does anyone else have overweight ponies??

absolutely. assume she's just about to go down with laminitis, all the time. it is such a distressing, painful illness, and totally preventable when it's caused by obesity.
put her in a small paddock with zero grass, and feed her 2 flaps of rubbish hay per 24 hour period, and that's absolutely it. this was what a vet made me do for a horse, and i worried sick that it wasn't enough, that she'd colic, etc etc. in fact, she was fine, the weight dropped off and she looks fantastic now.
 
I had a fat cob, and was a bit half-soaked with managing his diet....until he had his first bout of laminitis this Spring.
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What a wake-up call that was.....he's now out 24/7 (to burn off calories) in a small fenced off section of the paddock (approx the size of 3-4 stables), he gets only unmolassed chaff to mix with his supplements, a tiny strip of fresh grass each day and a big haynet of long-soaked hay for overnight munching. I also ride him as much as possible, lots of power walking!

He's lost about 100kg since April (on a weigh tape)...wow, just realised that's over 15stone.....and is healthy and sound. I'll never let him get porky again - it's hard work but it can be done!
 
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absolutely. assume she's just about to go down with laminitis, all the time. it is such a distressing, painful illness, and totally preventable when it's caused by obesity.
put her in a small paddock with zero grass, and feed her 2 flaps of rubbish hay per 24 hour period, and that's absolutely it. this was what a vet made me do for a horse, and i worried sick that it wasn't enough, that she'd colic, etc etc. in fact, she was fine, the weight dropped off and she looks fantastic now.

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Ditto. This is the advice my farrier gave me. I asked if he would colic and he said these natives are made to walk miles and mile in search of a few blades of rubbish grass. He said to only give ponio a handful of hay twice a day. Ponio didnt colic, he didnt suffer (thought ponio would beg to differ, he thought he was being starved).


Amymay. IMO lungeing is the BEST way to get weight off a fat pony. sod the trotting, that's easy, get them doing a nice active walk on a large circle, and watch the lbs fall off. Start on 5 mins each rein, every other day for a week. Over the second week buold up to 10 minutes each rein, walk. You can then introduce trotting etc. The only strain on their legs comes from a too tight circle or fast work too soon.
 
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these natives are made to walk miles and mile in search of a few blades of rubbish grass.

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Exactly they are not designed to be kept in small fields with grass. All the highland ponies up here are kept on rough hill ground and have to move great distances to find grazing and shelter. My trekking ponies live on about 50 acres of rough grazing, they work 3/4 hours a day 6 days a week with little extra feeding (except hay in the winter) and they still have plenty of covering on them. This is their natural environment and people should think about this before buying this type of pony.
Don't worry too much though winter is coming and so the ideal time for getting weight off, and no feeding bills for you!
 
we have actually been lookin to move further up scotland to somewhere with better land for her cause she loves being on hilly ground and rough grazin would do her the world of good
 
i used to but i got A MUZZLE AND SHE wears it most of the time when shes at grass and she is perfect now, prehaps slightly underweight(can see ribs)
before even on an eggcup of hifi lite and restricted grass(strip grazing on small area) with hay/straw and being worked everyday she was still too fat!
the muzzle worked great for me and it means to field doesnt get hammered and they can go in together on a large area!
 
I have an overweight pony too
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. It is a constant battle, especially as I think quality of life is so important, and standing in a 20x20m mud patch isn't quality IMO. They do seem to literally live on fresh air sometimes, and I don't think exercise has much of an impact unless they're hacking for mile upon mile each day. I try not to beat myself up over it, I do my best to get the weight off of him, but at his time of life I think I'm losing the fight - until he loses his teeth and I can't keep the weight on him
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