[HallePalomino]

Obviously it has been rain rain rain for months.

The field is practically all mud,  but the ponies (11hh and 8hh, not exactly big) are getting what works out at around 3 square bales a week split over the 7 days, and occasionally I'll put in an extra full bale for them to work away at if the weather is particularly bad.

They have a shelter but they don't use it, preferring instead to stand by the high wall. It's not good practice to rug a Shetland (one is a Shetland X but has a shettie coat for sure!) and I don't want to brush out all the good grease/oil out of their coats when it's continuous rain.

So basically, they look a mess. I worry about them looking this way, because I don't want anyone to think they're not looked after. It's a semi-residential area with nosey neighbours.

I'll put a pic down below, but basically I want to know - are your natives (living out) bedraggled too?

I'd also like a bit of reassurance that their condition is fine for this time of year? They were getting a bit skinny in December, so I upped their hay, and there's no boniness in sight now. But someone has made a comment about their condition and I'm very worried now, even though I know they're not malnourished in any way and they are choosing to get wet in the rain instead of using the shelter.

A bit of reassurance, please

[HallePalomino]

Another view.

[sabrina]

I have 3 living out with their field shelter. They look muddy but not a lot can be done about that. Due to the weather I have wormed mine early as not been able to poo pick for weeks. The ones that are stabled do wear outdoor rugs and their coats are looking well. I don't groom in the winter. As far as I can see by your picture your ponies look ok. I am feeding 8 Shetlands  1 big round bale a week.

[SallyintNorth]

It's very hard to really see condition from your pics, but natives should lose condition in winter, ready to put it all back on when the grass comes     My Fells get down to a nice slimness in winter, where I can feel ribs and withers - not bony protrusions, but distinguishable bones.  Can't do that in summer 

On bedraggledness and whether or not to rug, I go by two things.  Is the pony keeping its skin dry?  Are its ears warm?  If either of those answers is No, then IMO they need rugging or locking up to dry off overnight

We're feeding hay at the rate of 3/4 to 1 small square bale (but ours are very solid heavy bales) between 2 Fells and 2 Dales a day.  1 bale when the weather is evil, 3/4 if it's less so.  They have 15 or so acres to roam and graze but it's very poor ground and there's precious little grass on it at this time of year, especially at such a wet time.  So your feed rate sounds plenty to me, certainly wouldn't want to be more for Shetlies I would think.

Are they wormed and (if appropriate in your area) fluked?  Just if two Shetlands are scoffing nearly half a bale a day between them and that's not keeping the weight on them... ?

[mowhaugh]

Mine are all out.  I have four out on the hill, they have hundreds of acres to roam, and are grand.  I then have three in one field with ad lib hay, eating about a bale every 5 days - one 20 year old highland who is fully clipped and wearing a heavy weight full neck rug, one eight year old highland mare who is looking leanish and very muddy and bedraggled, but just right in preparation for spring grass, plus she is going to be backed this spring, so that will be much easier for her if she isn't heavy, and one eleven year old shetland who is blanket clipped with no rug.  I did this in the Christmas hols as I was worried that he wasn't losing any weight.  His enormous heavy mane lies both sides so keeps him dry, but he is slowly losing a bit of podge.  I felt a bit mean doing this, but decided it was better than getting laminitis later in the year, or separating him from his friends.  He also wears a dinky ponies grazing muzzle - he can eat the hay through this, but not as much as he would otherwise.  Then I have a group of four highland fillies aged rising one to rising four in another field by the house with ad lib hay, eating about a bale a week.  I just went out to check them this morning and they were so wet and miserable I have brought them inside.  I know native ponies are designed to be hardy, but not to be soaked all the time.  In general I am not a fan of rugging natives with their full coats on, it can often do more harm than good, but two of them won't be going back out until I have rugs to fit them - I only have one for the shettie when he is fully clipped, and big ones for adult highlands, so going to have to spend some money today.  To be fair, the other two were completely fine, but they are a bit of a team and would have just shouted for each other all day.

Its pretty hard to judge from a photo, but I would say your ponies look pretty much like everyone elses do in this poxy weather.

[HallePalomino]

Just if two Shetlands are scoffing nearly half a bale a day between them and that's not keeping the weight on them... ?

As far as I'm concerned they are definitely keeping the weight on them, the problem has been that someone sent my husband a text saying that basically the ponies were being malnourished and had lost condition and that something needed to be done about it. I was both fuming and deeply hurt by this as I've been careful to make sure they maintained their weight in the cold weather. This person is supposedly a person in the know, and should know how Shetlands are in the winter weather. It has really rattled me.

On bedraggledness and whether or not to rug, I go by two things.  Is the pony keeping its skin dry?  Are its ears warm?  If either of those answers is No, then IMO they need rugging or locking up to dry off overnight

Their faces, ears and necks are always dry and warm. They use the high wall as shelter, even though there is a covered shelter for them to go they choose not to. Shetlands actually lose coat condition and warmth if they are rugged, which is why I wouldn't choose to do this unless they were properly freezing and visibly so. But they're not.

[sabrina]

The ones I have do not feel cold or lose condition rugged and I have had Shetlands as well as horses for years.

[mowhaugh]

I'd be tempted to take them round some info about condition scoring and invite them to come and have a feel of the ponies.

I think the thing about rugging is that with a fantastic double layer coat like a shetland, even the warmest outdoor rug will flatten the coat, but not provide the same level of insulation that a fluffed up shetland coat will, so it won't keep them as warm as their natural coat.  That of course doesn't mean it is wrong to rug, just something to bear in mind.  Also doesn't account for continual rain.  As I said, I do now have ponies rugged as it is the right thing for those ponies this year, but I do know folk (with highlands, not shetalnds) that have got in bother because they assumed putting on a rug would keep their pony warmer, and as the coats have been flattened they've ended up cold.  More of a problem with the lighter weigh rugs probably.

[Daisy]

My 3 out 24/7 no rugs looking far too fat

[HallePalomino]

Thanks everyone, I feel confident that they are still in good condition and warm, and I when I went to see them yesterday I just watched from a distance for half an hour to monitor their behaviour and they seemed absolutely fine. Not loving the squelching I don't think, but I'm hoping Spring is round the corner!!

Thanks again

[ellied]

It's horrible when someone thinks badly of your management choices and doesn't give you credit for having thought it through - some people jump to the conclusion that if you do things differently from them then you are either ignorant at best, or cruel at worst, and it's hard to know how to deal with them if you are feeling hurt and judged.  At least in this case you know who it is and they're being open with you so are giving you the opportunity to either take their advice on board or explain your choices - personally I'd invite them round to see, feel and discuss the ponies with you and find out what her concerns are, just as a PR exercise and to give her the chance to see you aren't cruel or ignorant.  You don't have to do what she thinks, but at least if she then does report you or tries to blacken your reputation, you have clear evidence of trying..

In my case being beside a public road with a lot of traffic and unrugged natives for over 12 years, I've had just one but immensely upsetting incident a couple of years back where someone reported me in early May to at least 2 welfare organisations, both of whom independently came out to assess the situation on consecutive days and the person had set it up so I was away down south working and my sitter didn't know she had any rights, couldn't fully answer the questions and was hugely upset, while I was literally half way down the M6 when the first one had left, and delivering a workshop in the East Midlands for the second, having already spoken to  the first inspector the previous evening and been totally assured that all was well, they saw the adlib hay in the field, saw the one pony that had probably prompted the excuse, I offered them the vets number to confirm why it was underweight in a field of correct for May natives, and told me clearly that he considered the call to have been malicious, which I agreed with for a couple of "coincidences" around the same time..  So the second, from a patronising unprofessional woman that when I called HER back tried to lecture me on every aspect of completely unrelated equine management from poopicking and strip grazing (when the issue was an underweight youngster with ad lib hay, extra feeding and on a larger space to encourage mobility and the maximum uptake of new grass!) was even more upsetting and something I will never get over despite making a formal complaint about her manner and hte fact that her organisation should have (they admitted normally would) check for prior inspections/reports with the larger welfare pros before attending, she just hadn't for whatever personal reasons..  Anyway I'm now paranoid and was just waiting for the vans to roll up when one of my older broodmares was struggling in December with weight loss in the appalling weather and turned out to need a tooth removed but took a while to build back up.. Given adlib bales are still clearly visible however, as am I at twice daily intervals seen standing with buckets while they feed, I can only suppose the malicious caller has no excuse, but it affects your confidence for ages even when you know you're doing right by the animals in your care.

Anyway, just to say I can't see the condition of your ponies without a full side on view, a head/front shot doesn't work, but if you can feel and not see ribs, their coats are muddy but well kept in the depths, they're not rainscalded or standing without feed or shelter or water, then you should just do what you're doing but don't hide from someone that is at least genuine enough to approach you, if not kind enough to do so politely and with respect..  Ignore her and she'll feel justified and self righteous, so just smile and explain and make her a cup of tea and DON'T spit in it!  Just imagine the arsenic in there and let her say what she has to say, answer it, disagree if you must, take on anything you can find that makes sense, and get on with your life.  You could even suggest she shares the cost of a vet callout to reassure you both - if it costs her she will respect the opinion and you might have out played her if she declines in teh face of your willingness to be corrected by a professional vet

[HallePalomino]

We had dry weather today!

Got some better pictures (side on), and finally managed to get a weigh tape round them - looking good!

They are well within average for their breeds and heights, in fact according to this chart http://www.yourhorse.co.uk/ImgGalleryTn/72/193672/37834_129238.jpg Daisy is even a bit podgy for a Shetland X at 230kg and apparently her weight range should be 190-210kg!!

So anyway, feeling so much more confident after everyone's responses, and now I feel much more justified in everything I'm doing with them.

Now looking forward to the weather getting better so I can get them out and about xx

[Daisys Mum]

Look good to me, would love to say that my fields look better than yours but all I can say is that my mud is deeper than yours.........roll on spring 

[Hellybee]

I only rug my B s here and A youngsters the others are naked.   The winter is here for a reason to strip them back otherwise you just laying fat on fat.    I d rather see my Welshies drop back in the winter than have the worry of the going over the top in the summer, they have haylage and licks and lots of big banks for shelter x