Post by parsnip on Nov 19, 2014 16:00:24 GMT
This winter we only have three ponies ..... ph-ew! The smallest 'herd' we have had for a while. Elder daughter is taking the winter off after a really up and down year pony-wise and we just have our 3 ponies living at home. They live out with a field shelter, ad lib hay, two feeds a day and regular checks/rug changes if needed. One is Boo a 20 year old sec c who was elder son's first pony. She is an old lady with many issues (many of which we didn't know until after we bought her!) but ho hum she is retired now and very happy in her field with her little mates - Lottie (lead rein sec A 12 years old) and Paddy (20 year old Shetland). We have owned Boo and Lottie for 7+ years and Paddy is on loan for our youngest daughter. Our problem is Boo - she is very attached to Lottie and panics if she leaves the field. We got Paddy on loan last year for younger daughter to start Pony Club etc and then the plan was he would be Boo's companion when daughter was ready for Lottie. That is now! She is desperate to ride Lottie and Paddy likes an easy life (and deserves it) but if we bring Lottie out of the field Boo goes balistic (tbh Paddy doesn't help the old stirrer - and calls iif Lottie leaves). Paddy comes and goes perfectly happily and the mares don't mind him coming or going. We have tried bringing Lottie in for short periods of time but it's just not getting better. Last year we had elder daughter's pony in the field as well and Boo wasn't as bad.
In a nutshell:
Very frustrating for younger daughter who adores her ponies and wants to ride Lottie - Lottie is a super little lead rein and we want her to do Pony Club and local showing just as big sister did with her.
Stressful for us - Boo rampaging around, screaming, sweating, stressing.
She is an old pony who has had laminitis in the past and has had issues over the last couple of years retaining weight - terrified she will do herself a damage.
Don't want to get another pony for younger daughter as Lottie is perfect.
Can't rehome Boo - we're all she knows - she hates leaving her field and was always a poor traveller.....
She would be a useless companion pony to someone else for the above reasons and because she is on an (expensive) specialist diet.
Really stuck - has anyone else had this? Did you resolve it?
When I say Boo goes insane without Lottie - I really mean it - she doesn't have much of a sense of self-preservation anyway and was always a very stressy mare. We have tried calmers!
Any advice/ideas much appreciated.
In a nutshell:
Very frustrating for younger daughter who adores her ponies and wants to ride Lottie - Lottie is a super little lead rein and we want her to do Pony Club and local showing just as big sister did with her.
Stressful for us - Boo rampaging around, screaming, sweating, stressing.
She is an old pony who has had laminitis in the past and has had issues over the last couple of years retaining weight - terrified she will do herself a damage.
Don't want to get another pony for younger daughter as Lottie is perfect.
Can't rehome Boo - we're all she knows - she hates leaving her field and was always a poor traveller.....
She would be a useless companion pony to someone else for the above reasons and because she is on an (expensive) specialist diet.
Really stuck - has anyone else had this? Did you resolve it?
When I say Boo goes insane without Lottie - I really mean it - she doesn't have much of a sense of self-preservation anyway and was always a very stressy mare. We have tried calmers!
Any advice/ideas much appreciated.