What Should I Feed My Shetland Pony?

Ponies eat grass, hay, and grain on occasion. A pony typically requires a daily ration of forage equal to 2% of body weight. They may need a mineral salt block if they lack essential minerals in their diet.

How much food should I feed a Shetland pony?

Horses, minis and ponies need at least 1-1.5 pounds of hay or pasture (on dry matter basis) per 100 pounds of body weight every day.

What can a Shetland pony eat?

They are especially fond of milk thistles in summer and eat prickly common thistles in winter. They also enjoy other spikey plants such as blackberries, both the fruits and leaves, in the autumn.

Do Shetland ponies need feed?

They don’t need nearly as much feed as a full-sized horse. High quality forage is important. Ponies need 1 – 1.5 lbs of forage per 100 lbs of body weight each day. So, a 400 lb Shetland pony would require 4-6 lbs of forage per day (this could be hay or pasture).

Do Shetland ponies need hard feed?

Shetland ponies and miniature horses, just like large horses and ponies, need a lot of roughage (hay) and / or grass. Shetland ponies are known for getting fat quickly. Keep this in mind when feeding your shetland pony.

What fruit can Shetland ponies eat?

There are a wide variety of fruits that you can feed your horse in small quantities. Apricots, blackberries, blueberries, mangoes, peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, tangerines, and watermelon (with the rind) are all safe for your horse to eat.

What should I not feed my pony?

What Foods & Plants are Poisonous to Horses?

• Caffeine. While tiny amounts of caffeine probably won’t hurt your horse, you should still avoid giving him any foods that have caffeine in it.
• Avocado.
• Fruits with Stones (or Pits)
• Cauliflower, Cabbage, Broccoli.
• Bran Products.
• Potatoes.
• Rhubarb.
• Meat Products.

Can you feed a Shetland pony carrots?

How to feed carrots to a Shetland pony. Ponies love a treat and carrots are delicious for them to eat.

What vegetables can Shetland ponies eat?

Good Vegetables for Horses
To feed carrots to your horse, either cut the carrots longwise or cut each into small pieces. Most horses love to eat carrots, but like other treats, do not feed them too many. Celery: Celery contains a number of vitamins such as Vitamin K, potassium, manganese, Vitamins B2, C, B6, and A.

What are ponies Favourite food?

“Studies have shown that horses prefer banana over traditional mint, carrot and apple flavours,” explains equine nutritionist, Olivia Colston MSc.

How often should I worm my Shetland pony?

All horses should be wormed in the late autumn with a combined round/tape wormer to remove bots, tapeworms and any adult roundworms. 4. For many horses once a year worming will be sufficient. Horses identified with higher worm burdens will need to be wormed more frequently.

Should you put a rug on a Shetland pony?

Breeds with naturally shaggy coats, such as Shetland Ponies, are less likely to need a rug. Rugging should be done only after other measures to help keep the horse warm. This includes providing shelter, forage, companion horses and avoiding over-grooming or clipping.

Do Shetland ponies get cold?

Shetland ponies have several ways to keep warm. First, they are compact and naturally fat, so they have less surface area to lose heat from. They also have a special fluffy coat with two layers, short hair next to the body to keep them warm and longer hairs to trap a layer of air next to the skin.

How do you bond with a Shetland pony?

7 Ways to Bond With Your Horse (Without Riding!)

1. Try mutual grooming with your horse. There are many things you can learn by watching your horse.
2. Try positive Reinforcement.
3. Go for a walk.
4. Play with your horse.
5. Try agility with your horse.
6. Chill out.
7. Try online showing.

Do Shetland ponies need blankets?

In general, if it’s below twenty degrees, you should put a blanket on your horse. However, what matters most is your horse’s health and coat thickness to know whether or not it needs extra warmth. If you clipped your horse, it needs a blanket in cold weather.

Can I feed my pony once a day?

Can you feed your horse once a day? Yes, you can feed your horse once a day as long as you make sure that the horses has enough feed. You will want to use a slow feeder or automatic feeder to ensure the feed lasts at least twelve hours if possible.

What can Shelties not eat?

Some common human foods are highly toxic to dogs. The list includes chocolate, alcohol, avocados, onions, and macadamia nuts. Other deadly foods are raisins, grapes, yeast dough, and raw eggs. Since Shelties are not very large, it doesn’t take much of any one of these toxic foods to cause them to become seriously ill.

Can shetland ponies eat bread?

6. Bread. Once ingested, bread and other baked goods can become a doughy wad that can possibly cause a blockage in the gastrointestinal system and lead to colic.

What is a good snack for horses?

Apples and carrots are traditional favorites. You can safely offer your horse raisins, grapes, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe or other melons, celery, pumpkin, and snow peas. Most horses will chew these treats before swallowing, but horses that gulp large pieces of a fruit or vegetable have a risk of choking.

Is it OK to feed ponies grass?

There are many concerns and dangers to horses if they eat grass cuttings and garden waste which can include: Risk of the horse choking. Causing the horse to develop a potentially life-threatening stomach-ache known as colic. Severe hoof pain which can also be life-threatening (known as laminitis)

Can a pony have a banana?

The answer is yes, and they are actually an excellent source of potassium. However, although bananas are perfectly safe for most horses, that may not be the case for all of them.