pony wont go out - should i worry ?

J

JLD

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My pony has free access to a little yard and stable and turnout, it is wet and muddy but not dreadful and there is a little grass still but he has refused to leave his concrete for 3 days ! He has a big trug of hay in the morning and a net overnight. He doesn't have mud fever so isn't sore. He spent the last few years before I got him on 24/7 turnout with very deep mud and little shelter and now seems quite mud averse. He isn't in work but I try and walk him out in hand when I can. He seems happy enough - should I worry or just leave him to it ?
 
My natives are avoiding anywhere that they deem potentially boggy at the moment - we've just assumed that it's their native instinct to avoid bad ground if there's a better alternative.
 
Can't say I blame him given the weather and if he's got a nice supply of hay then unlikely to venture out in the mud for a little bit of grass. My pony can't wait to come in even thought the evenings are longer she's just so fed up with the mud too and lets face it we've domesticated our ponies more than we realise.
 
I know he hasn't been out as the field is the other side of my garden fence and I was in all weekend looking out every 5 mins to see if he had moved and he is shut on yard overnight to save the field ! He is on his own in the field with alpacas but has horses on both sides and has been quite happily out grazing for the past year, if fact is he is anxious he tends to be out in the field where he can see more. He has just gone out now so I think the 2 dryish days have cleared enough surface water for him to brave it !
 
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