It’s a tough one, this keeping ponies inside 24/7 thing. They struggle, therefore I struggle as well.
Fivla and Vitamin are losing the will, they are rapidly losing interest in all types of food as well as being noticeably down in the dumps. I hate seeing them like this.
So, as today was calm and relatively rain-free, I put them in with their friends, the Minions, after breakfast in the hope it would perk them up.
Fivla perked. She was happy to eat but Vitamin just stood there and didn’t really bother.
At elevenses, I put out some soaked hay as there really is nothing to eat around here.
And I knew these two wouldn’t bother with it, so I gave them a ration of hay replacer (ie soaked mush) which they scoffed.
I opened up a little more of the track in the afternoon too. It was a scrubby part. Nothing nice.
And it was good to see Vitamin eating properly.
Everyone was happier and I thought I had it sussed.
But at 3pm, the old ladies were standing by the gate with the others miles away. So I opened the gate and they ran into the shed even without headcollars and started to eat all the food they’d left behind, much happier with life.
Farrier day is next Tuesday and I will make some decisions then based on what we find. I don’t want to Fivla and Vitamin to give up because they are living inside but then again, I do want them to have some quality of life. Mental health is just as important as physical health.
Change of seasons gets harder and harder on our elderly animals. Unlike your gals, Little Miss Maine Coon has perked up with the cooler temps. I guess she’ll show up the vet who said “a couple of months with cancer LAST October.
Wow.
I hope all goes well.
Hopefully, you’ll be able to let Fivla and Vitamin have some time with the others, even if it’s not every day. The fact that they were happy to come back inside suggests that that could work. I know just how difficult it is to get some sort of balance between physical and mental needs.
It’s so difficult to know what to do for the best.
I am in the same quandary. My oldies have been inside since early Spring. They have a dry paddock walk out space. They both have Cushings and repeated history of laminitis. But they are sad. Right on the edge of other ponies, mule, sheep and watch them it makes me cry. The last time they had a flare they had been out 2 hours. Mine are only 29 and exceptionally healthy in every other way. ( I am thankful )
Living with animals can bring so much joy, but also heartache. It’s always about what’s best for them, but even knowing that it can still be hard to make decisions. Talk to your daughters. Tfhey know you and the ponies and, like you, want what’s best for everyone.