How to make my retired lad lose weight

[thatsmygirl]

3 years ago I took on a free to good home pony for my son to ride who rode him all over the place until last year when he started to get a bit to stiff ( 22 yrs this year) he also is blind in one eye and the vet thinks his other eye hasn't got full sight now so he mustn't be ridden which is fine as he's turned into a pet since getting stiff. Now he's always been a stress head if his daily pattern is changed and has been known to come over the stable door a couple of times, none of this was told to me when I took him on but we have managed to get him to accept a stable and work with him to keep him happy and 99% off the time now he's fine. He has a lovely character and I love him to bit but I know I could never move him to a different yard due to his issues and our yard is hanging in the balance so to speak as to weather liveries will stay but that's a different matter and tbh I would have him pts if/when that happened.
Now he's Arab x welsh and is a right fat sod but can not get him to loose weight, he only has a bit of hay over night with some straw ( won't eat soaked hay) has to stay with his mates in the field due to his stress issues which tbh hasn't got grass in anyway but even in the summer he will not accept a muzzle, I can't lunge him as he's stiff. He's happy but carrying far to much weight but just can not shift it. Any tips guys? I'm use to tb's and never had a pony like this who really is living on not a lot. He's rugged due to his age really as he's a old boy.

 

[*hic*]

Whip his rug off, put him in a pen in the field to reduce the grass available, and are you certain his stiffness wouldn't be helped by some lunging on a 9m lunge rein?

 

[thatsmygirl]

Oh I really don't want to take his rug off I can't pen him as iv tried that, we have round pens that we turn the racers out in but he stands and weaves like he's on speed and really won't settle, he has to stay with the herd which I think could be to do with his eyes as well and makes his feel surcure. I really do feel like I spend my whole life trying to keep him happy. But I know that if he got lammi there's no way I could stable him and it would be the end.

 

[*hic*]

Can you not make him an electric pen in the field with the others. Perhaps you could put one of the others in with him each day. As for the rug, if it helps this is the first year my 30 year old Welsh has had a rug on, other than when he's been clipped. This year he was losing weight until I put a rug on him - which is why I suggested taking your pony's rug off!

It's funny how some ponies seem to make you work so hard for them. On moving to a new place we realised that our whole yard is based on how to manage one little old pony - not the big fancy horses, just this little old Welsh monster. Love him to pieces.

 

[thatsmygirl]

Ha I know what u mean, the racers and the others do as they are told end off, but I seem to run around making sure everything is perfect for this little man. It's mad really and the whole yard revolves around a half blind fat retired pony. It's madness.

 

[Gloi]

Won't eat soaked hay? He will when he's hungry enough.