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Post by carrie17491 on Jan 17, 2015 0:54:14 GMT
As we all know the temperatures have dropped and the weather has turned.
So what are you all doing with your wintered out ponies? I've got a section a living out with no rug but with temperatures set to go down to minus 6 I'm worrying he may get a bit chilly.
I've got another living out rugged but that's going on loan next week, also the guy who owns the fields hasn't been to put any haylage out for the ponies yet and I'm hoping he does when the snow arrives.
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Jan 17, 2015 8:29:06 GMT
Make sure they have plenty of fibre rich feed available, whether hay or haylage. this actually helps to keep them warm from the inside as digesting fibre produces heat, as opposed to hard feed which uses it up.
The majority of mine are out still with grass, but I when I read your post I was just thinking now is the time to give them some hay - no snow here yet but a hard frost this morning.
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jakkibag
Full Member
Urwins Tom Boy
Posts: 201
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Post by jakkibag on Jan 17, 2015 11:07:23 GMT
I actually feel that my wintered out ones do far better in very cold but dry temperatures, rather than milder wind and howling rain, I'm in Scotland and my wintered out ones are used to the very cold snaps we have, I just chuck extra haylage out to stop them eating the very frosty grass!
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Post by honeypot on Jan 17, 2015 11:53:53 GMT
I agree wet and windy is far worse than cold, just make sure they have plenty to drink as the cold seems to make them drink less. Mine are all unrugged and to be honest far to fat.
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dis
Junior Member
Posts: 82
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Post by dis on Jan 17, 2015 12:06:24 GMT
Mine are rugged. The ones who were in comp work and last clipped start of nov have hw full necks on. The fluffy 30yr old has a mw no neck. they have tons of grass still. Forage and ideally no mud = happy horses living out. they have a huge open barn but rarely use it, preferring the hedges!
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Post by amynjazz on Jan 18, 2015 22:08:42 GMT
I've got ponies living out but they're all rugged with loads of hay!
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Post by gilbertgrape on Jan 18, 2015 22:54:27 GMT
Guy who owns the fields should be putting hay/haylage out unless they have acres of grazing. My Section A was dry yesterday but shivering so I rugged her. Today she is much perkier at all but you have to judge each pony. Put your finger in the hollow behind its ear and if that is warm to the touch, then pony warm enough. Here I am talking about totally unclipped ponies.
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Post by brt on Jan 18, 2015 23:18:09 GMT
Mine have a hay bale once a fortnight and a hard feed in the evening, they are old broodmares that are in foal so i like to give them extra as once the oldies start losing weight i find it harder to get it back on. The ones last year who weren't in foal and younger have nothing unless snow is on the ground and even them not a lot. i usually use winter to strip back the old fat but as i said, the oldies i feel need to keep a bit of weight on.
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Post by 2connies on Jan 19, 2015 19:23:30 GMT
A bit off topic I know,but ours are in at night and out during the day and this does give us an extra problem really. Between stables and fields the ground got very poached in the wet spell,then froze and is now quite treacherous in parts.This is why frost gives us more problems even than the mud and rain. Neither of ours are good at staying indoors all day so we have to get them some time out as best we can. I wonder if other people are in this situation?
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Post by nici on Jan 20, 2015 9:44:58 GMT
I've now opened up the yard and stables from the winter field, and we're putting haynets into the stables at night. Going to start getting big bales in the field though - ponies have dropped weight. My bought in fatty is now at her ideal weight, the others have dropped a bit too much too soon. All are rugged - 3 because they're partly clipped and ridden through winter (2 of them hunting regularly), the baby (must stop calling him that now he's rising 5!) was supposed to be wintering out naked but had to come in on box rest for a few weeks and was cold and shivering in his stable, so had to rug him, and by the time he was back out, his coat growth had been disturbed.
We have our gateways protected now in the winter field - hardcore in one, paving slabs in another, so fortunately don't have the issue of poached ground. In the past when the winter field was badly poached, i used to turn the ponies out in the summer paddock during periods of prolonged minus temperatures, as it was a smoother surface and they didn't damage it when it was frozen. Can you put a thick layer of wood chippings or even straw over it to make it easier? Or old shavings from the stables if you use them?
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Post by 2connies on Jan 20, 2015 22:02:21 GMT
We actually started tipping a few barrows of the wood fibre from the the mucking out onto part of the area leading to the fields,which had helped! It will look a bit of a mess when the ice and snow clear though! Snow forecast for tonight but then milder from Friday onwards...thank goodness.
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Post by cariad on Jan 25, 2015 14:07:35 GMT
We are high in the hills of wales. My tb lives out clipped and well rugged. My cushings gelding lives out clipped and well rugged. But all around where we are are hardy welshes living out big thick coats and no rugs, no point rugging now ss they have grown their coats to keep themselves toasty. As long as they have shelter and hay they should be ok!
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Post by carrie17491 on Jan 25, 2015 22:14:29 GMT
I'm slightly concerned as I was told that the price would go up for the field when they are having hay yet I haven't been told anything and when I go to check they always come happily cantering over which is starting to concern me. They are checked everyday by a friend who says she hasn't seen any hay out for them so I'm starting to think about moving them and just having my two in their own field
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Post by gilbertgrape on Jan 25, 2015 23:26:00 GMT
Definitely keep an eye on that! Everything is very wet so hay is welcomed by ponies. An inner fuel which wet grass isn't. Its very annoying when people don't feed hay when they have agreed to do so and charge 'cos its a business.
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Jan 26, 2015 7:46:18 GMT
I would be very happy for mine to eat wet grass if available! They have been here, I've only just started feeding hay because all the grass has now gone - in fact three fat As are still sharing what looks like a ploughed field and were still getting feed off it until recently. Presumably the field owner has judged that they don't yet need hay, why not have a chat with him about it?
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Post by roxy93 on Jan 26, 2015 10:56:26 GMT
I have a 19 year old pony living out with a heavyweight rug on, i always worry about him as he is getting older but as soon as i get down to see him he lets to check he is ok then he is off, not fussed at all we still have grass in the field but very minimal so bale of haylege is now in, Our fields also have full shelter all around but still if it pouring down and blowing a gale he really not fussed.
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Post by nici on Jan 26, 2015 12:32:28 GMT
I've now put a big bale out on a small hard standing area so the ponies have adlib access to that, as well as being able to go and graze (pick at!) the winter field. All had started dropping weight, and with 2 of them hunting regularly, a third being ridden by 2 children each weekend and the fourth being my youngster who will be coming back into work next month, I don't want them to drop as much weight as I would have wanted in previous winters, when they weren't really being worked. I'm hoping the big bales won't be needed for long, but at least it's taking the pressure of the winter field, so the pickings there will last for longer. The ponies tend to be out there during the day, and come back to the hard standing in the afternoon to fuel up for the night.
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Post by mcnaughty on Feb 10, 2015 13:48:56 GMT
If you listened to one of the girls up our yard you would be running out and putting a rug on that Welsh A!! I said 'if' you listened! I pointed out to her the lack of crowds of people running up and down the welsh mountains putting rugs on the wild ones and I think I shut her up - well I though I had - that was until someone else told me she was repeating the stupid statement to others who might listen to her! As someone else said - so long as there is forage they will heat from inside. xx
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Post by natlee93 on Feb 21, 2015 20:36:57 GMT
Mine are all naked hairy and far far too fat I don't know how I'm getting the weight off them before shows!! Even has a new meaning to show condition!!
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Post by switchblade82 on Feb 22, 2015 9:32:02 GMT
Mcnaughty your post made me laugh. A lady I know has a Section A, at start as a cheap companion. Which ended up a Non Working Section A has gone from living out to 5 Star care, stabled, fed twice a day and rugged if wet/cold. Section A has run of whole field, as it ducks the electric fencing and breaks through flimsy wooden posts, to other yard area's if he feels like it. I thought that was typical of Welsh Ponies. So in summer the owner is all confused, when a lame pony is diagnosed having laminitis by her trusted vet? I should shut up as what do I know...nothing. The owner has qualifications in horses and I don't.
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Feb 22, 2015 16:28:18 GMT
Qualifications in horses - but obviously not ponies!
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