Guide to Feeding Your Pony

Ask a pony owner and they'll tell you, ponies are tougher, smarter, stronger, and healthier than any horse. They tend to be hardier, have few hoof problems, and are less prone to some types of colic. They run on a lot less fuel too. Rations that would starve a horse will keep a pony round and energetic. Learn what to feed your pony to keep them healthy.

Nutritional Needs

Most pony breeds developed where the pasture was very sparse, the terrain rugged, and the climate harsh. They had to work hard to find their food and so, in a short time, they have evolved to use what little food they could find very efficiently. When we pamper them, feed special preparations and lush grass, we very often do more harm than good. Overfeeding is more often a problem for ponies than underfeeding.1

Ponies need only a fraction of the feed that horses do. Hay for ponies should be good quality grass hay. Your pony probably won't need the nutrition provided by alfalfa and clovers. These fodders, which are more energy- and nutrient-dense than many grass hays, are often too rich for a pony.

Pasturing

Lush pasture is a danger zone for ponies. Ponies can quickly succumb to founder, if introduced suddenly to lush grass. If you plan to keep your pony on grass, introduce it very slowly and allow it to fill up on hay before turning it out to graze. If your pony eats too much rich pasture, or undergoes abrupt or rapid changes in the diet, this could lead to colic or founder.2 You may never be able to leave some ponies on good pasture. Ponies can become obese very quickly and that can lead to health problems like metabolic syndrome

Grass that grows slowly would be ideal. Or he could spend a small portion of his time on pasture and