What did you do with your native pony last winter? Rugs? Exercise on icy ground?

[Caznay]

Hello. We are about to get our first pony. He's a lovely sturdy New Forest who will live out with a field shelter. He is lightly clipped and rugged at the moment (bit of a shame as I like hairy hardy unrugged ponies) so we will be rugging him throughout the Winter. I was wondering what people did with their ponies last winter - obviously if we have the snow and ice that we had last year dd isn't going to be doing any hacking, and we won't be able to get the trailer out. Will he be ok unridden in the field for a fortnight or so of hard weather?

 

[JFTDWS]

My 5 y/old highland is fully clipped and rugged in the field. Yearling's naked and hairy though If it's snowy I do ride in the field / off road as he's very good at keeping his feet (5 y/old not yearling obvs ).

When it becomes icy and horrible I just leave them to it - he's always been fine to have breaks and come into work. But I am aware that others sometimes have problems abandoning similar ponies in the field without work and with ad lib hay or haylage - they come back and find they've suddenly turned into balls of lard! So bear that in mind when choosing forage and determining quantities to give them!

 

[Caznay]

Thanks! He's such a lovely pony. I am a bit worried about lack of bonding if he doesn't get ridden much but I guess we can always hand school him for a bit.

 

[maisie2011]

I've got a NF pony who has a bib clip and I only rug her if it is really foul - as she doesn't like wearing rugs I much perfer her to have a bit more to eat to keep warm than having her rugged and keeping her on reduced rations as she has a tendency to be a fatty (native breed trait!!)

You will have to gauge his temperment to see if he can be left for a couple of weeks without work - my girl can be left for months and still not fizz up with a lack of exercise!

Good luck and enjoy your new man!

 

[pottamus]

I never clip so my lad is ruggless throughout. He has a field stable he can use all the time and is in at night on hay - but that is only because it gets him off the grass to prevent laminitis.
Exercise wise, if it is snowy or icy he is not ridden as it is not safe enough for my liking. He is more than happy to mess about in his field and not be ridden, not bothered at all!

 

[jendie]

My mini shets aren't ridden and I've never clipped them. I did try using rugs last year but they sweated buckets so I had to take them off. I did bring them into the stable during the heavy snow though. I think they'd have preferred to stay out but I couldn't sleep with them in the paddock. They have a field shelter but tend to use it more in the summer than during the winter months!