Grass and ponies!

[Bobthecob15]

Hi there, we've recently bought a pony for my daughter and have a cracking little guy...I've only ever had horses before so ponies are new to me! I'm very aware that it's important to watch their weight due to laminitis risk (never really worried so much with horses!)...and that we will probably need to restrict grazing in the spring/summer. When do we need to start worrying about this? He hardly has any hard feed at all, has a haynet at night and is out most of the day 9-4.30ish in a large paddock (possibly about 10 acres) with 6 to 8 other horses. His condition score last month at his vetting was 3/5 and I'm checking his weight with a tape every few weeks. He's not had laminitis to our knowledge. I'm told that the livery yard does move the horses to a smaller paddock in spring and the ponies can go in smaller areas for this reason. Thanks

 

[stangs]

For now, I think you'll be alright if he's a 3. The only thing to consider is that, come spring/summer, you may want him out at night instead (less sugar in the grass). There's also a laminitis app to help you know when the sugar levels may be higher. You won't necessarily have to restrict grazing, but this very much depends on how much of a good doer pony is, and on the type of grass (and nutrients in the soil) available.

 

[Carrottom]

In addition to the good advice above, it will also depend on the amount of the amount of exercise the pony has.

 

[rabatsa]

Just be aware that the grass starts to grow earlier than you think and also grows more than you think.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Thank you, he is apparently a good doer according to previous owner and is in light work to medium work, 3-4 days a week up to about 45 mins each time. Its knowing when to make the switch to in during the day etc I'm not sure about...are you looking out for weight gain? Or something else?

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

My ponies are currently turned away on long grass for the winter. I'll bring them into a smaller paddock probably first week of March (weather dependent- if it's cold and dry then I'll watch and wait) and then I'll be feeling crests and pulses every single day until about November.

From April-September mine are on an almost grass free track, with an hour or so on the grass most days. Any amount of hardening in the crest, or any hint of a pulse and they come off the grass altogether for a week. But mine are all but retired- we never manage anything more than a lead rein potter a couple of times a week. And they both have cushings, although that is medicated.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Thank you...off to Google that! ?

 

[JackFrost]

They are all individuals and different. You will soon get to know how quickly he puts on weight or manages to stay the same. Not all ponies get laminitis, so don't get paranoid, just be vigilant. There are patterns of laying down fat deposits that give a clue to whether the pony has ems (and more likely to be laminitic), and crestiness and a hard crest can be a warning sign, also fat pads on the rump, if you see these, get his weight back down straight away.
If you can, reduce his weight as much as pos now, it's ok for him to come out of winter more a 2-3.
How old is he and what is his breed type /size? Do you know what kind of grass is on the pasture ?- it matters what they are eating as well as how much.

 

[windand rain]

Mine are all ponies are all on a grass track and get bucket feeds of soaked grassnuts and grass chaff so pretty much grass fed year round my best advice having had a laminitic until he went on the track is to get a measurement in exactly the middle of his neck and not let it get any bigger. I have a ring of baler twine to make sure it doesn't get misjudged it must fit in the loop in exactly the same spot. if it gets tight he is getting fatter too loose its fine. He hasn't had even a day of sore feet in 6 years since we started this regime. He is a useless git but we love him so doesn't work at all. I do keep them on foggage and the grass feeds in winter and let them drop weight quite drastically so they can eat in the grass winter and summer they live out 24/7

 

[Bobthecob15]

They are all individuals and different. You will soon get to know how quickly he puts on weight or manages to stay the same. Not all ponies get laminitis, so don't get paranoid, just be vigilant. There are patterns of laying down fat deposits that give a clue to whether the pony has ems (and more likely to be laminitic), and crestiness and a hard crest can be a warning sign, also fat pads on the rump, if you see these, get his weight back down straight away.
If you can, reduce his weight as much as pos now, it's ok for him to come out of winter more a 2-3.
How old is he and what is his breed type /size? Do you know what kind of grass is on the pasture ?- it matters what they are eating as well as how much.

He's rising 15, welsh part bred. I'm not sure what time of grass it is ? thank you will look out for those. ?

 

[Bobthecob15]

Mine are all ponies are all on a grass track and get bucket feeds of soaked grassnuts and grass chaff so pretty much grass fed year round my best advice having had a laminitic until he went on the track is to get a measurement in exactly the middle of his neck and not let it get any bigger. I have a ring of baler twine to make sure it doesn't get misjudged it must fit in the loop in exactly the same spot. if it gets tight he is getting fatter too loose its fine. He hasn't had even a day of sore feet in 6 years since we started this regime. He is a useless git but we love him so doesn't work at all. I do keep them on foggage and the grass feeds in winter and let them drop weight quite drastically so they can eat in the grass winter and summer they live out 24/7

Thanks that's a good idea re the twine ?

 

[Highmileagecob]

Consider a grazing muzzle if the road gets rocky. My cob lives out in summer in a Tough 1 Easy Breathe muzzle. It is tolerated very well as it allows restricted grazing, rather than the round hole models that he trashed in a week. It became a life saver when he was diagnosed with EMS around ten years ago.

 

[scruffyponies]

Something to consider is that not all grass is equal. Ponies do particularly well on the kind of grass that you wouldn't feed to a goat. Tough as old boots, never fertilized and full of weeds is vastly better from a laminitis POV than lush fertile green pastures, however short the grass is... and in fact there is evidence that short is worse than long.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Something to consider is that not all grass is equal. Ponies do particularly well on the kind of grass that you wouldn't feed to a goat. Tough as old boots, never fertilized and full of weeds is vastly better from a laminitis POV than lush fertile green pastures, however short the grass is... and in fact there is evidence that short is worse than long.

Would absolutely second this. Also, if you are strip grazing, the barrier needs moving daily. Horses naturally nip of the top of the grass stem and continually move to find new supplies. Apparently the lower stem is where the sugars concentrate, so forcing them to graze down to the soil is probably not a good idea.

 

[Tarragon]

My approach is to have a big as area as possible with not quite enough grass, so that they are always hungry enough for a bit of hay. In an ideal world I would use a track system but I don't have that option so I try to encourage movement another way. In the summer they have access to a network of 2 or 3 connected small fields and spend their time moving from one to another.

 

[maya2008]

In addition to the good advice above, it will also depend on the amount of the amount of exercise the pony has.

In my experience it is very much about the exercise. Children’s ponies often do very little work in terms of quantity and raised heart rate. Grazing muzzles help hugely, and soaked hay/low sugar feed, but exercise is key also. If needed, you can lead a child’s pony off a horse so they get exercise that way, or lunge or free school (if the yard allows).

 

[Leandy]

and is in light work to medium work, 3-4 days a week up to about 45 mins each time

Personally I would just be concerned to keep his weight around the 3/5 and you should be fine. Just don't let him get fat. Obviously there are various ways of achieving that. Your description of the work he is doing would be light work. No way is that "medium".

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Thank you, he is apparently a good doer according to previous owner and is in light work to medium work, 3-4 days a week up to about 45 mins each time. Its knowing when to make the switch to in during the day etc I'm not sure about...are you looking out for weight gain? Or something else?

That really is light work. I would cut out the hard feed, he doesn't need it and it will give you a bit more leeway with the grass. I would leave the pony out 24/7 in summer, andincrease thework. The added exercise will balance out the grass.