What with a few days sunshine on top of the ample rain the paddock grass is growing like crazy and here at our place in Cornwall we have to control how, and how much our ponies are grazing.
For those that have not read any of our stuff before we have a Cleveland Bay mare, a Welsh Section B and a Shetland Pony. Fortunately for them we have a business supplying tacks for Mini’s Shetlands and most of the Native Pony Breeds so our three are not short on gear to keep them happy, safe and dry.
However, our three are still on restricted grazing albeit for different reasons and are likely to remain so through to the winter. Our Shetland Pony, Poppy, had looked a bit sore (we found a pulse at the fetlock) however having been in for a few weeks she saw the farrier earlier in the week and it all looks fine. That said, we need to be aware of the potential problems for her and indeed all ponies and watch how much grazing she has access too. To try and make sure that all stays well with her we are strip feeding her on one of the paddocks so she doesn’t get access to too much grass at once.
We are giving her a 4 meter by 20 meter wide strip of paddock and only giving her access to the strip once we have been over it with the lawnmower. We are then mowing each strip before we give her access to it and leaving her out for few hours only. We are bringing her in for the night with access to hay using the Mini Miser Haynet we are so pleased with... A bit of hard work but she’s looking great on it.
Our Welsh, Gulliver, had been put on restricted grazing just to be on the safe side and will stay restricted but is slowly spending a bit more time grazing albeit on very short grass.
In the stables we are still using the Mini Miser Haynet and the Wee Pony Haynet- these are the one’s that have holes that are half the size of the holes in normal Haynets so are perfect for greedy ponies. We have these for sale so get in touch if you need one.
There still seems to be the feeling that owners need to be conscious for signs of Laminitis so we will need to be more aware that normal of just how much grass our ponies are getting. As we suggested in previous articles, if you have any concerns we would strongly advise consulting a vet.
Please look out for our other articles and get in touch if you need any help or advice on tack and essentials for your Mini, Shetland or Pony.
You can learn more about us and have a look at products for restricted grazing at our website.
http://www.theponytackshop.co.uk/for_pony/pony_bridles_leatherwork/webbing_pony_accessories
