Why horses and ponies at grass are more lively in Spring and Summer

Are ponies out on grass more lively than stabled one? This is an interesting question we received at HorseandPonyInfo recently. What do you think?

The first answer which might pop into our heads is that stabled ponies have more pent up energy from being locked up so they are more lively. A pony out in a field all day is more likely to be using up its energy. Maybe.

What I feel really matters is what sort of feed and how much of it the ponies are getting. And what season of the year it is. A pony kept in a stable all winter and fed high protein hard feed and hay is bound to be more lively than a similar pony kept in a field through the winter which is only being fed hay as there is usually little protein in the grass during the winter.

However, in Spring and Summer, and especially in Britain and Ireland, there is strong grass growth which means it is full of protein. Any pony fed on lush, green grass will not only become overweight quickly, be at risk from laminitis but he or she will also become a lot more lively.

We often get asked how much feed to give a pony and this is not easy to answer because ponies and horses, like humans, all differ in size, shape and temperament. Feeding a horse or pony correctly needs practice as some will put on weight and become more lively than others.

For example, I look after a 24 year old 12 hh pony who always loses weight in the winter. He lives out with a good rug and, because there is little grass, he is fed hay twice a day and a hard feed in a bucket containing nuts (13% protein), an alfalfa chop and a small amount of oats. He is ridden by children under the age of 10 and is always well behaved. In the summer, his food is cut down as the grass grows because he is prone to laminitis. He gains more condition from grass than hard feed.

I have another pony, also about 12 hh, who is 7 years old. This pony is kept in a stable at night and out during the day in winter and summer. He is fed a smaller amount of hay twice a day than the first pony and a very small amount of low protein coarse mix with a low protein chop. During the day, he is on a bare field. This pony put on a lot of weight over the winter and is extremely lively. He needs lungeing sometimes before children ride him as he can be quite a handful.

Both ponies are the same height but one is much younger than the other. One is very quiet and one is very lively so they obviously have different temperaments. They also differ in that one loses weight in the winter and the other has no problem keeping on condition – although this could be because of their age difference. I have had both ponies teeth checked regularly so this is not an issue.

As you can see, there is no easy answer to feeding ponies – how much hard feed or how much hay to give them. They definitely should not have too much grass in Spring and Summer when there is strong growth because of the possibility of laminitis. Only practice will tell you how much to feed them. The best way is probably to start off slowly with small amounts of feed (including hay) and see how it affects the pony. If he puts on weight quickly, cut back the feed. If he gets too lively, cut back the feed. A good guideline is whether or not you can feel his ribs when you run your hand along them. If you can see the ribs, he is too thin but if you can’t see the ribs but can just about feel them, then he is the correct weight. If you can’t feel the ribs at all, he is overweight.

By the way, this way of checking the correct weight also applies to horses, especially good doers like native types, such as Irish Draughts and cobs.