Worrying about pony and spring grass

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madbluebell

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Hello all,

Hoping for a bit of advice with regard to a pony and spring grass.:)

I have an 11h 4 year old section a who at the moment is i feel at a good weight.

Now that spring is just about upon us all (fingers crossed) I am starting to worry about keeping his weight down over the summer months. His lifestyle is;

out 24/7 in a large hilly field with 5 others and not way him having a smaller area to graze. The grass isn't overly lush but obviously good enough to put weight on.

He is used as a lead rein pony for my 3 year old and walking and trotting and hoping to join pony club this summer and get to some mini shows and fun rides hopefully (no transport yet) :D

he is worked 5/6 days a week either hacking, lunging, long reined or walked in hand with my dogs round the roads when no rider on board:o and hope to add some jumping with an older jockey when the fields are drier.
He is fed at the moment 1 slice of hay a day and also 1/4 scoop(dry weight) of fast fibre with a carrot or apple added.

I don't know if I should muzzle him as a pre caution at the end of this month onwards or just watch his weight and also if I should stick to the fast fibre?

Any help would be great as I am already getting paranoid about laminitis event though he hasn't had it before:(

Thanks all x
 
Have you had him for longer than a year, or can you find out if he got very fat last year?

With our section A at the same age, doing the same kind of work as yours, we had no problems. I used to do ride and lead with it as well, so it had to do some harder work than leadrein. Having the older rider ride him will help. I think work, work, work is the key. I would be cutting the feed down to nothing about this time of year too.

Our pony got laminitus at the age of seven, from a combination of not doing enough work when we loaned her to someone else, and rich haylage (in winter too). We got her back to health, and then had a shires muzzle on her as soon as she went out at all. It did such a good job that we put them on all our others. Our grass sounds like yours - not lush, but plenty of it! I would be wary of having muzzles on 24/7. Ours are going to be living out for the first time in quite a few years this year, so I think that I will muzzle them by day, and take them off by night.
 
If he wears rugs, take them off or if not possible,use a thin rain sheet. Better to work him consistantly as you already do over 6 days rather than work intensively over 2 or 3 days and do nothing for the rest of the week.
I try to work my good doers when the fructans in the grass is highest in the afternoons and they have magnesuim oxide as a supplement.
The positives about being out on a large, hilly field with several others, is that he has more room to exercise and play and being out 24/7 reduces his likeihood of gorgeing.
I do sympathise, watching those at risk is a constant battle, particularly when management is dependant on where your pony is liveried.
 
We've had good doers in the past, and at the moment have to keep a constant eye on 1 shetland and 1 ISH.....Both have been dangerously fat off too much grass (at one point receiving no hard feed or haylage!!)... Have had to restrict grazing, hard feed and haylage whilst keeping a muzzle on them when they're out on grass.

Consistent exercise really does help, Bruce has 3 people riding him, and is being bought back into competition fitness; and only now are we considering a muzzle free summer. My little section B never had a history of lami, but went down with it at about 8/9 years of age just as it was coming into spring, even though he wasn't fat at the time!!

Would def consider muzzling over summer if I were you :)
 
I assume that he is now at a weight where you can feel his ribs easily but not see them. I would suggest weight taping him now to give you a base point, and then doing it once a week so you can easily spot when he starts to gain weight, at which point you can start to use a muzzle.
 
I keep my Welsh D (has previously had laminitis) weight down by a combination of plenty of exercise 6 days per week from now through to autumn (when it is too dark for me to ride in the week before or after work), stabled at night on year old wetted hay all year round, out on short grass that has been grazed throughout the winter so he can only nibble at bits as they appear, no rugs in winter and minimal feed of a couple of handfuls of chaff to put a supplement into.
I find the exercise and stabling for part of the day the best out of all options.
 
Morning all,

Thank you for the helpful replies:)

Pony is clipped out so in the day is having a rain sheet on and a 200g fill at night as still a bit chilly. I can feel his ribs nicely (but not see them)

Totally agree on the constant excersise over 5/6 days i thought that better than a couple of days and then nothing for 5 days. Fortunately my son is an avid rider already so I am sure as he learns to canter and jump his pony will get worked that bit harder as he is determined to wizz around on him on his own like the racehorse jockeys working nearby -lol:rolleyes:

I have today cut out the fibre fast (pony looked rather miffed) and so he is on 1 slice of hay at night only for a short while until the grass is through properly and they are moved into the other field which has been rested a bit.

I would love to stable him during the day but sadly there isn't one available hence the muzzle by day is the only option i have, but having never used one I was a bit nervous. I thought a Dinky Rugs one would be good so will look into getting one and hope he keeps it on....

x
 
The key to keeping your pony "right" is in the excercise regime. Keep him fit and you should not have trouble. Muzzles? dont even consider the Dinky rugs one. I bought two last year, the idea being that the pony should have access to SOME grass. The way they are designed the pony cant get ANY!!
I invested in the greenguard muzzles instead. Pricey, but well worth it.
 
Another vote for the Shires muzzle customised as below, I used the extra throat lash and centre strap from a greenguard muzzle headcollar, as I bought both and my horse HATED it !

muzzle001.jpg

muzzle006.jpg


I'd definately try and muzzle either during the day when the grass is sweeter or overnight

There's sheepskin on the inside which you can attach with spur straps or shoe string like I have

Doesn't look very happy does he ! never mind, keeps him alive !
 
Thanks for the tip Frozzy maybe I should look at the green guard one or a shires like you have used Nosiygirl .
I am worried he will get it off as there are lots of gorse bushes which they shelter in. there be a preferable one which will be more likely to stay on?
If I put it on at 7am and take it off a 6 when I go up again after work is that an acceptable length of time?
:)
 
I use a Shires muzzle on my little pony. I had to go up a size as the pony size was too small, and I plait his mane over the headpiece otherwise he scrapes the muzzle off after about five seconds.
I don't like to leave the muzzle on all day and night because he gets quite hot and sweaty under the bucket bit, so he goes out in the muzzle at night, then comes in for the day to have a break from it.
I found the Shires muzzle very hard-wearing (confesses that pony has given it a serious bashing) and washes up lovely in the washing machine!
 
I use the greenguard muzzles on my fatties. They do need to be quite snug fitting to be of any use. The newer ones are better than the old.
 
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