Ponies in the snow

The ponies don’t mind a bit of snow so long as there is a feed block around and a pile of hay.   Today it’s much deeper but they still wanted to go out for a scamper round and had a fine time jumping in and out of snow drifts!    Ponies do less well when it’s wet and windy, they keep warm by running about and eating food with lots of fibre in it – hay or haylage needs to be fed ad lib.

Large fields with either thick hedges or a bit of woodland have a great advantage as they provide room for exercise and some shelter.   Small paddocks are not good turnout in bad weather.  In a natural state the horse or pony would be roaming about to keep warm and would know the best spots to get out of the storm.  Our ponies like to come in at night and for aged or frail livestock, this is essential.

Krystal and Danniboy both wear rugs all winter as they are not as active as the little rascals.   Try to keep a rug on a miniature pony!    Ours get them off in minutes!    Krystal can’t keep herself warm because she is a senior citizen and not so active;  her partial blindness also makes it more difficult for her to run around when the ground is frozen.   Danniboy is just a wimp!    He always likes to be kept warm and rugged up!

Danniboy’s bad experiences before we rescued him have left him with anxiety problems and he likes to feel safe.   He may look like a macho chunky chap but inside he’s a timid soul.

We check the rugs every day and this is essential to make sure that they are not rubbing or feeling uncomfortable.   Once a pony has been rugged up for the winter, they have to stay cosy and warm.   The rugs are called New Zealand rugs and they are waterproof and nowadays they are lightweight with a woollen lining.   They used to be made from canvas and it was stiff and less comfortable, still better than the pony being wet and cold though.

If the pony comes in at night, the New Zealand rug needs to be taken off – they cannot stand in a stable wearing this thick outerwear.   A stable rug with a blanket under it can be substituted and then the N.Z. rug put on again in the morning before the pony goes out.

We once had a pony come in who had suffered the misery of wearing a New Zealand rug all the winter.  It was tied with baler twine and had never been checked.   The rug had worn sores on her back and we had the vet come out straight away.   Ponies may look alright, wandering about in their rugs, but until you have undone them and checked their backs and legs where the straps might rub, you don’t know what sort of discomfort they might be suffering.

We get through huge amounts of hay and straw in the winter months.   If you’d like to adopt one of our ponies please get in touch.    We’re very grateful for any donations towards the ponies feed – especially this time of year when they eat much more in order to keep warm.  Even a small amount makes a difference and is a big help.  [donate]