laura_nash
Well-Known Member
Help, I need some advice as I keep dithering
I am now fulfilling a long-held dream and have my two ponies at home, having bought a small-holding with 8 acres. Unfortunately its not quite the dream yet, as the horse-related construction work has to take second place to getting a livable house, so at the moment they are basically chucked out in the field and out of work. Ponies are my cob and my daughter's new lead-rein pony. I've always had my cob on livery and even back in the days when I worked with horses rarely got involved in grazing decisions, so this is a bit new to me.
Unfortunately I took my eye off the ball a bit in October (comes of living in a tent with no running water and a 3 year old!) and they both managed to pile on the pounds and are now a bit on the porky side. They've spent Nov and Dec chucked out on 1 acre of stony, rough ground with no rugs or hay (just a handful of fast fibre each a day with a vit/min supplement in). I had hoped this would get the weight off but no such luck, although they have at least not put any more on. Their current field is now very bare and getting quite muddy in places (though parts are bare limestone so can't get really deep). I'm really not sure what to do for the best, my options are:
1. Keep them where they are in order to make them lose some weight. Concern there is obviously how hungry they would get, the stone walls are a bit dubious and they are surrounded by good grazing (mine, but rented to neighbour). I have electric fencing inside the walls but it keeps blowing down (difficult to get fence pegs in with the stones). Also, they are still getting to know each other and do argue more when hungry. I have a bit of hay (made from my own fields!) but hoped to keep that for bad weather.
2. Put them in a nice field (about 1 acre) with good walls, automatic water and some big trees for shelter. If they had lost weight this is what I would do but it is quite good grass, was rented out last few years to local farmer so well-maintained, cut for hay in August and not used since. I don't want to strip graze it too strictly as I'm planning to ride in it next year (nice flat field) so don't want it churned up.
3. Put them in small rubbish field, where we have located our muck heap, compost heap, pile of old thatch and straw from barn etc. Can fence off these bits but my cob does have ROA so I'm a bit worried about this. Hasn't been touched for a year so long grass but not good (full of thistles).
4. Put them in big field (about 3 acres) next to house. I had intended this for the winter grazing, it is unimproved with lots of stone, but it has a stand of sycamore trees opposite and was full of seeds a few months ago. Also, a neighbour grazed his Connemara broodmare on part of it until last month (pre-arranged before we bought it, and she didn't get AM thankfully). He doesn't poo pick and worms once a year with the same (ivermectin) wormer so I'm a bit concerned about worms.
Sorry it turned into an essay, any views or suggestions very gratefully received.
I am now fulfilling a long-held dream and have my two ponies at home, having bought a small-holding with 8 acres. Unfortunately its not quite the dream yet, as the horse-related construction work has to take second place to getting a livable house, so at the moment they are basically chucked out in the field and out of work. Ponies are my cob and my daughter's new lead-rein pony. I've always had my cob on livery and even back in the days when I worked with horses rarely got involved in grazing decisions, so this is a bit new to me.
Unfortunately I took my eye off the ball a bit in October (comes of living in a tent with no running water and a 3 year old!) and they both managed to pile on the pounds and are now a bit on the porky side. They've spent Nov and Dec chucked out on 1 acre of stony, rough ground with no rugs or hay (just a handful of fast fibre each a day with a vit/min supplement in). I had hoped this would get the weight off but no such luck, although they have at least not put any more on. Their current field is now very bare and getting quite muddy in places (though parts are bare limestone so can't get really deep). I'm really not sure what to do for the best, my options are:
1. Keep them where they are in order to make them lose some weight. Concern there is obviously how hungry they would get, the stone walls are a bit dubious and they are surrounded by good grazing (mine, but rented to neighbour). I have electric fencing inside the walls but it keeps blowing down (difficult to get fence pegs in with the stones). Also, they are still getting to know each other and do argue more when hungry. I have a bit of hay (made from my own fields!) but hoped to keep that for bad weather.
2. Put them in a nice field (about 1 acre) with good walls, automatic water and some big trees for shelter. If they had lost weight this is what I would do but it is quite good grass, was rented out last few years to local farmer so well-maintained, cut for hay in August and not used since. I don't want to strip graze it too strictly as I'm planning to ride in it next year (nice flat field) so don't want it churned up.
3. Put them in small rubbish field, where we have located our muck heap, compost heap, pile of old thatch and straw from barn etc. Can fence off these bits but my cob does have ROA so I'm a bit worried about this. Hasn't been touched for a year so long grass but not good (full of thistles).
4. Put them in big field (about 3 acres) next to house. I had intended this for the winter grazing, it is unimproved with lots of stone, but it has a stand of sycamore trees opposite and was full of seeds a few months ago. Also, a neighbour grazed his Connemara broodmare on part of it until last month (pre-arranged before we bought it, and she didn't get AM thankfully). He doesn't poo pick and worms once a year with the same (ivermectin) wormer so I'm a bit concerned about worms.
Sorry it turned into an essay, any views or suggestions very gratefully received.