Little Old Pony - Decision Time?

Lovely to hear you have had your 2 for so long, it's so nice when they have such a reassurance of a happy future and safe old age.

I do take Trixie out for walks often, she loves it! She adores going down to the river for a paddle or even just round the village to be "Aww"ed at by everyone out walking. I think it certainly helps boost them!
I would still ride her if she wasnt 11.1hh and i wasn't 5ft8.
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Thanks for your reply.
xx
 
It wouldnt surprise me! The weather ha sbeen atrocious this winter. So wet
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. I can handle the cold but the constant rain has been really hard for everyone I think!

Sad to hear yours has dropped off this year, the first winter Trix did that it came as a shock.
Conversely, our old mare Shadow has become an absolute pie since she was retired and has become too fat over the winter! She's in with the laminitics for the spring! Fatty!

Hopefully the nice weather will bring some weight gain and new life to her!
x
 
Boodle
What a lovely gesture to reply to everyone individually, you will be needing your bed tonight
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.... and yes I wholeheartedly agree with you regarding Brighteyes, as she was so very supportive the other day when my old chap 'escaped' from his little paddock to the lush green grass on the other side
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... she has lived the trials and tribulations with golden oldies and shares our concerns
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Will be thinking of you and hope all goes well and we have a lovely summer for the golden oldies
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I think I might try Trixie on the feeds you mentioned, slowly, and hope that'll keep more weight on her come winter.
Glad your oldie is doing well on it.
Sad to hear about your old boy that passed away, but atleast you never doubted the decision was right.

Thanks for your reply.
x
 
Tehe, I figure if everyone replies to me, I should reply to them!
I wouldn't ignore someone in everyday conversation, so not on HHO either!

Tehe! Escapee oldie! Trixie escaped also actually! Not sure how, some walkers appeared at my back door to tell me there was a pony onthe grass verge, got there and she was waiting to go back into the field... the gate was and had always been shut. I never did find any place in the hedge where she got out. I figure she flew. She always was an angel!
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And yes, here's to a lovely summer for them.
x
 
Hi there,

I just wanted to say that your pony looks almost identical to my old mare... I will try to get some photos of her without rugs tomo so I can send them to you.

Jenny is 35 & I've had her since she was 3 years old. She looks a funny shape cos she's had Cushings for about 8 years. I very, very nearly had her pts about a month ago cos she was mildly colicky for a few days & then went off her food... As everyone else has said, & as I know for myself having lost Cat last year, you honestly *do* know when the time is right to say goodbye. [I was certain the time was right cos her whole demeanour had changed & she seemed to have given up. O/h said to leave her til we got home from work, which I really wasn't happy to do... but against all expectations she perked up.]

Your pony still looks happy & sparky. I would echo what other people have said about giving her a bit of work if poss to keep her interested in life? I came v close to getting Jenny pts 2 1/2 years ago when we moved cos she was so lethargic & had no interest in anything, not even food. Her condition dropped right off & I was on the verge of phoning the vet. Then her sharer came home from uni & took her out for a hack & she brightened up straight away & didn't look back.

I *think* that what *may* have set Jenny colicking *might* have been being wormed with equest pramox, which apparently is a v strong wormer & may upset some horses, so maybe worm counts would be the way to go?

Good luck with your oldie - while she looks cheerful, I'd carry on enjoying her.

T x
 
We Guardians of Angels have to stick together.
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A potentially heartbreaking post has been tremendously uplifting, just by way of hearing there are lots of us nursing our best and oldest friends through their twilight years, and well beyond an age where they would reasonably be expected to leave us. Everyone here is a testament to the best side of horsemanship. Not sentimental heroics, just dedication, attention to detail and the eyes of wisdom when the answers you want are not forthcoming. If nothing else, the support must be reassurance you are doing everything right!

Once again HHO shows its very BEST side
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Well done you all and especially Boodle, who is taking the most excellent care of my very favouritest pony
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Dont give up on her yet, i would see how she goes through summer and go from there.
2 years ago i was in the same position with my 2nd pony, he honestly looked alot worse then your old lady and he was only in his mid 20's. we persivered through summer and weve never looked back with him as he just had a bad year, this year and last year he came through winter perfectly infact fatter then he went into it.

I'm also agoniseing over my 1st pony. We have decided to give him the summer to see how he picks up, however he is late 20's early 30's we believe and looks similar to your old lady, he has had a hard working life and is quite stiff behind. he has no front teeth and has got cushings, however he bounces round like a loon sometimes and just doesnt seem ready to go. I'm pretty sure he is going slightly senile as he has shown some very strange behaviour reacently (lieing down in the middle of the yard and refusing to be moved was one of them, he got up half an hour later and went and let himself back out into the field (he can undo gates) and galloped up to the top). he is out 24/7 as he is a chronic box walker and weaver and has a tendancy to drop weight when stabled. he has a heavy weight rug on him (full neck). he is fed 3 times a day and has his own pen that he can let himself out of that we put a huge bucket of redigrass in (he munches it then lets himself out into the main field), and he had adlib haylege in the field.
We have found that barely rings soaked into a mush along with 16+ cubes also soaked and some sugarbeet have helped as has some soya oil.
we will give him the summer just to see if this has been his bad year, but if he doesnt pick up as much as i would like then im going to take the hard decision in september.
 
just reading your post i have had to make the decision not to long ago but with a 3 year old who i rescued we tried real hard to help him but he told us when he couldn't fight any longer and we could see there was no sparkle left in his eyes, they will aways tell you when its time.
 
sorry have to add that i dont dare use a chemical wormer on him, last time i did i nearly lost him and im not doing that again! ive had good results so far with a herbal wormer, i think its called vermx or something like that will check tommorow.
 
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