Here is the situation...I am a volunteer/board member for a therapeutic riding program and we have a Haflinger pony who is a tad bit heavy. He has a cresty neck, but is okay (I think) in his wither and bum areas. He tends to be on the nervous side - jumping at things and getting spooked fairly easily. He was never stalled until he came to this barn and is an unhappy stalled horse - very anxious to get out in the mornings.

The discussion about how to get him to loose weight is a controversial one b/c I am suggesting one way and the barn owner (also a volunteer) is suggesting another. Currently he lives indoors/outdoors with 4 other horses - outside during the day and stalled at night (up to 15 hrs) Unless it's nice out, then they are all left outside. He tends to be food greedy - pushing the other horses away from hay (especially when the hay is almost gone). BTW - this pony was at the bottom of the herd pecking order where he came from and is the boss here. The herd gets fed a bale & 1/2 (approx.) when they are put outside in the am. They each get 2-3 flakes of hay when they are stalled overnight.

So now we come to the situation regarding the need to help this pony loose some weight. The barn owner wants to separate him from the herd (b/c "he's a bully anyway") and feed him less (b/c I am "already feeding them too much as it is"). On the other hand, I want to up the amount of hay given (so they never run out of it)- but put it in slow feeder hay nets that are spread out around the pasture (they are all familiar with SFHN and are fine with them as they each have one in their stall and one outside). I also want to add magnesium (Quiessence)to his diet. I do not feel that separating him will help at all - he would be miserable - thus raising his stress level.

So, I guess I need your professional input here, although I'm pretty sure I know what you will say. But I told the director I would ask for your feedback. I would love your opinion on this situation. )

God bless,
Jane