Would you take this pony on?

Ginger Bear

Ginger Bear

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I posted a few weeks ago about a 13'3 new forest cross mare I'd been offered from our local sanctuary for my 10 yo child. She had been back at the sanctuary 18 months since becoming allergic to rape that was in the fields around the yard where she was fostered. It caused her to cough and be weezy..In those 18 months she hasn't been doing anything. I've gradually brought her back into work over the past month and she hasn't put a foot wrong. I've really taken to her, she's a real sweety. Now the lady running the sanctuary had originally told me that she hadn't been on any meds since being bak at the sanctuary away from the rape but yesterday (literally we're all set to pick her up this week) the yard manager mentioned that she is on ventapulmin at the mo on days when the pollen count is high.. So now I'm a bit stressed deciding whether to take this on.. I hadnt really noticed any signs of an allergy until yesterday when she kept ying o scrath her head..Am I just taking on a problem animal, I know it's not a huge deal because she can go back.. But she's such a sweetheart that I wouldn't want to do that & keep moving herr about... Would you take this on?
 
I would be very wary no so much of been on the ventipulmin but the fact they have lied to you about her being on it. What else are they lying about ??
 
I have a pony (also NF) who had a massive pollen allergy at our last yard. She was on ventapulmin and had several emergency vet visits for severe attacks where she was breathing rapidly & in severe discomfort. Since moving to a new yard, she's been fine and needed no meds. TBH, the ventapulmin wasn't that hard to administer. If she only needs it when there's a high pollen count, it wouldn't put me off.
 
I've been back and forth working with her, I don't get the impression there's very much wrong.. She doesn't puff and wheeze after being cantered or lunged. I don't feel like they've lied I think it was probably just the lady who runs the sanctuary gave me one bit of info that was incorrect & the yard manager who actually does the feeds told me something different when I met her yesterday.. They wouldn't get anything out of lying about it, because she would just end up back with them.
 
lme said:
I have a pony (also NF) who had a massive pollen allergy at our last yard. She was on ventapulmin and had several emergency vet visits for severe attacks where she was breathing rapidly & in severe discomfort. Since moving to a new yard, she's been fine and needed no meds. TBH, the ventapulmin wasn't that hard to administer. If she only needs it when there's a high pollen count, it wouldn't put me off.
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Ok, that makes me feel a bit better, there would have been a foster donation required for about £200 but I think this will probably be waived now the lady who arranges the fostering knows that she has a breathing problem.. I'd rather use the money to send her to a vet I use in Newmarket who specialises in stuff like this. She's just such a little star, has a lovely temperament.

Was it anything particular that your pony was allergic to?
 
Ginger Bear said:
Ok, that makes me feel a bit better, there would have been a foster donation required for about £200 but I think this will probably be waived now the lady who arranges the fostering knows that she has a breathing problem.. I'd rather use the money to send her to a vet I use in Newmarket who specialises in stuff like this. She's just such a little star, has a lovely temperament.

Was it anything particular that your pony was allergic to?
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We never found out exactly what it was but a pony in the next field, who'd never had breathing problems before exhibited the same symptoms. Both were OK after moving yards. Our suspicion was pollen from a garden bordering the fields.
 
Wouldn't bother me. Old job we had one with a rape allergy, nosenet managed it fine as we weren't that close to it. And knew a copd pony who had ventapulmin regularly, she was still doing pc stuff without issue last time I saw her at 20 odd. And just like allergys can appear in some places, they can also improve with a move. If I knew she was allergic to rape & I lived next to a crop then no, otherwise I'd give it a try.
 
Personally, I would look past this issue to the fact that the pony is a mother's dream. That is a priceless fact. As you say, you can always hand her back if things get very bad. You will learn to manage this issue. Get the pony and enjoy the summer .... when it eventually comes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
It wouldn't put me off but i guess that you won't know how she is at your's until you move her.

We had a lovely connie mare on loan 3 years ago, her owners had had LOU on her with her breathing difficulties & allergy's. She came with an inhaler & kids mask! To be honest it was very easy to manage, we gave her the inhaler before working her & used a nose net if the pollen count was high.

She was a real superstar & did pc teams with my daughter & even a couple of endurance rides with me :-)

Good luck.
 
Lucy suffered from COPD. Sometimes she could barely breath at all :( Her's was triggered by lots of things, Hay, Straw, A dusty enviroment, Pollen, sudden changes in weather. If I saw any sighn of the illness I just gave her ventapulmin for afew days and it cleared up :)
Lucy and I did so much together Showing, dressage, jumping, hunting, endurance rides of upto and inclu 80km. We never let her COPD get in our way. I just lurnt the triggers and avoided them the best I could and when she had an attack we just delt with it.
So no I wouldn't be put off this pony. She sounds lovely :) Have lots of fun with her if you deside to take her on. Please keep us updates with how you are getting on :D
 
I'd go for it. Although I have no experience as such of allergies like this in a horse (I've been lucky so far), you say you have an excellent vet and can afford to send her for tests. If she's safe with your daughter and you've bonded with her then look at it this way : you could go out and pay £5k for a mothers dream pony and never bond with it.
 
Thanks, you've made me feel a lot better, I've spoken to her last fosterer & they didn't have a bad word to say about her, they even asked if they could still visit her when we take her because the little girl that had her still visits her at the sanctuary because she loves her so much.. They sent me pics of her doing cross country & show jumping too. Bless her.
 
I would def go for it, a good pony is worth its weight in ventopulmin, even if they do need it sometimes.
If it is rape she is allergic to it doesn't have that long a flowering life anyway, maybe 2 months? And hopefully it would only be every 3 years you would have it in the same fields...
I'd go for it.
 
haha.. thanks all.. I've just emailed the sanctuary to ask if they would allow me to use the £250 foster donation toward taking her to the vet if she shows signs of allergies when we get her home or pay the donation once we get her home & settled if she is ok.
 
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