Pony living out all winter - I'm struggling with it!!

[Petrie]

Just got a companion pony on loan to nanny my two horses, neither of whom like being left alone when the other goes out.

The intention is for the pony (Squeaky!) to live out in the fields all year round. He is a 13 hand hairy cob, 20-something, but very healthy.

But, I'm finding the concept of leaving him out quite hard! My other two are rugged up and come in at night with megga haynets and feeds!! It's been about 20 years since I've kept ponies, and yes, they all lived out, even in deep snow, and were absolutely fine.

The fields are lovely, lots of natural shelter in the form of big trees, very high walls and hedges, so really, he should be absolutely fine. He did come with rugs, but I would prefer him to grow a really long coat and not have to be rugged if possible.

I might have to give him a bit of hay in the depth of winter, but really he needs to lose the size of a pony in weight, so he doesn't need any yet.

He will be OK, won't he??!!! Are they honestly OK in all that mud??!! I noticed he lay in the worst muddy patch last night, forsaking the nice grass bit under the wall.

Must be happy, surely.

 

[Baggybreeches]

He will be fine, I too struggle with the living out debate although only in summer and thats bad enough.

 

[welshpony]

He'll be fine! Our 26 year old pony lives out as well, don't worry too much about him lol.

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

I'm the same! My appy & tb are going to live out this winter and I feel guilty already. They were however as warm as toast when I went to see them this morning, they have shelters and I will put haynets in their shelters in a few weeks to encourage them to go in there and stay dry. I have been told that they will be happier out and will be absolutley fine. Try not to worry

 

[the watcher]

Squeaky should be fine although at that age I would be tempted to use the rugs supplied. You just need to keep an eye on teeth and condition. Hay and a veteran suppliment should do it

 

[spotty_pony]

he will be fine I am sure. I would have somewhere to bring him into in case of really bad weather (perhaps during the day sometimes) my friend has a highland pony who lives out all year but she brings it in sometimes in the coldest part of winter for a bit of hay during the day.

I am sure he will be fine. I would be worried to and would feel sorry for him! isn't there another little pony he coulcf be turned out with so that he isn't on his own?

 

[Petrie]

He's got two horses (not mine) living out in the field next to him, so he's not alone. And yes, there is a stable he can have if he ever needs to come in.

That's funny, a highland pony being brought in when it's cold here in England!! I have been in the highlands in the winter, and if it's designed to live in that, then anything we southeners can throw at them weather-wise must feel positively balmy to them!

Not sure about the rugs, I think they are better growing a proper coat and will be warmer for it.

His teeth will be done every 6 months with the others, and condition-wise, he is absolutely enormous! He needs to lose weight, not keep it on!

 

[colouredhat]

Dont worry he will be perfectly fine!! We have the same thing on the P2P yard except ours is used as a lorry companion for pointing (I dont think our lorry would survive the day otherwise)!! He is an arab cross and is 18. He lives out 24/7 and is dragged in occasionally for grandchildren of my employers but other than that sees no action until booted up for the lorry!!

 

[spotty_pony]

[ QUOTE ]
That's funny, a highland pony being brought in when it's cold here in England!! I have been in the highlands in the winter, and if it's designed to live in that, then anything we southeners can throw at them weather-wise must feel positively balmy to them!


[/ QUOTE ]

yes, well he could stay out but my friend is a little soft on him tbh!

and also her WB was on box rest recently so she needed him to keep her company.

I think he should be fine as long as he has company near by. I would suggest you put a turnout rug on him though and veteran's generally find it harder to regulate their body temperature.

 

[hairycob]

I've got a 17 year old & a 24 year old & they both happily live out with another 25 Year old. All unclipped with medium weight rugs when it gets really muddy - and that's for our benefit when we need to get them clean for riding! one tip - if you have to check on him in the dark get him used to associating seeing a torch with being given a carrot - the he will find you not the other way round!

 

[Kezza]

We have the exact same situation as you, and ours is almost 22 and a welsh B. He has access to a stable to come and go as he pleases at night and is out with our 2 during the day. He has a hay net in his stable and gets plenty of fibre and oil based feed and he's at a good weight. He has his rugs changed every morning and evening so he's always nice and dry. He is also fully clipped out with a medium/course clip as he gets very hot when ridden as he's highly strung. He is coping fine and I like to see him wandering around freely, I wish the other ones would live out too but they won't have it!

We have 2 small paddocks which he uses at night so he always has one resting as well and neither of those are used during the day (we have 4 in total) so he gets good grazing. Only trouble is, one of the night paddocks only has trees and bushes as shelter and I have been worried about using it through winter but you have made me feel better about that and I'll probably try him in it next week and see how he goes. We are trying to find a suitable shelter for him but they are expensive and Iim not sure the yard owner will allow us to erect one.

 

[Sooty]

He will be fine, but with this exceptionally mild autumn our two aren't growing their usual very thick coats, so he may need a rug if it gets very wet. I think horses can deal with cold better than wet, they fluff up their coats.

 

[Petrie]

Thanks everybody, feel much better now!

He will be closely watched, and if there's any sign of him being cold and miserable, he'll have his rugs on, or even come in at night.

But, to be honest, I think he'll be happier out, and it's more my problem that his! I shall just have to get used to it!

 

[filly190]

I think due to the pony's age and extra care needed, I would rug it, stable it and feed it.

I know peoples opinions are very different, but I am looking at the pony's age and the fact that you are leaving it out alone at night.

I am not judging, just saying what I would do. I would value the pony for the job its doing, even if you let it wonder loose in the yard near the other horses, but I would rug it, no matter what, it came with rugs, so the owners would perhaps wish you to do so.

 

[Petrie]

It's fine to give your opinion, but please, please, please read all the posts beforehand as it can be really annoying.

As I said before, he's not alone. He has two horses living out in the next door field. They chat together over the fence.

He is only 21 and in very good health, I don't consider that to be particularly old for a native type.

AND as I said loads of times before, he is vastly overweight and his grazing has to be restricted. The last thing he needs at the moment is feeding on top of the grass he already has! Have you ever had to cope with a pony with laminitis? He may need something in the winter if he drops condition.

His previous owners gave him to me on the basis that he lives out. This was their express wish. They gave me the rugs incase I wanted to use them, but they never felt they needed to.

I love it when people say, 'I'm not judging you, but...' or, 'I don't mean to sound arrogant, but...' You know something really judgemental or arrogant is about to come!

You have just suggested that I don't value the ponies job which, quite frankly, I find deeply insulting! And very rude, considering you know nothing about me, or the owners of the pony and their wishes.

 

[Sooty]

I think you have hit the nail right on the head there! Native ponies are quite capable of living out in all conditions on mountain sides etc, it is us soft humans who feel sorry for them! Obviously I am not talking about clipped TBs etc, but the shaggy natives are far tougher than we think they are. Check the base of his ears, bet you find he is toasty warm even when you are freezing!

 

[sorona]

I have 5 natives, 2 ridden and 3 too young to be ridden yet. Only the ridden boys are rugged as they are clipped and are worked hard as they are hunted an one is raced and competed regularly. The youngsters already have thick coats of their own and i will not be rugging them until they are under saddle and that is purely from a convenience point of view. If your pony is already overweight and hasnt been wearing rugs all summer, he will easily acclimatize himself to the weather by growing a thicker coat and he can obviously metabolise his feed well if he is carrying so much weight. As long as he has good shelter and plenty of forage to keep him warm then he will be absolutely fine. He is a native horse and unless you are planning on riding him so that he sweats up badly then rugging him is totally unneccessary unless he loses condition or gets rain scald, etc. Good luck and dont worry, he should be absolutely fine x

 

[SarahNZ]

I'd leave him for a while to grow his full winter coat, then rug him in the really cold part of winter or if it gets really wet and miserable. At that age he may just need it, and if he came with them, then use them.

Hay for him will be needed, and as it gets really cold, I am sure some of his excess body condition will work itself off while he's trying to keep warm, I wouldn't be too concerned with is weight at the moment, better to have them a little rounder than thinner during winter in my opinion.

 

[OWLIE185]

I had a 12.2 Welsh Mountain Pony that was kept out all year in the Mountains of Mid Wales. He lived until his 30's and was used for rounding up the sheep for dipping and lambing. He was never given any feed just a bit of hay if it snowed heavily. He had a little field shelter to go in to in the bad weather.

 

[sharni]

equines do not naturally have a den or shelter. they use hedges and banks to get out of the wind. please do not stable this pony. stabled ponies and horses can get all sorts of problems, filled legs [ especially the old] cough cribbing etc. I have 2 arabs and they live out 24/7. because they dont grow very long thick coats they need to be rugged when it gets cold and wet. rains ok so long as its mild and the cold is ok so long as its dry. my welsh sec b never comes in either and is never rugged. if mud fever is a problem then use a barrier product [ like Net Tex muddy marvel or liquid parafin etc] as a preventative.

 

[AmyMay]

He'll be absolutely fine living out all winter. Do make sure you suppliment his grazing when the time comes with some really good quality hay.

Personally don't like to see horses on their own - and wouldn't do it with mine. But if he's not bothered, then don't worry.