my new loan pony doesnt look 4 years old...

[myasmummy]

I have just got a new pony on loan today, he is a Welsh Section A and 11.2hh, he is 4 years old in June (d.o.b 2007)
He is very small and looks like a yearling, he isn't stocky and doesn't even look 11.2hh - going to measure him tomorrow.
I double checked his full name on the horse breeds database and his dob is defenitly 2007
I'm wondering if he is just under weight and lack of condition?
Don't know how to post a pic of him on here so here's a link to a pic of my facebook if it's works, the skewbald horse next to him is a 14.2hh cob.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1809860398539&set=a.1786953225874.2102201.1000835494&theater

Basically just asking why he hasn't filled out like he should have at 4 years old? hope someone can help, thanks

 

[bryngelenponies]

I can't see your picture but sometimes it does take them a while to fill out. My mare didn't properly fill out until she was 7yo. What's his breeding?

 

[myasmummy]

I've added an Album of Guiness to my profile on here x

 

[AatHarv]

Can't see the pic as it's on fb...
Do you mean that he is just very skinny? Or also proportions look out?
Perhaps the yard he was on before had a particulalry hard winter and lack of land, grass etc. Not an excuse really but still... how well do you know the place where you've loaned him from, would be worth asking there why he is the way he is and perhaps seeing some photos of him last summer if there are any available to see if he looked in better condition before winter.
Is he up to date with worming? Worth getting his teeth checked also. And general checks of health to make sure he's not in pain, causing him to be stressed and weight loss etc.
Bring him onto a nice build up feed, Dodson & Horrell build up mix/cubes work wonders... and makes their coats lovelllyy! My boy was ill the winter of 09/10 and lost ALOT of condition. Was only 2 at the time so was v. worrying bt had him on D&H cool mix and then build up (with moli chaff and yummy Sbeet!!) and he soon put the weight back on once he was better (Feb) and spring hit... was successfully showing in hand in hunter breeding classes by the summer!!

 

[myasmummy]

He's got Revel and Bryntaf and Clan Pip in his breeding. Just when I look at pics of other 4 year old welsh ponies they look so much bigger. i thought the owner was lying about his age at first :/
he's smaller than my 2 year old welsh a that i used to own.

 

[myasmummy]

he was on restricted and sparce grazing because his owner was worried about him getting fat

 

[AatHarv]

Just seen the photos... he's a cutie they fill out at diff rates! Working him will bulk him up, as will the nice spring grass!! My first pony was a section A who on hidsight, although a fattie in the barrell belly area had quite 'slender' proportions compared to others right up until she was about 6 or 7!

 

[myasmummy]

he doesnt seem skinny, his ribs arent visible, just seems so tiny like the build of a yearling. going to get him some build up feed and supplements.

 

[AatHarv]

he was on restricted and sparce grazing because his owner was worried about him getting fat

... yea, all I ever had to worry about with my 2 Welsh ponies (A & C) was them getting fat and restricting the grazing, not the other way round... I'm sure in a few months you'll be on the other end of the spectrum!!

 

[bryngelenponies]

I agree that work will help but my mare has mostly Blaenau breeding so will never be a 'big' mare. I'd give him some work, some spring grass and time, he may never be a big pony as breeding is different but he may fill out a bit.

 

[myasmummy]

thank you, will be starting working him in the next couple of days as soon as he's settled, guess he just need a bit more time to mature and a bit of build up feed and he should soon start filling out if he doesnt then i'll think about get him checked by the vet. thanks for your help x

 

[myasmummy]

Can I also ask while i'm here lol, he has a small sarcoid on his left flank, owner said that it has been shrinking and vet says there wont be anymore growing.
should i be worried?
and can he be shown with a sarcoid (inhand or ridden) - not thinking of showing him til next year though but wondered if he'll be marked down because of the sarcoid?
it's only visible because he's had a chase clip, owner said she'd never noticed it until she clipped him

 

[AatHarv]

If it's not visible I think you should be ok... They don't touch them so won't be able to feel it! I'm guessing it must be pretty small. My last horse had one about the size of a 20p piece in her girth area, never really grew at all... and then it just went! No treatment or anything... so fingers crossed!!

 

[*hic*]

Have you had much to do with young native ponies?

Having seen the pics I wouldn't be in a rush to get weight on him by shoving build up mix down him. I'd also get someone to check the saddle, it looks rather too large.

He's a handsome looking boy though.

 

[*hic*]

I thought I recognised the name. This is the pony you've got to get yourself back into horses via your daughter who will be three next month - correct?

In that case you definitely don't want to be feeding him anything other than plain old grass - fresh or dried - until you have very much got the measure of him and it would be sensible to swap that saddle for something like a safari cub which will be small enough for both the pony and your daughter and has the advantage of a grab handle. A very young pony and a very young child are not the most obvious choice of partners. Good luck.

 

[Snowysadude]

He is a very sweet looking pony and does look to me like a 3/4 yr old . But I do agree with this:

it would be sensible to swap that saddle for something like a safari cub which will be small enough for both the pony and your daughter and has the advantage of a grab handle.

current saddle is looking a bit on the big side

 

[SJcrazee]

Looking at the pics I wouldn't be shoving mixes into him - just a good balancer and some forage - he does look like a 3/4 year old, and you are lucky to have found one that hasn't been pumped up for the show ring, and all the problems that brings!! by the end of the summer he will look like a different pony.

 

[lochpearl]

agree with the other comments re not overfeeding him. Perhaps just give him a balancer and then you know he has all the right nutrients rather than pumping calories into him making him a candidate for lami.

Also please do not ride him in that saddle, one way of making a genuine young pony turn into a sore backed pony. It is far too big and as others have mentioned get a nice small one that fits both him and your daughter.

Good luck tho, he looks a sweetie.

 

[jendie]

I think he looks in lovely condition. He'd look bigger if that saddle wasn't quite so huge )

 

[smellsofhorse]

He looks ok to me.
just a bit of condition needed.
Welsh a's do have baby faces.
But his body looks right for his suggested age, i wouldnt say he was younger

 

[Tinseltoes]

Cute pony you have there.Enjoy him.

 

[AmyMay]

thank you, will be starting working him in the next couple of days as soon as he's settled, guess he just need a bit more time to mature and a bit of build up feed and he should soon start filling out if he doesnt then i'll think about get him checked by the vet. thanks for your help x

He doesn't need filling out. He looks absolutely spot on.

What a cracking pony (who is most defintely not a yearling).

 

[ThePony]

He looks a lovely weight - sec a's aren't supposed to be the butter barrels you so commonly see! Def no build up food needed, he looks a great healthy weight.
I would make a saddle fitter your first call - poor sod under that massive thing, it doesn't come close to fitting him! It does make him look rather slight, but the stripped off pic looks just grand.
Hope your daughter enjoys him!

 

[TGM]

He is very cute and just looks like he is a naturally narrow, petite build. He is in correct condition now, so please don't feed him Build Up or other high cereal feeds as you could end up with a pony who is fat, laminitic or too full of energy for your daughter!

 

[mcnaughty]

Please do not feed him up - he looks absolutely great - no problem there at all. He is a Welsh A and they can live off fresh air.

If you start trying to fatten him up you could put him at risk of lami - please be careful and enjoy him, he looks great.

I have mine on 1/2 pint Bluechip Lamilight and literally a fist-full of safe and sound once a day - just to make sure the mins and vits are going in.

Good luck with him - he looks fab!

 

[Umbongo]

I think he looks fine, obviously a little babyish as he is 4 years old, but I also think sec A's can look quite babyish anyway due to their head shape. At my riding school we had an 18 year old sec A that actually looked very similar to your boy.

Echo the comments about that saddle, it swamps him and cannot be comfortable to be ridden in, albeit with a very small rider. I think you would be better off getting a small safari cub saddle for him.

I don't think he needs any build up feed at all, or you may have a lami case on your hands once he is also out on the spring grass.

Good luck with him

 

[Spyda]

I just wanted to agree with everyone who said he looks absolutely fine. He's still a baby really, just rising four. For that age he looks fine, and I'd agree strongly about not feeding him too much. Spring is here and he'll soon start to fill out once he gets some grass into him. I'd watch him once he starts to fill out on the spring grass - you may need to watch out for laminitis. They dont have to be really fat for lami to happen.

But to reassure you - he looks absolutely fine as he is.

 

[mini-eventer]

I am another one who is going to say don't feed him up he looks fine. I would go as far to say you will probably have to restrict his intake when the grass comes through and it is starting to come already.

The last thing you want is a fat pony it will cause him problems in the long term.

He is still very young and will fill out in his own time

 

[madbluebell]

Very sweet looking pony you have there.

I have a 4 year old 11h section a who is looking about the same weight wise but with a little more muscle as (i have been working hard long reining him and lots of hacking with my little boy-who is also 3). I am sure yours will be the same after some work in the next few months

I only feed him a little fast fibre so I can put in his Happy Tummy supplement and a small carrot when i pop on his grazing muzzle in the morning and it's plenty enough as he def. has the energy for what he is needed for at the moment with son being on lead rein. He was a bit round last year so am working hard to not let him get the same again, it's amazing what 'not so good' grazing can do weight wise to a pony so heaven forbid if we had 'lush grazing'!

Enjoy him as we are having great time with ours and just about to join the realms of the pony club so son can meet some other children as he doesn't see any let alone boys riding (he is surrounded by adults and teenage girls)

 

[mcnaughty]

I thought kids had to be 5 to join the pony club? I must look it up - my daughter is 4 (5 in May) but her pony is too young to join at 3yo.