For fun: how well would your horse survive in the wild??

[spookypony]

How well would your horse survive in the wild??

I think the very qualities that make the Spooky Pony a bit frustrating at times, would in fact stand him in very good stead from an evolutionary perspective:

No predators would get remotely near him, since he'd be the first to spot danger, turn tail, and run. Very fast. He definitely wouldn't starve, and he'd find some way of getting along with other horses. For some unfathomable reason, he'd be quite popular with the mares, too!

He'd be very clever at traveling over tricky terrain, and he'd never hurt himself trying anything foolhardy because he'd be too chicken. He'd be healthy and sound, and he would have the best fly-switch of the herd!

However, it would have to be somewhere where there's not lush grass!

How would yours do? Would it kick bear-butt, or fall into the first bit of bog?

 

[ClassicG&T]

Mine would be feared in the wild, when hes clipped you can see loads of scars on his side and under belly so he probably was wild once! hes a Fell.

Hes a little beastie Keeps himself to himself so there would be no arguements but he is a bit of a ladies man so may get on the wrong side of the stallion....

 

[Trish C]

I'd give mine 30 mins before he either got himself stuck in something, the wild got so sick of his behaviour it kicked him straight back into domestication, or he realised that he'd have to find his own food and think for himself and head straight back to civilisation.

He did live wild on a mountain in Kerry for some time before I got him, but I think he's too pampered now... he's only in disguise as a purebred pedigree bog hippo knobber.

 

[Chestnuttymare]

The first thing mine would do would be to look for her stable and her big bed and haynet and if she couldn't find it she would have a major tantrum and some big predator would come along and have her for lunch. That's about how long mine would last in the wild!
ps if she didn't have the appropriate rug on you wouldn't get her there in the first place!

 

[The_snoopster]

My mare would be perfectly fine I think, she knows all the things she can eat that most horses would turn their noses up at when grass would be short in winter. She break the ice on her water each morning before I arrive in icy weather, but the shettie who should be able to survive would shiver to death in the first winter I have never met such a wimp of a shettie

 

[Capriole]

kick bear butt...hard

hes practically a feral anyway, lives out in a huge field, not rugged, not shod,not fed, not hayed.

Thinks hes the bizz, and as the only boy in the village hes the big man (until his ma tells him otherwise).

Looks out for the laydees, also seems to be popular with the girls, good at leading everyone where they shouldnt be...ie across the river into the conveniently open hayfield gate, so hes a provider

Definitely kicking bear butt

 

[Dizzydancer]

Mine would be great until it became cold and dark at which point he would be easy pray as he stood looking for some fool to fetch him in!
That's aslong as he doesn't break his own leg or damage himself in any way which would be highly likely with his twig like legs! He would also require haylage to be given to allow him to not starve!

 

[ABC]

Thinking about it I think my lad would be fine,

He's always alert, too alert at times.
Has good feet (barefoot).
Grows a thick coat in winter.
Is fast.
Can easily find food.

And he's a TB

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

They wouldnt.... They would disown me and find a new mummy.

 

[Capriole]

Thinking about it I think my lad would be fine,

He's always alert, too alert at times.
Has good feet (barefoot).
Grows a thick coat in winter.
Is fast.
Can easily find food.

And he's a TB

mines 1/2 TB too

 

[skint1]

My (non-horsey) brother has seriously suggested as a serious solution as to what to do about the Tb mare that I turn her loose in the New Forest and he really can't understand it when I say it really would be cruel.

She is barefoot and lives out 24/7 but I do think this would probably be a bridge too far for her (and the local ponies too) She'd get stuck in something, or injured, she'd wonder where her dinner was, who would change her rugs, and who would do her feet which need regular attention?

 

[dafthoss]

Well the physical side of things he would possibly be ok with, he grows a coat like a yak , has rocks for feet that he wears down rather well on his own accord and is a good doer so not likley to waste away. Only thing is without me there telling him he has to he wont get his feet wet so would get left behind if there was so much as a puddle I would like to say he would come running back to me after that but he probably wouldnt and would just find some thing to eat untill he was found.

 

[SO1]

Mine would be absolutely fine as he lived on the new forest as a forest run stallion for a couple of seasons.

 

[bluewhippet]

How well would your horse survive in the wild??

I think the very qualities that make the Spooky Pony a bit frustrating at times, would in fact stand him in very good stead from an evolutionary perspective:

No predators would get remotely near him, since he'd be the first to spot danger, turn tail, and run. Very fast. He definitely wouldn't starve, and he'd find some way of getting along with other horses. For some unfathomable reason, he'd be quite popular with the mares, too!

He'd be very clever at traveling over tricky terrain, and he'd never hurt himself trying anything foolhardy because he'd be too chicken. He'd be healthy and sound, and he would have the best fly-switch of the herd!

However, it would have to be somewhere where there's not lush grass!

How would yours do? Would it kick bear-butt, or fall into the first bit of bog?

My very spooky boy would survive same as yours, unless he was so busy prancing and goggling at some puddle that looked at him in a funny way, that he crashed straight into a tree and knocked himself out...

 

[overtherainbow]

hmm my tb cross mare would last an hour or 2 before it got too cold/she found a way to injure herself...

my geldings would both lack enough fear to survive anything (one got out of his field once and i found him half in the open back door of the house...)

and the old mare would be physically ok but we tried to turn her away one time and she said no thanks and put herself back in her stable the second night...

looks like none of mine would survive the wild!

 

[rockysmum]

My two cobs wouldn't last two minutes, they have been pampered and spoilt all their lives.

The warmblood however would be fine. We got her as a wild, unhandled 3 year old who was obviously used to taking care of herself and friends. We have tamed her slightly but I have no doubt she would soon revert.

 

[Lolo]

Currently, Reg is being bullied by 2 ponies, neither are quite making 12hh (he's 16.3hh!) and who aren't letting him eat- new companions are being drafted in ASAP to try and remedy this situation. He's a darling, but far too soft for his own good and no amount of time being left to it has helped this (7 weeks in, and the ponies are still being nasty!).

 

[Shantara]

Ned wold survive! He's tough, but he knows his place and he's fast and alert too!

 

[Burnttoast]

My very spooky boy would survive same as yours, unless he was so busy prancing and goggling at some puddle that looked at him in a funny way, that he crashed straight into a tree and knocked himself out...

LOL! This is absolutely brilliant

 

[Moomin1]

Mine wouldn't last two minutes. She would stuff her face stupid to the point of colic on all sorts of stuff, then act like a complete drama queen like she always does when she's poorly. The biggest fail would come in the evening when she doesn't get her bally (decahedron with carrots!) - she would have an absolute panic attack and go hysterical looking for it! She also manages to fall over blades of grass because she spends so much time staring in the opposite direction...

 

[miss_c]

Well I always joke that Genie could find grass in the sahara, so I think she'd be just fine....

Titchy... well nothing would get in her way that's for sure! However when she sleeps she's out for the count which would be so good....

 

[mystiandsunny]

Hmm

My TB: would be fine in the summer, but would shiver/starve to death in winter. She needs hard feed and/or rugs as she grows the post pathetic winter coat in the world.

NFx: was born wild and would be absolutely fine.

Rosie: probably fine. Good doer, grows a good coat.

Lilly: nope. Fine in summer, would get too cold in winter and her hooves aren't really hard enough so not great without shoes.

 

[madeleine1]

lol shes a pack leader and nobody would get any food if she wanted it.
she would be pregant straight away but only by the boy she thinks is good enough.

she is fast and spooky so would outrun any pray and she would set up her own civilisation.

shes to clever for her own good

 

[Ally_F]

My boy would be dead before you could get back in the car! - he would have a break down because he got his feet wet, then run in a blind panic into a tree and knock himself out.

Poor thing is not made for the wild - I threaten him with it every now and again just so he remembers how lucky he is

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Harley - just fine, born wild on Bodmin moor, he came off the moor as a yearling. Still has a very feral nature, very alert, runs away quickly, crosses any terrain, no shoes, never sick or sorry, sounds like he'd be fine, but he doesn't make friends easily, and being on the edge of the herd is dangerous...

Tinner - loving and trusting, would just follow Harley!

Ellie - would be lead mare by the end of the day, probably having booted her way to the top! She'd be demanding a good grooming every hour or so, and would shoulder other horses out of the way to get the best grub.

They all live out anyway, not shod, no rugs, no feed, and rarely any hay or haylage. Their current field is boggy at the far end - Tinner gets very excited about this and gallops through and around it, splashing the water up - you know, they'd be fine!

 

[PRELover]

My young Bo is brave as a lion and a walking oesophagus - if he ever met a predator he'd most likely try to eat it himself!

 

[Brandy]

Well, small native pony would be fine and in fact was living wild until she was 4.

Medium native would probably also be fine, although might well get tired of charging about becuase the wind got up.

 

[Brandy]

Oops posted before I was ready. So thats small and medium done.

Large (compared to the others) TB would die almost immediately I think. He would be lame, cold and stand looking miserably at the short, course grass, gorse, whatever and be thinking 'so wheres the food then?' He would fall over the rough ground, and get trapped somewhere. Hopeless.

 

[StormyMoments]

id give mine 20 mins before he got eaten by something or was tangled in something he is probably the stupidest horse going and if he was out in the winter he would probably wither away and die as he doesnt hold weight... hes also not spooky at all hmmm yeah not much time at all im afraid

 

[dollymix]

Luna would be the herd leader! Not only this but as she's on high alert permanently I am sure nothing would catch her! She would no way end up a wolfs dinner! Dulcie can be flighty too do think she'd fare pretty well also

Although doll can be spooky I think she is too soft! First thing she would do is find the nearest homestead and persuade them to adopt her by standing looking sad and dejected on their doorstep!