Shelters and biting (two topics lol)

[Serianas]

Hey everyone,

So my pony turned up yesterday! he was a star to get off the trailer and came to call to give him his tea.. also tried to eat my grooming kit..

anyway I have noticed something about him thats a little worrying... Whenever he is on the headcollar he likes to bite the sleeve of my coat! its nothing nasty or vicious but he holds it... Ive never come across this before so any thoughts on how to stop it/what its all about are welcome...

And second I feel like the worst horsey mum every because he is on grass livery... he is out 24/7 and I worry about him getting cold or boiling in his overnight rug (evening are the only time i can get there)... also I have ordered a shelter but it wont be there for about 2 weeks so hes a bit exposed... am I stressing about nothing? there are other ponies there that have the same arrangement and he is a native type

I also have him on a waiting list to go to a proper DIY yard but that could take months

cookies and wine to all who got this far!

 

[Brightbay]

The biting is an anxiety thing. I would gently discourage it. I've had success with horses like that by offering them something that I'm happy for them to hold in their mouths. My own, when he was a youngster, had a squeaky dog toy - I completely freaked out a vet who was treating him for a painful abscess by allowing him to squeak his toy while she was digging in his hoof! However, with a nervous new arrival, I think a non-squeaky item would be best. That way, if he is worried, you can offer him something to hold or touch that is OK and causes no problems. You should find he needs it less as he settles in.

I keep my horse out 24/7 all year round... the only way I manage to keep a cool head is that when I got him first, I actually let myself do the mad things like driving up to the field in rainstorms, thunderstorms etc. to see that he was, in fact, choosing to stand out in the middle of the field grazing I tend to aim for a horse who's cool to touch but warm in e.g. armpit/groin areas. I find when the horse is warm to touch, and the temperature goes up, he will be too warm. You want to aim for a comfortable temperature, where the horse is happy, moving around and not looking tucked up or shivering. The horse can do things to warm themselves up from this comfortable state, but if they're too warm and rugged, there is nothing they can do to cool down.

 

[*hic*]

The biting is an anxiety thing. I would gently discourage it. I've had success with horses like that by offering them something that I'm happy for them to hold in their mouths. My own, when he was a youngster, had a squeaky dog toy - I completely freaked out a vet who was treating him for a painful abscess by allowing him to squeak his toy while she was digging in his hoof! However, with a nervous new arrival, I think a non-squeaky item would be best. That way, if he is worried, you can offer him something to hold or touch that is OK and causes no problems. You should find he needs it less as he settles in.

I LOVE this idea. I give my stress head his rope to hold in his teeth and I'm just trying to picture in my mind him with a squeaky toy and wondering whether it would send him into orbit - not a good thing with 17hh+ of ISH. He's one that doesn't normally betray his stress, it took the vet having a panic about his heartrate for us to realise that it's not just that he's an arse, he's a terrified arse!

OP, try offering the end of his leadrope for him to hold - and tell him he's a good boy and give his neck a rub.

I keep my horse out 24/7 all year round... the only way I manage to keep a cool head is that when I got him first, I actually let myself do the mad things like driving up to the field in rainstorms, thunderstorms etc. to see that he was, in fact, choosing to stand out in the middle of the field grazing I tend to aim for a horse who's cool to touch but warm in e.g. armpit/groin areas. I find when the horse is warm to touch, and the temperature goes up, he will be too warm. You want to aim for a comfortable temperature, where the horse is happy, moving around and not looking tucked up or shivering. The horse can do things to warm themselves up from this comfortable state, but if they're too warm and rugged, there is nothing they can do to cool down.

OP, if it helps, I've chucked my 2yo with his very heavy cob X fur coat out full time now, and he's got his mum with him (as she's the other one inclined to put on weight) who is full TB with a very fine coat. They have some shelter but not much and I've not found the mare to be suffering from the cold in any way.

 

[Tnavas]

Bright bay I so remember my late night cycles to the paddock during a thunderstorm, me and my sister snuck out of the house in the early hours to check my very first pony. I also remember Christmas Day finding her covered in ice. Yet warm and toasty under.

They are tougher than we realise, I'd be inclined to take his winter cover off and put on a rain sheet, this will keep him dry and keep the wind off his skin. As he's out 24/7 he can run around to get warm.

It's quite surprising that a horses idea of shelter can be totally different to ours, they sometimes totally ignore the purpose built shelter and instead will stand in a dip in the ground with their bums to the wind.