Don't think I can do this anymore - old ponies and waterlogged fields

billylula said:
Because one eats quickly and one eats slowly. If I put hay out - even lots of hay, in lots of piles - I can't be sure that Oldie will get his share because greedy NF will guzzle the lot. Did I not explain this earlier??
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If you put enough out for there always to be some left - i.e. 'ad lib' they should both get what they need - even if greedy one swaps feeders frequently to make sure his is 'tastiest'!

We just have 1 round bale in a feeder. The greedy ones fill up and leave it eventually, and the others get their turn. 1 lot in a feeder and one lot in the shelter (haybar?) should let your two sort it out, however.

If your oldie is really loosing condition, please do check their teeth - our old welshie lost a lot of weight last year as we rely on hay and haylage over the winter, with minimal grazing. Her EDT explained it was because she wasn't managing to grind the hay into sufficciently short fibles to digest it properly, though she was managing to eat it. This year she has moved on to a new loan home with good year round grazing and is doing amazingly well.
 
Seriously, there are so many of us in the same boat at the moment. My field is just vile - I've never known it this bad for so long. I could move them off for a bit but where would we go? Everywhere else is the same. One of ours has an abscess at the moment and has been feeling very sorry for himself and I've been worried sick too. I feel like the worst horseowner ever.

We've in effect bedded down one corner of the field so that they are out of the mud when they eat their hay at least, and when I find out who has been spending the last 12 months doing a rain dance, believe me I'm coming for them.

You're not alone xxxx

(Although there was a rumour of a round glowing orb in the sky this morning. It was just a rumour as it's disappeared again now)
 
Whatever you do, no matter how tired you are please make sure the old pony is getting feed and not being chased away, pu a pile away from the shelter for him, he will still eat it.
 
I feel your pain.

If I were you I would divide the field in half. If possible I would divide it so one has the filed shelter but the other could still use the back or side as a wind break.

I would get a big round bale of straw and bed in and around the shelter and make an island for the other pony so they have somewhere out of the mud to stand and lie down and to eat their hay from. This is a cheaper option than hard core, plus you would best best to wait until summer to put hard core down.

Finally If there is no dry ground on which to feed hay I would put tie rings on the field shelter, or ram some tall fence post in here and there with tie rings to hang hay nets on.

Chin up - its 1st Feb. The end is in sight!
 
This has been a horrible winter and the fact we didn't actually seem to get a summer doesn't help!! Could you buy a couple of hay hutches for the hay? The big ones hold up to three bales and the hay / hayledge keeps dry and clean. I couldn't manage without mine, the hay would sink without trace. Things WILL get better, just a couple of months to go before Spring makes everything feel better. If you feel the same when the better weather arrives then perhaps it is time to think of finding new homes
 
Winter is nearly over. It WILL get better.

Sacrificial round bale in the open field.

More hay piles spread around the field.

Chin up. It will soon improve, another 6 weeks or so and it will be better.
 
First of all your old pony isn't that old, my A is 20 years and a terror and my other two who are 23 and 27 are almost as bad.
If you really think you need too, which if he is not dropping weight there not may be a problem anyway, put the dominant one in the field shelter at night and shut him in with his hay or and give the A his outside.
Or hand 3 small holed hay nets up in different places so they never run out.
I keep mine in groups and there is always one that is bullied but as long as the food never runs out they are less likely to argue.
If he starts losing weight I would add linseed as you need to feed very little to get a result but really I think you are worrying too much. In 3-4 weeks you will start to worry about laminitis, and that a much bigger problem for the pony than the rain.
 
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