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welsh mountain pony
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welsh mountain pony looking poor lost weight over winter need suggestion a feed to bulid him up
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Generally speaking, a horse is a horse is a horse... so the fact that you have what you perceive to be an underweight Welsh pony doesn't alter facts and procedures that we use with our cow ponies here in the western U.S. We have anywhere from 5 to 20 horses of mixed breeds at anyone time and overwinter them reguarly.
First, determine that the horse is in good over all health. A check of the droppings is always recommended by the "old timers" I grew up with. The horse apples should be full of undigested fiber and should be compact without being hard. A horse dropping should never be loose like a cow's. Inspect the leavings for worms or worm casings. If necessary get a vet's inspection. Someone has already mentioned teeth as a consideration.
Next, is the horse a fence or stall walker? Often, loss of weight or inability to maintain weight is due to metabolism and stress. A nervous horse will display that tendency by walking or fence post chewing.
Next, if the horse is in good health but just thin, assure the animal is getting somewhere close to 1.5% to 3.0% of its body weight in good quality forage... in this case Alfalfa is recommended versus what we call prairie hay. A horse of 1,000 pounds for example should be fed 15 pounds daily.
Next, up the animals grain allowance to around 3 pounds per feeding done at least twice a day but don't exceed 10 pounds daily.. Any good grain will help with the calorie intake, but we prefer oats. We also prefer rolled oats versus the whole grain since there is less waste. We also, especially in winter, use a prepared rolled oats mixed with molasses to keep the dust and waste down.
Contd.
First, determine that the horse is in good over all health. A check of the droppings is always recommended by the "old timers" I grew up with. The horse apples should be full of undigested fiber and should be compact without being hard. A horse dropping should never be loose like a cow's. Inspect the leavings for worms or worm casings. If necessary get a vet's inspection. Someone has already mentioned teeth as a consideration.
Next, is the horse a fence or stall walker? Often, loss of weight or inability to maintain weight is due to metabolism and stress. A nervous horse will display that tendency by walking or fence post chewing.
Next, if the horse is in good health but just thin, assure the animal is getting somewhere close to 1.5% to 3.0% of its body weight in good quality forage... in this case Alfalfa is recommended versus what we call prairie hay. A horse of 1,000 pounds for example should be fed 15 pounds daily.
Next, up the animals grain allowance to around 3 pounds per feeding done at least twice a day but don't exceed 10 pounds daily.. Any good grain will help with the calorie intake, but we prefer oats. We also prefer rolled oats versus the whole grain since there is less waste. We also, especially in winter, use a prepared rolled oats mixed with molasses to keep the dust and waste down.
Contd.
Contd.
A neat trick used by one old cowboy here is to put about a cup (12 ounces) of a cheap brand of common corn based cooking oil on the oats in especially cold weather. If this is done, one should cut back on the oats mixture by about 2 pounds daily. (Keep the oil in a good cool place to avoid rancidity).
Lastly, keep a mineral block available to the horse and, of course lots of good clean water...
Best of luck!
A neat trick used by one old cowboy here is to put about a cup (12 ounces) of a cheap brand of common corn based cooking oil on the oats in especially cold weather. If this is done, one should cut back on the oats mixture by about 2 pounds daily. (Keep the oil in a good cool place to avoid rancidity).
Lastly, keep a mineral block available to the horse and, of course lots of good clean water...
Best of luck!
Clanad,
Your knowledge is very extensive and your opinions very valid, but I would be very wary of feeding a native Welsh pony (which can be quite small) oats under any circumstances. They make them heat up and go like a bottle of pop. For a general feed I would give sugar beet pulp (must be soaked), and for putting on weight and keeping it warm barley is good. Decent hay would help but as with the oats too good a quality will make it a bit sparky, so as long as its fresh and clean it will be ok. Check for worms and teeth, and ensure some shelter from the elements if turned out.
Your knowledge is very extensive and your opinions very valid, but I would be very wary of feeding a native Welsh pony (which can be quite small) oats under any circumstances. They make them heat up and go like a bottle of pop. For a general feed I would give sugar beet pulp (must be soaked), and for putting on weight and keeping it warm barley is good. Decent hay would help but as with the oats too good a quality will make it a bit sparky, so as long as its fresh and clean it will be ok. Check for worms and teeth, and ensure some shelter from the elements if turned out.
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