Pampered pony palace

So operation 'make Tonto as happy as possible' has started.

Step one: put Tonto and Sofie in the lushest field we could find. Sofie was ecstatic - she will be less so this morning when she realizes she will be muzzled from now on.

Step two: the pony palace. The yard went all out for me and they both had brand spanking new rubber matting and beds. The stables face opposite each other so they can see one another. Literally couldn't be a better set up.

I went to bring the pampered duo in. Tonto certainly seemed livelier, he was trotting up and down the fence line with Sof. I briefly tied up Sof up in the yard to groom leaving Tonto to potter about and investigate things whilst loose - but Sofies itches were back and she was destroying her neck on the tie rail so decided it was best to go straight to the palace.

Sof lead the way and marched nicely into her stable. Sof historically isn't a stable fan, so I decided to soften the blow by putting a foraging block in there to keep her occupied. This is meant to last a week or so, but she was so enthusiastic I don't think it will survive the night!

Tonto followed gaimfully behind - the other livery were marveling at him strolling after us loose obediently. When we got to the stables he was a little confused, so I ushered him into his box to investigate it. After a bit of sniffing he seemed quite happy. Even had a little bum scratch on the back wall. Other liveries came over to say hi - Tonto obviously found all the excitement a bit challenging, but it was happy energy not negative. I decided to let him chill whilst still hearing my voice by chatting to others a few boxes down. When I returned Tonto was bright eyed and bushy tailed looking out of his box, and Sofie had fallen into a food comor in her. Happy little ponies.

After an hour or so I gave Tonto his dinner and left. Fingers crossed they continue to be happy little horses, and Sof behaves herself on the way back to the field this morning.

Tonto's keeper

Since my honeymoon Sof and Tonto have been in separate fields. This has worked beautifully for Sofie – she has slimmed down to a healthy weight and is happy in a field with her mate Jessie and new bf. Her feet are looking much better and her mane is growing back.

Skinny Tonto having a cleantrax bath - stood like this for an
hour and a half

Unfortunately Tonto has been miserable. He is pinning for sof and is loosing more and more weight. He looks very lame and thin and is just soo sad. I tried leaving him out in the field for a fortnight to get him used to being away from Sofie – but he would forlornly whinny as I walked away leaving him at the gate and I could hear him calling for Sof from the distance. I cracked last weekend and brought him in. He was so delighted to come into the yard and see Sof but it also gave me a good chance to assess his awful condition. He is ribby, his back end is entirely withered and tucked in. His coat is dull and his eyes are sad. Just breaks my heart. I gave him a long cleantrax foot spar as his feet were black with thrush and a good cuddle. He was nuzzling me and falling asleep with his face in my chest, but wasn’t interested in hay and did just seem tired. He is in pain, and it just isn’t fair anymore. I asked him if had had enough, I got the feeling his answer was yes.

When I went to put them back out again he first marched us off into the field of green grass rather than follow the track to his field. I decided to humour him and grazed sof with him. When I went to continue to the field he refused to follow and just stood calling to us. He couldn’t have made it any clearer – I want to stay here with you.

I couldn’t bring myself to force him back to his field, not when he so unwell and the terrible decision seems to be looming near. Tonto is unlikely to make this winter, so lets make his last months as good as they possibly can be. Sod the cost.

The only way I could see of getting him the TLC he needs and keeping him with Sof that he loves without ruining Sofie’s health is to put them BOTH on stable livery. It will cost me a fortune, but for Tonto I’ll do it.

In November Liphook are coming to do a health check. I am going to ask them to look at Tonto with the view of – is there anything that can be done to improve his quality of life. If the answer is no, which I expect it will be, then I plan on letting Tonto out of his pain.

Funny how things work out, turns out Sofie’s ligament damage has come at just the right time. It has allowed her to be a comfort to Tonto and me when we need it most.

The soap opera world of feild dymanics

At the end of August I married my long-suffering horse-widowed partner. Given the circumstances I felt for once I should forsake the ponies and go away with him on honeymoon.

I have to be honest, I felt some level of trepidation leaving the horses for so long. Tonto continues to be a skinny bean and Sof is obese, so I had to split them or face one very fat or thin horse on return.

As luck would have it 'diet camp' has been set up in the neighbouring field to Tonto, and now that Jessie was in the mix I thought it was high time to separate Sof into diet camp. I was hoping it would not be too traumatic for T as he could still chat to her over the fence and had Jessie to occupy him.

Alas, all good plans go tits up. First problem is that diet camp was occupied by a particularly randy ginger pony who took a shine to Sofie. This very much got up Mr T's nose and he spends most of his days stuck on the fence line brooding over their new romance (I don't think Sof is really that interested in ginger Casanova - I think she is just using him for his body). Secondly, whilst I was away Jessy was also moved out as she was getting too tubby. This upset Tonto further. Finally the long grass field they were meant to move to whilst I was away never happened. Net result is that I had a very skinny and upset Tonto on my hands when I returned :(.

First things first I demanded T's field move to the long grass. Mission accomplished. The new field had three young geldings in there - but they are too young and timed for T to see them as a threat to his harem so they have all mixed nicely together. Unfortunately, despite the long grass, unrivalled assess to the remaining mares, Tonto is still pinning for Sofie. He desperately wants to come in, and resits being turned out again. Also, the yard seem to be having some trouble feeding him his meds. He is the only one being fed in the field, and the others mug the staff to get to his bucket. They tried taking him out to feed - but then he resisted going back in afterwards and reared at them. Understandably they are not happy about the situation. I haven't been having an issue, and I think Tonto is slowly settling so I am hopping that it will all calm down soon and I won't have to move him again. I am not sure he would cope with another field group change.

Sofie equally seems unhappy with her Casanova. She misses the girls, particularly Jessie and I often see her looking wistfully over the fence at Jessie's field. As Jess is on a low grazed field, with a only a small field a day I figured it wouldn't do any harm to move sof to where Jessie is. Might as well have at least one happy horse.

Oh pony dramas.