Horse & Hound

“Keep them natural”

-

ONE of the most important benefits of turning ponies out over the winter is to enable their natural weight loss cycle, which prevents obesity and related metabolic conditions.

“Natives that are over-rugged, overfed and underworke­d are not following their natural metabolic cycle, and it causes serious health problems,” says Dales breeder Gina Parker. “You should be able to count their ribs in the spring to allow for the weight they put on over the summer.”

Gina feels that today’s horse owners have lost sight of what a native pony should be.

“If we’re not careful, a lot of the characteri­stics of the natives and their traits that make them hardy will be lost,” she says. “We’ll lose the ability to turn them out on a hillside and survive. Keep them natural with a good coat on and out as much as possible, and unless they have to be clipped for hunting or working, don’t rug them up.”

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom