Here
is my response to a young fan of the Dawn of Promise Farm Web site who was
working on a scout project. Thought maybe others would find it interesting or
useful. Vickie
Leanne
- Thank you for your interest in ponies and their care. Your question is not
an easy one to answer in one e-mail, but here it goes!
Care
of the ponies at Dawn of Promise Farm
Vickie Maris
I raise Connemara ponies which are the native pony of the western seacoast of
Ireland. They are very quiet-natured and quite athletic. They are large enough
that they can carry adults, but make great kids' ponies too. I will tell you a
little about how the ponies live on my farm in Indiana.
I have 11 ponies. Two of them are stallions (males), three are mares
(females), one is a gelding (castrated male) and the rest are young fillies
(females) and colts (males).
I feed my ponies twice a day. They each get 2 -3 flakes of grass hay two times
per day. I also feed them a pelleted feed from Purina that contains 12%
protein. I add some cracked corn to their diet in the coldest part of winter
because it helps their bodies generate heat.
The ponies live out in the pastures most of the time and have access to
shelters to get out of the wind and rain. Their winter coats grow long and
thick and do a great job of keeping them warm. It is so very important for
them to get outside and have exercise every day. They stay much healthier and
happier than ponies and horses that have to live inside stables most of the
time. A few of my ponies tend to overeat, so I keep them in “diet pastures”
some of the time. Those areas don’t grow much grass, so the ponies can be
outside but aren't overeating.
I keep plenty of fresh water in front of the ponies at all times so they can
drink what they need. My barn has automatic waterers in the stalls that refill
as the ponies drink. I clean these out once a week and also make sure that the
water troughs in the pastures are clean.
The ponies’ favorite treats include apples, sugar cubes, Starlight mints and
carrots. They also like apple wafers that I buy at the feed store.
Since ponies and horses are herd animals, it is always a good idea to
have at least two. They would get very lonely and their disposition might
change for the worse if you try to keep just one by itself.
My ponies have their hooves trimmed every 8 weeks by my farrier, Mr. Bixler.
Ponies hooves grow all the time (like your fingernails), so it is important
that they receive routine farrier care. Since Connemaras
have such tough feet, I don't keep shoes on them, but if I did, Mr. Bixler
would shoe them as well.
I have the vet come out twice a year to assist me with giving the ponies their
vaccinations and floating their teeth (filing down the long teeth). Ponies
teeth grow throughout their lives and need to be filed so that they don't
develop sharp points that can effect their chewing. They also have to have a
blood test, called a Coggin's Test, that is done in the spring. This is
necessary to be able to take them to shows or to travel with them out of
state.
Ponies can get internal parasites which can cause them many health problems.
There are many ways to deworm, but the way I do this at my farm is with a
daily pelleted wormer. I put it right in with their pelleted feed and the
munch right down. Then, twice a year I also use a paste wormer that I squirt
in their mouth.
When the weather calls for bringing the ponies in the barn, I bed their stalls
with pine shavings so they have a warm, cozy place to sleep. I clean the
stalls in the morning and evening on the days that the ponies are using the
barn.
Three of my ponies, Madison, Savannah and Realta, are all riding ponies. So I
enjoy taking them out several times a week for a ride or my riding students
ride them in lessons. The ponies love the attention and are very hard workers.
I hope this helps you out with your project.
Thanks for asking,
Vickie Maris
Dawn of Promise Farm Connemaras
