We receive many questions and comments about our ponies and how they are treated.
Here are some fast facts about these hardy little animals!
-Ponies are unusually strong for their small size.
-Ponies were originally bred for pulling carts, and during
the Industrial Revolution many were used as “pit ponies” to haul coal up from
underground mines.
-A typical pony can carry around 20% of its own body weight,
however this varies from pony to pony and factors such as age, bone structure,
and height must be considered. This means that older children may not be able
to ride on the smallest pony.
-A pony can pull much more than it can carry—some ponies can
haul as much weight as a Clydesdale!
-At home, our ponies have free range of several large
pastures, and are fed hay in the winter.
-Because of how ponies were bred, they do not require as
heavy a diet as normal size horses.
-Most healthy ponies drink between 20 and 30 gallons of water
a day. However, the phrase “you can take a horse to water, but you can’t make
it drink” is very true. We make so to bring water to our ponies every hour, but
if they’re not thirsty, they won’t drink. If we see that one of our ponies is in distress or growing dehydrated we immediately relieve them and give them time to rest.
-All of our ponies are full grown (unless stated otherwise), and range from 4 to 18
years old.
-There are over 200 breeds of ponies, but the Shetland is the
most well-known. A pony that has significantly mixed breeding is called a
“grade pony.” Most of our ponies are grade ponies.
-Our ponies only work 8 hours a day, 1 or 2 days a week in the
fall.
-Before every event (if it’s not too cold), our ponies are
washed and conditioned so that they are clean and soft after being out in the
field.
-Pregnant ponies can be ridden just as well as any other
pony, and can even compete in sporting events up to the seventh month of her
pregnancy. It's good to keep them moving and exercising, just like pregnant people.
-Everyone knows not to stand behind a horse. Our ponies probably won't kick you if they know you are there, but please avoid running up behind
them, hitting them, or kicking them while riding.
-We take very good care of all our animals, and value their
health over anything else. If a pony can’t be ridden, we won’t even put a
saddle on them.