Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:06 pm Post subject: need some horse/pony advice. added pics pg2
I'm hoping you knowledgable folk of LF can help me
I know absolutely nothing about horses but we regularly bike past several horses and ponies in fields whilst with the dogs and most seem to have nice fresh hay/straw and some form of shelter but theres 4 small ponies (do you get small horses?) they're in a field with no shelter, they've been in this field for months and seem to have fresh hay but surely its cruel if they have no shelter? Especially with the cold weather approaching They aren't near a house and don't get ridden... I just feel so sorry for them but before i call the RSPCA i thought i'd best check that this isn't something that certain horse/ponys are ok with.... is it cruel to have no shelter?
TIA
Last edited by AlfiesMum on Sat Dec 17, 2011 3:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
No, not if you are a fully coated, unclipped native pony. Are any of the boundaries fenced with a thick hedge or is it all 'gappy' post and rail fencing?
Imagine ponies on exmoor, in the Shetland Isles, even on the New Forest or certainly in the Welsh Mountains in the middle of winter.... thats the sort of thing they can happily enough withstand....
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Do the ponies have rugs on? If there are trees around they would tend to shelter under trees, or at least try and get out of the worst of wind and rain.
The things I would be most concerned about are if the field is really muddy and waterlogged, it can cause problems in their feet. If they don't have rugs on, and are not being groomed regularly, then they could be susceptible to rain rot which is a fungal infection I think.
In the wild they wouldn't have a stable, but if they are used to having comforts, this weather could take its toll. Their age and general condition would play a part too as to how they cope.
they're in a fairly open field although one side has trees next to it so imagine they can get some shelter from those but the other 3 sides are all open to lots of other fields
They just look so small compared to horses in another field who have a big 3 sided tin/wood shelter and lots of hay and always look nicely looked after
I saw the weather forecast and all i can think of is those poor little ponies... they must be freezing.... i'll resist calling the RSPCA though if some can cope fine. Thanks Di
Technically speaking, there are thousands of wild ponies on the moors and in the New Forest who have no shelters, other than perhaps some natural bushes and trees for cover. So it isn't necessarily cruel, however, if these animals are old, underweight or not native species, then they could be suffering in the worst of the weather.
As long as their field isn't waterlogged and they have plenty of hay, they should be ok, as it sort of ferments in their stomachs producing internal heating. I'm just soft though and would prefer to see them all inside in the bad weather and preferably rugged up too .
It does at times seem to get flooded in alot of the field they are on, its quite marshy... but at the moment its not flooded. I'll try to get a photo of them.
Thanks gsygal and Jules, i'm like you Jules and would be alot happier if they had some warm shelter, they don't have rugs on and i never see anyone there.
If they have food and water, aren't standing in water or thick mud and aren't looking very underweight, then I very much doubt the RSPCA will be interested. However, if they are looking poor or their hooves have sunk in water, marshy land or mud, then it might be worth mentioning it to them.
To be fair the fact they look 'small' actually is hugely in their favour and they will probably grow a shaggy coat you can lose your arm in within the next few weeks. A big horse of a different breed and make up could not, so therefore actually to do this to the bigger horses WOULD be cruel to some extent, but to rug up heavily coated tiny shaggy ponies, to be honest, is very rare.
But now we are back to 'coats' and maybe its best we aren't....huge grin!!
Di
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
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They aren't near a house and don't get ridden... I just feel so sorry for them but before i call the RSPCA i thought i'd best check that this isn't something that certain horse/ponys are ok with.... is it cruel to have no shelter?
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