Fat pony alert!

MustLoveCobs

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Hiya! I have recently been asked to ride/look after a 10hh 4yr old dartmoor pony called Marley. He has been broken in and ridden but then got turned away cause of lack of rider. I haven't done much with him yet just a bit of lunging in tack. Ive been told he has a lethal buck though lol. He is really overweight, like laminitus verge and he lives out pretty much all the time.

I was wandering if there is any suggestions about what to feed him (if anything atall) and how long he should be in the field for?

And any tips about the bucking as I would like to get him a little rider once he is a bit fitter as im slightly too big lol.

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Thank you :)
 
Don't feed him anything and get him off the grass and onto 16-24 hour soaked hay asap!

^^^^this^^^^^ also work him as much as possible and double net the haynets(if you use them) as then he will eat them slower and over a longer period of time and dot them about his stable so he has to move to get his food.
 
Could he go out overnight or with a grazing muzzle?
I know he needs to come in but he has been known to run at the door if kept in for too long.
 
friend has had good results with grazing muzzle at ALL times when out them shut in for a few hours for a rest from the muzzle, when in soaked hay in double net. If you take the muzzle off for any time he will just make up for lost time. The only other solution would be out half day in grazing muzzle and then in very small starvation paddock without muzzle for rest of day.

I would get on top of it quick and see if you can lunge/loose school some more and if possible lead him off another horse to get the weight off.
 
As everyone else has said re: losing weight. Regarding the bucking, I can highlay recommend a "daisy rein". My big highland had one and after trying to buck a few times, he gave up.
 
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