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Posted by Nanci on October 13, 2003 at 18:57:27:
In Reply to: Neglect?? posted by Angela T. on October 02, 2003 at 15:12:24:
: Five or six months ago my next-door neighbors got a pony and pastured him in an overgrown field with only a pathetic lean-to as his shelter. With winter coming up, I am concerned that his shed, with no sides, won’t protect him from the occasionally below zero winds in the winter months. Also, I never see a vet or farrier come over or the owners check on him and give him attention. Even though I don’t see a water trough, I assume that they provide water because he could’ve lived this long without water. The pony isn’t thin but mostly thorny bushes and tall weeds occupy his pasture with hardly any edible nutrious grass. I do see two bales of hay in the backyard but they’ve been there for a while. When I did approach my neighbors and ask if they knew how to properly take care of a pony, they apparently didn’t want to talk about it and answered, “He’s just a little guy.” then walked away. Is this neglect or am I just overreacting? I would appreciate any advice.
Hi Angela - If the pony has enough to eat (and keep in mind that equines eat lots of plants other than grass) and has someplace to get out of the wind (the lean-to) it will probably winter just fine. It's a hard thing to see when you are used to better, but does not necessarily mean neglect. You might want to get an expert in equine condition to look across the fence and see what they think - no trespassing and you certainly don't want to antagonize your neighbor. Granted it may be minimal care, but that doesn't mean neglect either. A lot of people make the mistake of 'over-housing' their horses in the winter. Equines of all types were created by nature to live out on the plains and prairies through all kinds of weather. Of course, they do have to have enough to eat (roughage - hay or plant material) to create body warmth. Roughage is much more important than grain during the winter. As long as a horse or pony is digesting food, their bodies are creating warmth. And roughage takes longer to digest than grain. Good luck.