Q&A

Q: My pony is on box rest and hates it. How can I make it easier for him?

A: Box rest can be really difficult for your pony, especially if he is the only one left behind when all of his friends go outside.

If your pony gets stressed when his friends leave, the key thing for him will be having some company around him. It might be worth asking people at your yard if there are any other horses or ponies who might be able to stay in with him – even if there are a few who take it in turns so that their time in the paddock is not too limited. If this is not possible, you could try and stable him where he can see a busy area of the yard, a paddock or an arena where people are riding for most of the day so that he still feels part of the action. You could also try and schedule your visits to him for the times when the other horses are out so that he has company from you during these times.

Of course, it goes without saying that you need to make sure that your pony has 24/7 access to hay, as this will also help to keep him occupied during his box rest and reduce the risk of ulcers developing due to stress. If your pony does not have food or friends, he will be even more stressed and risks getting sick!

Stable toys can also help as a distraction, particularly those that release treats every so often.

If your pony is not coping with box rest, chat to your vet and see if they can advise on a calming supplement to help reduce the anxiety levels. Ponies are herd animals, so separating them from their friends is stressful, and sometimes a calming supplement can really help them to cope. You don’t need to give it forever – just until your pony has completed their box rest schedule.

Q: Is there a difference for my pony between a black mesh fly mask and a white mesh fly mask?

A: You can test this by looking through the two types of coloured mesh yourself! If you try this, you’ll see that it is much easier to see through black mesh than white mesh. While horses can still see through lighter coloured mesh, black is much easier on the eyes as it is easier to see through and it does not create a glare in bright light.

Q: I have a pony who is well behaved most of the time, but sometimes he spins and then runs away with me. I don’t know why he does this. Do you have any tips to fix it?

A: The first thing you need to check with any behavioural issue is that your pony is not in pain. Before worrying about fixing the behaviour itself, you need to speak to your vet, saddle fitter, dentist and physio to check that there isn’t something else going on that is triggering this behaviour in your pony. Ponies are not naughty by nature and only act up for a reason. As they can’t speak, it is often a bit of a challenge to find out exactly what causes them to behave in a certain way.

Once pain or discomfort has been ruled out, you need to search for other things that might be causing the problem, such as the build-up of too much energy because of rich food or lack of free movement. Does your pony have plenty of time to get rid of excess energy in the paddock? If not, you can increase turnout time and lunge your pony a bit before you get on. In this way, your pony has the opportunity to burn off some of his energy before he has to start work. If your pony has lots of turnout and the opportunity to move, then have a look at his diet; is it very high in sugars and energy? If so, your pony might be cruising around on a ‘sugar high’ when you ride him, making it difficult for him to concentrate on his work. Chat to your equine nutritionist or vet about the best food for your pony, and then make the changes gradually to allow him to adapt.

If you have ruled out all of these more obvious things, and the behaviour continues, you need to look at your pony’s anxiety levels and your riding. A good instructor can help you understand what is going on and train your pony. It might be that you need to build his confidence so that he doesn’t feel afraid and run away. Alternatively, it might be something in your riding that triggers him to spin, and an instructor will be able to help you with this. Don’t try and ‘muddle through’ on your own with a problem of this nature as over time you will lose your confidence and stop wanting to ride. These issues can be tricky to fix, as they can become habits for your pony, so don’t be hard on yourself and get a professional involved to help you with the retraining process!

Q: How can I stop my lower leg from swinging when I ride?

A: You are not going to like this answer!! The best way to improve your leg position and keep it still is to make sure that you do lots of work without stirrups. The more work you can do without the support of stirrups, the greater control you will have over your leg position. It is also advised that you check your stirrups are the right length for you. Again, one of the best ways to do this is to practice riding with no stirrups in your flatwork and then make sure your stirrups are the right length when you take them back. Ideally, you want the bottom of the stirrup iron to be at your ankle when your leg is hanging loosely. You can also check this with your instructor.

Q: What are the signs that a mare is about to give birth?

A: Not all mares will show all of the signs listed here. However, even seeing one or two of these suggests the foal is on his way!

Udder: The first change most owners will notice when a mare is about to give birth is that the udder will get bigger as it fills with milk, ready to feed her foal.

Usually, in the beginning, there will be some decrease in the size of the udder during the day when the mare moves around in the paddock, and then at night, the udder will increase in size again as the mare stands. However, when the foal is just about to arrive, the changing of the size will stop, as the udder is now so full of milk that exercise won’t make it smaller.

The teats of the udder will also show changes. They initially become shorter and wider, but as the birth gets closer, they get longer and may even start to drop milk. If the mare starts to drop milk before the foal has arrived, you should call your vet, as this first milk (colostrum) is vital for the foal!

Many mares will also ‘wax up’ close to foaling, which is the term given to the clotting of the colostrum at the end of the teat. If this happens, it is a sign that birth is very close.

Birth canal: Approximately three weeks before the foal arrives, hollowness may appear on either side of the tail root as the muscles and ligaments in the pelvic area relax around the birth canal.

Abdomen: As the foal grows in the uterus, the belly gets bigger. However, in the final stages of pregnancy, the mare’s belly can seem to shrink as the foal moves out of the lower abdomen and up into the birth canal, ready for delivery.

Behaviour: As the birth gets really close, the mare will become more restless and agitated, especially as she enters the first stage of labour. At this point, her temperature increases, and she may begin to sweat. She may also start to look colicky and walk in circles, swishing her tail, looking at her side and kicking at her belly. At this point, you should call the vet to let them know that the foal appears to be on the way!

Q: Does my pony need water in the paddock?

A: Yes! All horses and ponies need water in the paddock, even if they are only out for a couple of hours and even in winter. Horses and ponies must have 24/7 access to water.