Pony doesn't like Hay! and stable boredom/vices?

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ThisIsBlondi

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Hey!
I've started bringing my pony in for a few hours a day as he's been kept out 24/7 for a looong time and he seems to be bloated :/ I spoke to a friend of mine and she said her pony had the same thing, where she swallowed air when she was grazing, and she put her in the stable overnight with hay to still keep her going, and she was back to normal the next day!
I wanted to leave my pony in overnight, but he doesn't like being stabled! He's getting used to it slowly, but he gets so bored! My other horse hates being stabled unless he gets a hay net, and loves his hay! My pony however, will only have a little bit if fed from hand, other than that completely ignores his hay! He walks around in the stables or kicks the door continuously!
I was thinking of getting him a stable today, but I'm not sure whether he'll be interested in it..

Also, how can I encourage my pony to drink more?
 
Could it be that he's just not hungry? I bought my lot in for a couple of hours yesterday, they barely touched their hay but they are getting plenty of grass
 
What is your grazing like? If it is fairly lush, chances are he is just not hungry as he is full of grass (that will make him look bloated too) Can you electric fence him a paddock with less grass - he will eat hay when the grass supply isn't quite enough to stop him being hungry.
And when he is in a stable, are others in with him? It may not be the stable he hates but the fact that he can't inter act with others.
 
JillA said:
What is your grazing like? If it is fairly lush, chances are he is just not hungry as he is full of grass (that will make him look bloated too) Can you electric fence him a paddock with less grass - he will eat hay when the grass supply isn't quite enough to stop him being hungry.
And when he is in a stable, are others in with him? It may not be the stable he hates but the fact that he can't inter act with others.
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THIS

why do you feel he needs to drink more?
 
Grazing is good, they have a hugee field for the three and unfortunately I can't section it off! He's always hungry, always eating.. He always tugs his head out at the grass or and gets reeeally pushy for feed! But because I can't section it off, I was thinking a grazing muzzle?
How can I make him less bloated then? He's got a hugee belly and is lost his topline, he is being schooled though?
When he is in a stable, another horse is tied up outside of it, but I only have access to one stable as it is a private yard..
 
only work will keep his top line unless he has underlying medical issues, is there a reason the field cannot be sectioned off?

do you have any photos of him as his weight would be an indicator as to how to proceed.
 
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if they live out you may find a muzzle restricts too much or rubs him, the grass in the photo looks short so he may struggle to graze with a muzzle on. i dont think he needs to loose much weight he just needs to get in shape.

I also would not muzzle in a field surrounded by hedging as I would worry about him getting caught up in hedge with muzzle on, if you muzzle him he needs to be checked at least twice daily and have muzzle off for large parts of the day.

I don't think he is fat enough to needd muzzling on that grazing though so I would just up his work
 
Thanks your advice is really good! The grass is lush in certain places, and barely any in others.. I will attempt to section them off and see how that goes, and I was only thinking of muzzling when Im down there, so that'd be for 4 hours a day every so often max? He's being worked 3-5 times a week for 2 hours each time, schooling, jumping and hacking..
 
The chances are the tummy is due to grass bloat, its a it like mushy peas giving you wind, quite normal and nothing to worry about. As food is digested gas is produced, different types of food produce different amounts of gas and the grass is green and actively growing so the chances are he is full of lovely tasting sweet grass and doesn't want to eat dried up boring hay.
If he is stabled on his own when all his friends are out he its normal for him to get a bit stressed but when everyone else is coming in and there is little to eat in the field he will be glad to come in and will settle better as their will be company in the other stables.
 
If he has a pot belly and has lost topline despite work, maybe ask vet next time they're out to do a Cushings blood test. Might not be anything, but no harm in checking.
 
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