New pony jitters

[Rosiewells86]

We have recently bought my daughter her first pony. I’ve always had horses myself but had a 6 year gap when I had my children. I seem to have gone from being super confident to suddenly panicking about every little thing willow our pony does and thinking it’s health related.

Now it may be that she’s just kicking away the flys however in the schools she sometimes stamps her back feet and I can’t see flys around her and she trips quite a lot too. I put the tripling down to be unbalanced as she is young. But a) could the stamping and tripping both be related? B) am I just worrying something is wrong with the pony when there isn’t and she’s simply irritated by flys.

Should say had dentist out this week. (Teeth were sharp and causing her some discomfort but Hopefully he sorted that) she’s barefoot (farrier due this week). Physio is out on Sunday and saddler out on Monday! She also has weekly lessons with an instructor and is soon off for a 2 week schooling holiday. She’s a 4 year old mini cob.

 

[Shay]

Do you keep her alone? It might help to be an a friendly yard when you can ask questions and get support - at least to begin with. It is also worth joining your local pony club for the same reason.

If she is feathers it may be that she has mites which is making her stamp. It will also make her trip a bit if she tries to stamp and move at the same time. She is also still growing - it will be 2 more years before she reaches her full height so she might just be a bit unsure of where her feet are from day to day! Did you have her vetted?

 

[Rosiewells86]

Do you keep her alone? It might help to be an a friendly yard when you can ask questions and get support - at least to begin with. It is also worth joining your local pony club for the same reason.

If she is feathers it may be that she has mites which is making her stamp. It will also make her trip a bit if she tries to stamp and move at the same time. She is also still growing - it will be 2 more years before she reaches her full height so she might just be a bit unsure of where her feet are from day to day! Did you have her vetted?

No we are on a good yard where we all help each other so that’s nice but I don’t want to be an over panicker. She wasn’t vetted but I’ve had teeth checked these were sharp but now sorted and the physio is out tonight, saddler on Thursday and she’s also off on a two week schooling holiday with my instructor in a couple of weeks once all her checks are complete. . I’ve also thought mites. I couldn’t see any on first inspection but not sure if they are always clearly visible.

 

[Shay]

They're not. There are also a range of other itchy conditions so it may well be worth getting the vet to check her before she goes schooling. I don't want to feed the over panic... but given her age, that she is for a child and the fact she wasn't vetted I would also want a full lameness workup and back check. It may very well be that she is stamping and tripping becuase she is just young, lacking both her full growth and the muscles she needs. But if there is a problem there I would personally want to know before any schooling made any pain worse and certainly before putting a child on a pony who might, once in work, have a pain issue.

We all panic about their health though. I've had horses as a kid - a break then the last 20 years as an adult. I've had my own and (folloiwng a broken back) my daughter's - competition ponies, lead rein ponies, PC ponies, horses and now youngstock and hunters. And I still look at her very much beloved first pony (now 28) almost every day and wonder if he is OK. Look at something working in the school and wonder if they are unlevel. Fret about them on holiday etc. I think it comes from being both a parent and a horse parent!