New To Pony's and need advice

[Beauty13]

Hi guys!

I just joined the forum! I've been reading and learning a lot on here and admire all the experience this forum provides. So here's my story:

I grew up on a farm, then went away to city life. In corporate america I was working ungodly hours and didn't really have a life or even get to spend time with my family. After 15 years we decided to save up and buy a farm!!! We wanted to live a more wholesome life while enjoying it at the same time. So, now I'm a poultry and goat farmer! I still work a day job, but it doesn't carry near the stress as my previous one. If anyone has any questions about goats or Poultry I'm your lady!

With this new fun adventure we've been on I decided to rescue a Hackney Pony from going to the meat shop. She was taken by ASPCA down in FL due to neglect. She was completely emaciated and had her leather cart pulling tack still on. (sorry I'm new to pony terminology) FL was looking for a place to take her. Living in GA close to the border I found out about her and offered to take her. I figured I always wanted a horse and what better way to learn than to learn with her. She had been eaten up alive with all the bugs down in FL, and the tack that was left on her rubbed her raw and she was missing a lot of her fur, including her mane.

Fast forward 7 months, reading countless articles and watching Youtube... this is what Beauty looks like now!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tOXaufWPxCKGCPbbCL70cdWzV-gpK-zR/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11bg6FT-sIewtMFVWHfl4zZd-VwN-4O8x/view?usp=sharing

Here are my questions:

1. How do I get her mane to grow faster/fuller/healthier?

Her diet consists of:

~Purina miniature horse and pony

~Alfa Alfa Pellets

~whole oats

~Small amount of sweet feed

~Treats (once a day after I walk her)

~Occasionally coconut oil mixed with feed (helped her recover from bug bites and raw skin)

~Pasture

2. She's a senior pony I found out, vet said appr. 20... she doesn't act like it though. What products do you use on their coats to make them shiny?

I've used Coconut oil, Mane and Tail and show sheen.

3. Any other recommendations? Ultimately I want her to drive again!

Everyone said she was an ugly old pony, but I see her beauty! She's no show pony, but she's my baby. She follows me like a puppy and always comes running to the fence when she see's me pull up in the drive way. I've become passionate about Hackney's and ultimately want to get more!

 

[jeanniecogan]

it has been my experience that nothing outside helps. sprays and such. good nutrition and time. when i take in a neglected animal i expect it to take a year until they :BLOOM. I HAVE A FILLY that wi bloom this year and it will be 2 years in june since i

i woould chhange the whole oats to crimped or rolled oats. and maybe some kind of senior feed. otherise it sounds like u are d oing a got her job

WELCOME TO THE FORUM.

 

[Cayuse]

Hi, she is cute and lucky to have a new home. Has she had her teeth checked and floated and has she been wormed? You probably have done this already but I thought I would mention it. Having both of those things in order can help them achieve a nice bloom as they can utilize their vittles better.

I have my minis on Sho-Glo by Manna Pro and it has put a nice shine on one of them and improved the other's overall health.

Good luck with her!

 

[Beauty13]

Thanks guys! Yes, I worm the farm every spring and fall.

Ok, I'll start looking at senior diets. I've seen the Sho-Glo that you're talking about, I'll definitely give that a try!

Forgive my ignorance... What does this "bloom" mean? Like their look/personality once they are fully back in health?

 

[Cayuse]

"Bloom" to me, means a shine that comes from the inside out, from their being in good health and not from a bottle of hair polish. It is the kind of shine that you know is under the dust after they roll if you just brush the dust off, it is there naturally. Bright eyes and healthy feet, too.

Certain colors of horses can really show off a nice bloom. I love bays because sometimes the subtle colors in their coats and dappling will look dimensional.

I have used baby oil in tiny amounts when I show to enhance the shine on a mane and tail. It only takes a few drops onto the mane/tail and brush it through really well. It will take the frizz down if they have a fuzzy mane. I try to use it sparingly as it can dry the hair and just make matters worse in the long run.

ETA: Jeannie had a good point about it taking time. I bet in the Spring when we sheds you will see even more improvement.

How big is your mare? I have a welsh pony that is 12.2

 

[Beauty13]

I forgot to include, that she is in fact missing some teeth. I haven't seen her drop hay, but I have seen her trying to look like a farmer. She'll have one piece of long grass or straw sticking outside her mouth to the side. I have a vet coming out in 3 weeks to geld my donkey, I'm going to have him deliberately look at her teeth after he gives her her shots.

She is 13.1 hands.

What website do you guys deem the best for pony tack and gear? I've gone to local stores and haven't had much luck finding things that'll fit her properly. I've been on the search for good fly gear. Her skin is better, but I just want to make sure I'm prepared this year. The bugs are brutal here and just sprays I don't feel are as beneficial. Plus, it's a never ending cycle with her skin trying to heal fully, then I put chemicals on it or she just gets eaten up. I feel like this is a never ending fight.

 

[Cayuse]

She is bigger than I thought, that is a nice size. I wonder if she was trained to be ridden, too.

Good idea to get the teeth rechecked, especially if some are missing. The teeth that remain can wear unevenly

when they don't have the opposing tooth to wear against and that can make for some problems. My old pony who was missing some teeth had to be floated twice a year or he'd get sharp spots on the remaining teeth.

A senior feed sounds like a good idea, easier to chew and digest. Chopped bagged hay can be easier for them to chew as can pellets/cubes soaked into a mash.

I have used Amigo fly sheets/masks on my welsh pony and they fit really well. Schneider's Tack also has pony sized blankets and sheets. There is a place, I think it is called "Just for Ponies" and they carry a nice variety of pony items.

 

[chandab]

Maybe, I'm stating the obvious, but horses do have a natural part of their jaw that doesn't have teeth, called the bars, it's where the bit sits. [in a full-size horse this gap is almost the width of your hand.] Not that she couldn't still be missing a tooth or two, but usually horses missing teeth are very aged.

A senior feed is still a good idea, they are easy to digest complete feeds, suitable for all ages.

 

[Zergling]

My mare was was in pretty bad shape when I rescued her. She had a serious parasite load, lice, open wounds on her legs from where she was tangled up in something, and quite emaciated from the poor diet and digestion because of the parasites, despite the bulging belly. She also had patches where she was missing hair but from not obvious cause like rain rot or mites. What remained of her coat was dry and brittle.

It took about two years for her to come around to what she looks like today. Worming and DE took care of the parasites and lice. Treated the wounds and kept flies off them and they healed nicely. Her diet was simple. Good quality hay and forage, Equimax, flax seed, beet pulp, and DE for ongoing parasite prevention. With the proper diet and the immediate health concerns dealt with, her mane and coat grew better with time. It's been about 4 years now... I think... but her coat is shinier and healthier than ever.

Happy to see another rescued horse. You've done well with her. If you keep up with what you are doing she should continue to get a better coat. The only difference is the fact that she is a senior so they can take longer to improve and you may reach a plateau due to her age. I've not had horses long enough to care for a senior so you'll have a different set of requirements than my young mare would.

Hope that helps

 

[MyBarakah]

How is your pony doing now, almost a year later? Just curious if you did get her teeth checked?