Supere
Member
Hi all, I did previously post something about a yard I’d been to view and decided to not go for it.
I’m looking for some advice as quite torn at the moment as what is best to do.
I’ve two ponies, one is 15, the other is 29, they’re both ponies. Younger one is my ridden one, older one well retired. Older one has laminitis and cushings (he’s about to start medication for), does not stable well (kicks at door to get out and can get stressy, more so in summer months), has to have mash food and a hay substitute, can just about manage senior short chopped haylage. When vet came to do blood test for cushings recently said he was of an okay weight for his age, but to me he is still ribby and just looks quite poor, and hasn’t put much weight back on ahead of winter coming.
Younger boy is fine stabled, quite a good doer, but quite a stress head about things.
The yard they’re at now, is where I have had them from, the one has lived there for maybe 15 years (older one) and the other at least 10 years (younger one). So I am quite anxious to move them both as don’t know how they will react to moving.
Reason for moving is the winters at current yard i find difficult, last winter with the older boy he really struggled. The whole herd they live with go into one field over winter (there is a much larger summer field available), i’m actually unsure of its acerage, and front area of the field where hay is put in winter becomes extremely muddy (like up to your knees in some places). I noticed older boy really struggling to make his way through the mud with his joints last year, and was being chased away from hay constantly by younger members of the herd. He can’t really eat the hay in there anyway. They would be turned out about 3pm, and would not be able to bring him in from this field after this (a variety of reasons for this, but it is not possible to do on a regular basis). He ended up being stabled for about a month and a half with no turnout as did not want to go to field (planted his feet on yard) and also was dropping too much weight as was not having enough access to food. There is just the one field for winter. This also made rug changes difficult as had to be done mid afternoon, and some days it was too warm to be putting a heavyweight on at that time but he really could have done with it at night.
The younger one can get funny at grass, all ponies are brought in together in morning and herded through another field just behind the yard, and when coming into this from a field with less grass he can start resource guarding, and getting agressive towards anyone trying to catch him (lunging, spinning kicking out etc). This gets worse in the spring time. It is not possible to chase him away out of your space either, it does not work. This is something he used to do much more, but has been much better in the last few years, but still does have his days now, i don’t know if this will ever completely stop.
Initially i thought individual turnout would be a good idea, especially if the two boys could share a paddock together, however, im concerned about a few things. One, is that they’ve lived in large fields, in large herds, for a very long time now, and although they get on well together, i’m not sure how either would react to this change. I think individual turnout would make the older ones cushings and lami easier to manage, and the younger is a good doer as it is, but i’m aware how big of a change this would be for both. I’d love for the younger one especially to still be able to have herd turnout, but i’m quite worried how he would react to moving and what he would be like on grass, and most importantly worried if other liveries will still be able to catch their ponies or if he will lunge to them / defend grazing friends.
I would keep the younger one on current yard, but ideally i don’t want to split the two up, and i do think maybe a change of scenery might be good for all of us, and i’d also like to be able to access them easier than i can in the evenings now. But I’m aware moving them may not be the best idea
Sorry if this is complete ramble, but was just hoping for others advice / opinions
Thank you
I’m looking for some advice as quite torn at the moment as what is best to do.
I’ve two ponies, one is 15, the other is 29, they’re both ponies. Younger one is my ridden one, older one well retired. Older one has laminitis and cushings (he’s about to start medication for), does not stable well (kicks at door to get out and can get stressy, more so in summer months), has to have mash food and a hay substitute, can just about manage senior short chopped haylage. When vet came to do blood test for cushings recently said he was of an okay weight for his age, but to me he is still ribby and just looks quite poor, and hasn’t put much weight back on ahead of winter coming.
Younger boy is fine stabled, quite a good doer, but quite a stress head about things.
The yard they’re at now, is where I have had them from, the one has lived there for maybe 15 years (older one) and the other at least 10 years (younger one). So I am quite anxious to move them both as don’t know how they will react to moving.
Reason for moving is the winters at current yard i find difficult, last winter with the older boy he really struggled. The whole herd they live with go into one field over winter (there is a much larger summer field available), i’m actually unsure of its acerage, and front area of the field where hay is put in winter becomes extremely muddy (like up to your knees in some places). I noticed older boy really struggling to make his way through the mud with his joints last year, and was being chased away from hay constantly by younger members of the herd. He can’t really eat the hay in there anyway. They would be turned out about 3pm, and would not be able to bring him in from this field after this (a variety of reasons for this, but it is not possible to do on a regular basis). He ended up being stabled for about a month and a half with no turnout as did not want to go to field (planted his feet on yard) and also was dropping too much weight as was not having enough access to food. There is just the one field for winter. This also made rug changes difficult as had to be done mid afternoon, and some days it was too warm to be putting a heavyweight on at that time but he really could have done with it at night.
The younger one can get funny at grass, all ponies are brought in together in morning and herded through another field just behind the yard, and when coming into this from a field with less grass he can start resource guarding, and getting agressive towards anyone trying to catch him (lunging, spinning kicking out etc). This gets worse in the spring time. It is not possible to chase him away out of your space either, it does not work. This is something he used to do much more, but has been much better in the last few years, but still does have his days now, i don’t know if this will ever completely stop.
Initially i thought individual turnout would be a good idea, especially if the two boys could share a paddock together, however, im concerned about a few things. One, is that they’ve lived in large fields, in large herds, for a very long time now, and although they get on well together, i’m not sure how either would react to this change. I think individual turnout would make the older ones cushings and lami easier to manage, and the younger is a good doer as it is, but i’m aware how big of a change this would be for both. I’d love for the younger one especially to still be able to have herd turnout, but i’m quite worried how he would react to moving and what he would be like on grass, and most importantly worried if other liveries will still be able to catch their ponies or if he will lunge to them / defend grazing friends.
I would keep the younger one on current yard, but ideally i don’t want to split the two up, and i do think maybe a change of scenery might be good for all of us, and i’d also like to be able to access them easier than i can in the evenings now. But I’m aware moving them may not be the best idea
Sorry if this is complete ramble, but was just hoping for others advice / opinions
Thank you
