From a sporting point of view, a pony is defined by the FEI as “a small horse which, measured on a level surface, does not exceed 148 cm in height without shoes or 149 cm when properly shod”. This sporting definition is broad, including horses of small stature as well as ponies of a specific breed (e.g. the Shetland).
Ignoring the characteristic phenotypic differences of ponies, what differentiates them from horses from a nutritional point of view?
Although a pony's digestive system is identical to that of any other equine, there are some peculiarities to consider. During the evolutionary process, ponies have adapted to make their survival viable in adverse conditions, namely with a shortage of food resources and lower quality food. For this reason, ponies generally maintain an adequate body condition without large food resources, and are commonly referred to as easy keepers. Therefore, one of the main difficulties in managing the diet of ponies is providing them with the nutrients they need without this leading to an excessive caloric intake, with consequent weight gain.
It should also be noted that ponies, when compared to other horses, have a higher risk of developing problems such as obesity, metabolic syndrome and laminitis. Obesity, in turn, causes joint overload and loss of performance. Therefore, establishing adequate feeding management in ponies is particularly important, as is monitoring it efficiently through assessment of body condition.
General rules for feeding ponies
Like horses, a pony should consume 1 to 2% of its live weight in forage and/or feed daily. For example, a pony weighing around 200 kg should consume around 4 kg of dry matter, in hay and concentrated feed. Given their pronounced appetite and the calorie restriction that is necessary to avoid obesity, weighing the feed and controlling the portions administered is particularly important.
The forage ingested (hay/grass) may not be sufficient to guarantee an adequate mineral and vitamin intake, particularly in sport ponies, so it may be necessary to include a complementary compound feed (“ration”) in the feeding management of this pony.
These foods provide the necessary minerals and vitamins, but they also provide calories. If this intake is sustainable, considering the pony's physical activity, a regular concentrate feed can be used in an appropriate quantity. In ponies that have a tendency to gain excessive weight, other complementary options are recommended.
Other possible options
We can use a balancing food, which will meet the needs of lysine (limiting essential amino acid), vitamins and minerals, with a low caloric intake, reducing the risk of obesity. In general, these foods are extremely concentrated, which is why they are given in small portions, with a low supply of non-structural carbohydrates, which makes them safe to use even in ponies diagnosed with metabolic syndrome or laminitis.
BALANCE
Another possibility is to add a vitamin and mineral supplement (“supplement”) to complement the forage diet.
MULTIVIT
A good suggestion is to use a fine mesh net to feed the hay. This way, we can prolong the time it takes for the pony to eat and chew, allowing it to display a more natural eating behavior, thus promoting a greater feeling of satiety and gastric well-being.
to retain:
- Ponies are prone to obesity, so portion and calorie control is particularly important.
- In ponies that tend to be overweight and are subjected to intense physical effort, we must supplement the hay with a balancer or a mineral and vitamin “supplement”.