Snow!! Help please

[Annie&Amy]

My friend keeps her horse about four miles from
home on her own land. She managed to get to pony this morning and get her out in field, she's well rugged up but is 34yrs old. Poor friend has just had a nightmare journey home and doesn't think she'll be able to get back up to her today. Will pony be ok out?? Guess she can dig down to grass and also get moisture from snow. What do you think???

 

[emz1]

Can she not walk - 4 miles isnt much!

 

[Chestnutmare]

i'd say start walking back up to the horse, and get it in tbh...

 

[Caritas]

No she will starve, Id walk and get her back in. Sorry

 

[ISHmad]

No way on this earth would I leave a 34 year old pony who is used to being in at night out in this! If she can't get there herself could she not call on a neighbour or somebody to help.

Or drive as far as she can and walk the rest of the way.

This post might sound harsh, it isn't meant to. But equally she has a duty of care to her pony and should do whatever it takes IMHO.

 

[countrygirl45]

As above. Pack a rucksack with essentials and start walking. Sooner rather than later. If she isn't able to do that herself then ask a friend.

 

[Annie&Amy]

She can't walk as she's only recently had open heart surgery which didn't work so gets breathless very quickly but she's going to attempt to drive back up later and business next door to field are going to keep an eye on her also xx

 

[Kat]

4 miles is about an hours walk! If she can't get off her bum and do that then she obviously doesn't care much about this poor old horse!

She can probably make it easier by using short cuts on footpaths or driving part way too.

She chose to keep him on her own land and should have thought about what would happen if she couldn't get down when she did that. If she isn't able to make arrangements then she should have him on livery.

 

[Flame_]

Is the pony out with others? Is there shelter? Why didn't the owner leave a bale of hay/haylage out in the field? Has she smashed the surface on the water trough so the pony can get a drink at least until it properly freezes up again?

If the pony doesn't have food, water, company and shelter, I expect it will be pretty miserable and hungry left out.

 

[Annie&Amy]

Yes she has food, shelter and water available

 

[Flame_]

[ QUOTE ]
She can't walk as she's only recently had open heart surgery which didn't work so gets breathless very quickly but she's going to attempt to drive back up later and business next door to field are going to keep an eye on her also xx

[/ QUOTE ]
Could she ask the people at the business next door to smash the water again before they go home, and to throw some more hay in (if its stored there)? Its not ideal, but not much is at the moment and the pony should be ok with all that.

 

[PucciNPoni]

Sorry, but 4 miles is MORE than an hour's walk if the snow is deep and footing icy. I am reasonably fit and it took me 40 min to do just over a mile.

I should think fear of colic a bigger issue than starvation Takes a while to starve, but pony eating snow is a bigger issue - or worse, not having water free to drink.

 

[Annie&Amy]

That's what she's done and she's going to head back now to get her in to so panic over xx

 

[PucciNPoni]

Just saw the other bit that it has shelter, water and food - I say don't worry, pony will be fine. If a neighbor can have a wee peek in just to make sure pony hasn't rolled in snow and unable to get back up....that's a bigger concern where I am at the moment as the snow is about 2 feet and drifted deeper in some areas.

 

[monkeybum13]

[ QUOTE ]
4 miles is about an hours walk! If she can't get off her bum and do that then she obviously doesn't care much about this poor old horse!


[/ QUOTE ]

Rather rude bearing in mind the owner has just had open heart surgery!!!
In this weather it would take me more than an hour to walk 4 miles and I'm a fit and healthy teenager.

 

[Annie&Amy]

Thankyou, it's a worry as it wasn't too bad when she put her out and she gets very stiff if she's kept in hence why she put her out and then it's suddenly got worse. I can't get there as no car and feel useless but at least there's people to check on her although not horsey. She's just let me know that she's on her way back up now xx

 

[Annie&Amy]

Yes it was rude but I wasn't initially going to comment, that's one thing you could never say about my friend is that she doesn't get off her bum!! She would attempt to walk believe me but I've told her she's not to try, if I wasn't at work I'd go but unfortunately I am. One way or another we'll get her back in asap xxxx

 

[fatpiggy]

I drove 16 miles as usual to get my 26 year old out for a few hours. No way would I leave her out though - sorry. What grass at this time of year? The water will be frozen within an hour or two. It takes buckets of snow to make a cup of water. If I'd been in the same circumstances as your friend I would have chucked pony out for a couple of hours while I mucked out and warmed up in the car, then brought it in again. Given that she must have known well in advance she was having major surgery, could she not have made some arrangements for care of the pony, or put it on livery somewhere for a few months. What if her recovery was slower than expected? Hope she gets better soon.

 

[teddyt]

Do you know anyone with a 4x4 that could taxi your friend to the pony? That would be the best option.

If not then can the business put out plenty of hay and buckets of water. Just breaking ice is pointless because it re-freezes in minutes. Ice must be removed to give horses a longer chance to drink.

If the pony struggles to eat hay then it needs another form of fibre to help it keep warm- soaked fibre nuts, sugar beet or fast fibre.

 

[f_s_]

Just read your post. Hope your pony is ok.

Where are you in Warwickshire, if near me, I could check.

 

[Annie&Amy]

Thankyou, all sorted now so no need to worry xx

 

[f_s_]

Glad it's sorted out

 

[shadowboy]

[ QUOTE ]
I drove 16 miles as usual to get my 26 year old out for a few hours. No way would I leave her out though - sorry. What grass at this time of year? The water will be frozen within an hour or two. It takes buckets of snow to make a cup of water. If I'd been in the same circumstances as your friend I would have chucked pony out for a couple of hours while I mucked out and warmed up in the car, then brought it in again. Given that she must have known well in advance she was having major surgery, could she not have made some arrangements for care of the pony, or put it on livery somewhere for a few months. What if her recovery was slower than expected? Hope she gets better soon.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hate how people on the forum judge others even though they dont know the full situation.
My ponies live out 24/7- they haven't died or starved to death- they have hay and water- the water hasn't frozen since last night when we broke it. This person has said that pony had shelter, hay and water- I'm sure its not much warmer in a stable than a good shelter. As for the plenty of buckets of snow to make tea- i'm poopooing that - my OH is a Hydrologist and today he was measuring water content of snow using 5inch disks- one 2 inch thick disk, 5 inches across produced just over 200 ml of water- enough for a cup of tea.

Maybe this person has asked for help from others but no-one she knows has a 4x4? maybe there are millions of other reasons like 80% of population being at work??

 

[Booboos]

[ QUOTE ]
4 miles is about an hours walk! If she can't get off her bum and do that then she obviously doesn't care much about this poor old horse!

She can probably make it easier by using short cuts on footpaths or driving part way too.

She chose to keep him on her own land and should have thought about what would happen if she couldn't get down when she did that. If she isn't able to make arrangements then she should have him on livery.

[/ QUOTE ]

At last someone talking some sense!!! The girl should also quit wingging and sort out her heart! What kind of excuse is that? If she is unable to effect a spontaneous, miraculous revovery from heart disease then she does not deserve having a pony! When I had my heart attack and broke both my legs when I fell down, I dragged myself to the stables using my bum muscles, and managed to feed and muck out using only my teeth (as I am a bilateral arm amputee) - anything less and you can't really call yourself a horse lover

 

[Annie&Amy]

I assume you're joking!!! Just to everyone know that the pony is now back in with loads of food etc etc. As I said in my previous post no her heart surgery did not work, she is no better know than she was before she had it and this was in June last year, everyday is a struggle and part of the reason that she moved her from a livery yard is due to finance as she can't work. Even the smallest activity makes her breathless especially if she gets stressed like today.

Her pony does not want for anything in any way, especially as she is now on lots of extra feed so please don't judge. She made one small wrong decision this morning but she is not cruel!! Having her pony is the one of the only things that keeps her smiling xxx

 

[Annie&Amy]

Sorry booboos, I didn't mean to be rude by putting that, having read your post again I think you are joking, please tell me you are!!! Xx

 

[Booboos]

Yes of course I am!!!!! I did add the 'winks'!!! I was being sarcy as I thought the post I was quoting was totally uncalled for.

Your friend sounds like a caring and loving owner and I am sure the pony is lucky to have such a great person looking after him. Glad it's all sorted now and I hope your friend finds some relief from her heart problems.

 

[Annie&Amy]

I thought you were joking, just that people can be so rude on this forum! She is a very caring owner and a great mate and if anyone deserves to have a bit of luck it's her. She was a true friend when I lost my horse and I will never forget that. Thankyou for being kind xxx

 

[flash1]

[ QUOTE ]
4 miles is about an hours walk! If she can't get off her bum and do that then she obviously doesn't care much about this poor old horse!

She can probably make it easier by using short cuts on footpaths or driving part way too.

She chose to keep him on her own land and should have thought about what would happen if she couldn't get down when she did that. If she isn't able to make arrangements then she should have him on livery.

[/ QUOTE ]


Some very rude and judgemental people on here.
Why do people jump to conclusions without reading posts properly first?

 

[Kat]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
4 miles is about an hours walk! If she can't get off her bum and do that then she obviously doesn't care much about this poor old horse!


[/ QUOTE ]

Rather rude bearing in mind the owner has just had open heart surgery!!!
In this weather it would take me more than an hour to walk 4 miles and I'm a fit and healthy teenager.

[/ QUOTE ]

woah! that was a crossed post!!! I'm not psychic, and hadn't a clue she had just had heart surgery - for most fit individuals four miles is an hours walk (hubby did over a mile in 15 mins this morning).

But if she has just had heart surgery what did she do with the horse when she was in hospital??