fairly little it might be worth getting an older more experienced child to ride him a bit - either now or once he comes back to work - and see if that also makes a difference. But I'm a big fan of just turning away - not necessarily for a whole 6 months though. A few weeks might well do. Perhaps once school re-starts and winter sets in so it would be harder to ride anyway. You could keep up with some ground work with him to engage his attention and build relationships on the ground.

 

[ester]

I wouldn't want a welshie on holidays until October once the grass has gone.

How fit is he, what work do you do with him and what is he fed?

 

[katef2020]

thanks for all your help and I hadnt thought of ulcers, but will get this checked out.
He is ridden about 5 times a week is well muscled, he is at PC camp at the moment. he gets puffed out quite quick despite being in a fair bit of work, and apparently had a virus approx 2 years ago. My daughter is tiny on him as only weighs 3 stone and he is a chunky welsh C, but although he is a bit more responsive he is still lazy when he is ridden by bigger riders. I just feel hes been grumpy, then been treated less sympathetically and so got more grumpy. He is better out hacking and steps out well towards home. he has hunted so we may try that too to see if it cheers him up a bit. We can manage his grazing to ensure he doesnt get too porky on his holidays ( he doesnt really seem to put weight on much anyway which again is odd for his type). he is quite an odd shape, with well defined muscles and topline over his bum and crest, but a bit of a pot belly and ribs showing in the middle, this has improved a bit since we got him, but not much. He has very low worm count and has been done for tapeworm regularly too. I dont need him to be a superstar athelete, but would just like to get him to be a happier pony !

 

[ester]

mine has a large rib cage so his belly always looks bigger than it is?

If he is relatively fit is it possible he isn't getting the feed he needs to do what is being asked. Mine has restricted grazing but oats and a vit min supplement as he is naturally quite lazy and I have found that it doesn't put weight on because he just puts more effort into general life! Definitely take him hunting!

 

[katef2020]

maybe it is just middle aged spread and lack of time working correctly over the years.
He is fed 2 stubbs scoops a day of D&H Sixteen plus, has good but not lush grazing and ad lib good hay or haylage when in, so he is getting a fair bit of food for his type. He has a very chilled out home now, always with company, lots of turnout and a lot less work and stress than where he came from, which was a mega busy yard. I had hoped he would perk up and cheer up a bit though after 6 months. Perhaps a break when he returns from camp for a while ( daughter has another pony to ride) then some refittening then a few hours hunting now and again ? He is a super safe pony who is really well behaved , just not enthusiastic.

 

[ester]

I'm not a fan of 16+ because of the molasses, but that is very much up to you, it does sound like he should be getting enough input .

I didn't mean to put a question mark after discussing my Frank's belly! Just for him his belly is not an indicator of the weight he is carrying, his butt however is! He sounds like a nice chap, I'd just hunt and hack him over the winter if possible, no school work if he were mine.

 

[touchstone]

Has he been checked for cushings? - pot belly. ribby but with fat on the crest and bum with lethargy and grumpiness are classic for cushings ponies.

 

[oldie48]

Exactly my thoughts, I hope it's not but if it is, it's not the end of the world.

Has he been checked for cushings? - pot belly. ribby but with fat on the crest and bum with lethargy and grumpiness are classic for cushings ponies.

 

[ester]

Ah, I counted that on the EMS etc list.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

maybe it is just middle aged spread and lack of time working correctly over the years.
He is fed 2 stubbs scoops a day of D&H Sixteen plus, has good but not lush grazing and ad lib good hay or haylage when in, so he is getting a fair bit of food for his type. He has a very chilled out home now, always with company, lots of turnout and a lot less work and stress than where he came from, which was a mega busy yard. I had hoped he would perk up and cheer up a bit though after 6 months. Perhaps a break when he returns from camp for a while ( daughter has another pony to ride) then some refittening then a few hours hunting now and again ? He is a super safe pony who is really well behaved , just not enthusiastic.

It takes time for equines to settle into a new home/routine. I have had several exRS horses and ime it takes at least a yr, often nearer 2 for them to really relax and understand that they are now a family member, rather than a member of the work-force. A break for him when your daughter is back at school sounds like a good idea but it is probably worth asking a vet to check him for ulcers, even if only to rule them out.

Maybe when he gets back from camp, concentrating on hacking will cheer him up.

 

[katef2020]

yes he has been checked for cushings and his levels are fine - our other pony is powered by pergolide so it was our first thought !

 

[Annagain]

Mine (1/4 welsh but 17 hh!) can also looks a bit ribby but with a pot belly. It's just his shape. He has a very round rib cage so carries his weight lower down. As Ester said, his bum is a much better indication. When his tummy looks 'normal' he has a big apple bottom, when his bum's right he looks a bit ribby on the sides but his tummy is actually ok, just low.

If he is a bit sour, maybe pony club is a bit similar to the riding school so I'd either give him a break or do something completely different. Some exciting but low pressure, non regimented stuff like a trip to the beach or a fun ride and of course hunting when the season starts to see if that picks him up.

 

[katef2020]

looks like he has the time of his life ( probably literally poor chap) coming up ! Thanks for all your advice, and I'll get the ulcer idea checked out too. Hopefully be able to report happy pony next spring.

 

[ester]

lol at 'powered by pergolide'!

 

[monkeymad]

What a lucky pony to have such a thoughtful and caring home! Hope he comes round and sweetens up, I think a few weeks off will do him the world of good. Good luck!

 

[_HP_]

yes he has been checked for cushings and his levels are fine - our other pony is powered by pergolide so it was our first thought !

Worth mentioning that Cushing's test is not always the most reliable, especially in the early stages and , seeing as he is showing the clinical signs for it, perhaps a Pergolide trial may be useful ☺

 

[katef2020]

good point will chat to vet. The other pony is literally powered by pergolide as was my daughters amazing first pony whose levels were off the scale so far the lab asked his bloods to be repeated ( over 1000 !) he had 5 amazing years ,stable at 300 or so and was happy and laminitis free and still winning ridden veteran classes until he stopped responding at 28 and was pts at home. Love you Teds !