[mab]

Sorry for another idiot question, but when I first moved here I put Rosie on a patch of rather lush grass for a week or two then -  not wanting her to get too fat - I moved her (once I'd sorted some fencing) onto some scrubby land on which she's been doing a great job of clearing.

Trouble is I've never had a good handle on gauging her weight (she always looks fat), and I'm a bit paranoid about laminitis (she's never had it, but I've heard they're prone particularly in the spring.

To make matters worse, as she's on scrubby grazing (not much grass, but nettles, brambles and bracken) it occurred to me that she could be eating junk which could give her (in my novice opinion) strawbelly, thus making her look fatter.

I've attached a couple of pics (was losing the light and she kept moving, so they're a bit fuzzy).

any advice? Thanks

Marcus

Oh, I've been giving her a bit of hay along with the scrubby grazing, rather than more access to good grass.

[SallyintNorth]

I was going to quip, "It's a Shetland?  And it's alive?  Then it's fat!"  - but to me in those photos your pony doesn't look fat.  I'm no expert though, hopefully one will come along soon.

I have similar agonies over my Fell ponies - good doers on ground that's way better than they need, so one ends up restricting area, or stocking heavily, or reducing grazing time...  More exercise would of course be the better option...  I've learned over the years to know where I should be able to feel a rib, a breastbone, to help me keep track of their condition.  But yes, one worries that they're forced to eat things that maybe aren't good for them in any quantity - creeping buttercup for one.

[HelenVF]

I just ask my farrier :lol:  We have a very good relationship - I tell him how to train and answer any stupid questions about dogs and he trims my pony's feet and answers any stupid questions about her :lol:

BTW, I LOVE fell ponies.  I was seriously thinking about getting one until I lost my confidence and didn't feel I could have one at home that I had to ride

Helen

[sabrina]

Pony does not look overweight, I thought bracken was a plant that was bad.

[mab]

Pony does not look overweight,

phew! 

I thought bracken was a plant that was bad.

well, she doesn't appear to eat stuff that she shouldn't (so far) and the bracken hasn't really started yet this year - but If I'm too mean with the grass and hay she might be tempted...

When I get a farrier to come (I've not located one since the move) I will have a whole list of questions. 

[lachlanandmarcus]

She looks quite good, a bit trimmer than nearly all the pics of shetlands Ive seen. I think keep doing what you are doing until the bracken starts to be a bother and then move her to a bare field or one with some limited old grass. If she needs any extra field I find oat straw very good with my lami prone pony, tho you do need to feed a vit/min supplement eg a yellow Rockie block as straw is low in some nutrients.

[Small Farmer]

I was going to quip, "It's a Shetland?  And it's alive?  Then it's fat!"  - but to me in those photos your pony doesn't look fat.  I'm no expert though, hopefully one will come along soon.

My thoughts exactly!

[mab]

She always has her yellow rockie  . As I've got a few bales of hay from the winter I'm supplementing the scrub with that.

But having been reasurred that she's not obviously overweight, I can let her have a tad more grass - I was a bit afraid I might be starving her into eating rubbish (like the bracken).

cheers

marcus

[Brijjy]

I would definitely be extremely cautious with putting her out where there is bracken. A friend of my dad lost some foals last year to bracken poisoning. They were running on some common heathland and being curious and the fact that the grass was slow coming through, they ate the bracken. The shetlands that I have had have been pretty greedy and will try anything if the grass is not there.

[ppd]

Don't worry about the big belly - they all have them! pads of fat on shoulders and an apple shaped bottom and a firm crest are all signs of being over weight - I should know as I am struggling to lose it off my shetland. Lamiintis is not always related to being over weight though. Many factors can trigger it, being predisposed to it and weather can cause it too. Like others have said watch out for the bracken because if hungry they will probably eat anything 

[mab]

Hmm.. OK. Generally she doesn't eat stuff that's not good for her - she's still choosing and leaving stuff, but I'll keep an eye things.

I just wanted to be sure she wasn't too fat before I allowed her more grass & hay.

Thanks

m