spookypony
Well-Known Member
This morning, I showed up at the field with the feeds, in the established pattern of these first two weeks of having my pony at home. Newgirlfriendmare wandered over to get her bucket beside the water container, but the Spooky Pony stayed standing in the middle of the field. The poo shovel, which has to date lived outside the field gate for easy access, was lying beside him, and he looked quite alert.
At first I was amused, thinking they had hauled the shovel over the fence somehow (note to self: store it farther away) and were playing with it...then as I got closer, he shied away skittishly, and I realised the thing was firmly tangled in his tail!
By the looks of it, the Wild Hunt had been playing a hard game of polo in the field overnight...deep hoof skid marks everywhere, clods of grass lying about...
The pony was very nervous, and shuddered and shied as I approached, but thankfully, his interest in his bucket exceeded his fear. While he started eating, I investigated the situation, realised I would need to fetch a knife, and managed to do so and cut loose the offending article before he was completely finished eating.
He immediately got his head into the fresh hay, and I started divot-stomping.
Later, having gone to get the remaining supplies for getting the mains electric fencing up, I brought him in. He was reluctant to catch, though an apple finally did the trick, but appreciated a grooming. At least I could see that he was completely sound, while he did his "not catching me" routine! The grooming turned up two small cuts on his neck under his mane.
There's a bit of a pressure line in the hair on his bum...I'm assuming he was scratching his bum on the fence ( ), got his tail wrapped around the shovel handle, and freaked. At least, judging by the number and relative normality of the poos I found this morning, I think perhaps it happened not so long before I got there!
Poor wee guy! The mains electric fencing needs to get sorted ASAP. In the meantime, I've run a line of plastic posts/tape along the area where they seem most inclined to lean on the fence. But need to get a charger for that, too. I'm just hoping that the un-electrified line will keep them back from the fence for a day or so.
At first I was amused, thinking they had hauled the shovel over the fence somehow (note to self: store it farther away) and were playing with it...then as I got closer, he shied away skittishly, and I realised the thing was firmly tangled in his tail!
By the looks of it, the Wild Hunt had been playing a hard game of polo in the field overnight...deep hoof skid marks everywhere, clods of grass lying about...
The pony was very nervous, and shuddered and shied as I approached, but thankfully, his interest in his bucket exceeded his fear. While he started eating, I investigated the situation, realised I would need to fetch a knife, and managed to do so and cut loose the offending article before he was completely finished eating.
He immediately got his head into the fresh hay, and I started divot-stomping.
Later, having gone to get the remaining supplies for getting the mains electric fencing up, I brought him in. He was reluctant to catch, though an apple finally did the trick, but appreciated a grooming. At least I could see that he was completely sound, while he did his "not catching me" routine! The grooming turned up two small cuts on his neck under his mane.
There's a bit of a pressure line in the hair on his bum...I'm assuming he was scratching his bum on the fence (
), got his tail wrapped around the shovel handle, and freaked. At least, judging by the number and relative normality of the poos I found this morning, I think perhaps it happened not so long before I got there! Poor wee guy! The mains electric fencing needs to get sorted ASAP. In the meantime, I've run a line of plastic posts/tape along the area where they seem most inclined to lean on the fence. But need to get a charger for that, too. I'm just hoping that the un-electrified line will keep them back from the fence for a day or so.
. 
do we get any picture updates now he is home? or have I missed them?
Is it mud fever? We had problems with that round about this time last year. Our last ride of the season was meant to be Sunday, but it got cancelled due to snow. 