I am considering buying a pony for my daughter. While I had horses years ago and “think” I know the drill, is doing an exam any different on a pony?
I have a strong recommendation for a very competent vet who typically works on high level event horses, I wonder if there’s any reason to find one who is works more in the hunter realm, because that’s the direction this pony’s likely to go.
Any advice is appreciated!
I should think a vet who works on “high level event horses” is more than capable of doing a PPE on a pony that is going to do hunters. Why would you need a different vet?
LOL, I don’t know! Good point. I guess I’m letting my anxiety over this get the best of me.
I would also talk to the vet about what you plan on doing with the pony. If it’s a first pony to plod around on and do small local shows it should be handled differently than an upper level event horse or even a pony finals pony.
The vet we use to PPE always asks out intentions because that determines how he would advise you.
I’ve seen vets that vet upper level horses vet low level ammy horses and then advise against purchase because the horse couldn’t hold up to the intense PPE they put it through (lunging in very deep sand and then on pavement for almost an hour!). So just be very clear with the vet when you talk about a PPE, and ALWAYS x-ray (I do front feet and hocks unless it’s a high level performance horse and then would I do more).
Not only would the type of PPE, possibly affect the vet’s thoughts, but minor problems tolerable in a walk trot pony, would not be acceptable in one gong for Pony Jumpers.
[QUOTE=merrygoround;7178991]
Not only would the type of PPE, possibly affect the vet’s thoughts, but minor problems tolerable in a walk trot pony, would not be acceptable in one gong for Pony Jumpers.[/QUOTE]
Agree with this. Lots more wiggle room for soundness issues with an xrails pony versus one going in the Pony Hunters.
It is vital you do x ray the front feet on any Pony. Founder is a very common threat that can be lessened if not prevented completely by specific management, diet, exercise, farrier etc. The only way to check for history or predisposition in to x ray. Course you want to do horses too but more for navicular which is more common. Not that expensive and cheaper then breaking a kids heart with an unusable Pony.
I’d also pull blood and check for Cushings and Insulin Resistance. Especially if its a pudgy Pony.
Those are the things that, IME are more common in Ponies and warrant testing for.
First of all, expect that the PPE will come up with SOMETHING flagged. So don’t panic when the vet starts discussing details which sound like issues but may not affect the pony at all or be completely normal (ex: better eye sight in one eye vs. the other, flexing with a slight stiffness in a couple joints). Be sure you go into the PPE with a vet who’s opinion you really trust so they can guide you on whether or not what comes up is workable or issues to shy away from. Be realistic about the pony’s job and what you can live with in terms of physical conditions. For example, expect an older pony to have a bit of arthritis or other evidence of being an athlete for many years, but know that an old creaky teacher would still make a wonderful first pony. If you’re looking for a competitive higher level hunter/jumper pony then you want to be more critical of anything that would effect it’s movement.
In order to make the most informed decision possible, it’s worth the investment of more expensive tests such as blood testing or x-rays. Even if the pony isn’t expensive, you’re still taking on the responsibility of paying for it’s care and even a cheap pony that breaks down after a couple months or a year quickly becomes a very costly endeavor.
Good luck!!
What does your daughter plan to do with the pony? If jumping, I absolutely agree that front Xrays are key. If she’s just a leadliner/walk-trot, you can do less. I didn’t even vet my kids’ pony, whose job includes leadline and walk-trotting at most in a few years. Sometimes I ride her and she gets to play real hunter pony, but that’s just gravy. She happens to be sound for that, but her real job is taking care of my kids, which she is amazing at doing.
I firmly believe there are two kinds of ponies – those that have foundered, and those that will if you don’t manage them carefully. Mine lives in a muzzle and I watch her sugar/grain intake very carefully (i.e. she gets none, just a multivitamin). Even if yours passes her vet check with flying colors, be very, very careful how she is kept.
[QUOTE=fordtraktor;7179249]
I firmly believe there are two kinds of ponies – those that have foundered, and those that will if you don’t manage them carefully. Mine lives in a muzzle and I watch her sugar/grain intake very carefully (i.e. she gets none, just a multivitamin). Even if yours passes her vet check with flying colors, be very, very careful how she is kept.[/QUOTE]
I totally agree, I’d rather see a pony that could use to gain a few pounds rather than to lose a few pounds any day of the week. I’ve seen too many ponies founder at barns I’ve worked at because people think it’s “mean” to put grazing muzzles on them, or they just don’t get worked enough for how much they’re eating.
Ponies became pony sized for the scarcity of forage in the wild, the smaller body means they needed less nutrition to survive so putting a pony designed to survive on LESS forage and nutrition than a horse out on the same kinds of pasture as a horse w/out a grazing muzzle is kind of just asking for founder.
I’ve seen a pony out on scrubland (very little grass) given controlled amounts of hay and required to wear a grazing muzzle for 12 hours a day founder because she had already foundered once and it’s much easier to do it again. So make sure you have front feet x-rays!!!
[QUOTE=findeight;7179156]
It is vital you do x ray the front feet on any Pony. Founder is a very common threat that can be lessened if not prevented completely by specific management, diet, exercise, farrier etc. The only way to check for history or predisposition in to x ray. Course you want to do horses too but more for navicular which is more common. Not that expensive and cheaper then breaking a kids heart with an unusable Pony.
I’d also pull blood and check for Cushings and Insulin Resistance. Especially if its a pudgy Pony.
Those are the things that, IME are more common in Ponies and warrant testing for.[/QUOTE]
Second this, but keep in mind that thin ponies can get Cushings too. Our hard keeping Welsh/TB cross has it. He had also foundered before we got him, but we only did did a cursory vetting of him that did not include X-rays of his feet and the vet didn’t pick up on it (though a good farrier later did).
I love him to death, he’s great with the kids (though he still has a serious naughty streak at 22), and he was not expensive, but I am not sure if I would want to take on the difficulty of managing one like him again. He drops weight over night but he can’t be on grass or have much grain.
Can I just say again…X-RAYS!!! Lots of ponies out there with old rotations (ask me how I know)
I also agree with blood…you dont have to run the bloods for a tox screen, but freeze it just in case 6 weeks after you purchase the saintly pony, it turns into the devil incarnate 
Definitely the front feet x-ray.
Good friend found a really nice Andalusian mare, (I know, not a pony, but same metabolism issues) but she was a bit chubby, nothing frightening.
Owners said she’d never foundered, they’d had her from weaning.
There were some photos of her chubbier, but again not awful, no giant cresty neck or anything.
I insisted that she get blood tested for insulin resistance (came back negative) and x-rayed for coffin bone rotation. The x-ray came back positive…that was a horse that could be managed, but would need careful oversight so as not to founder again.
And I do believe the owners never knew she foundered, she was sound enough at the vet check, but obviously her coffin bones had rotated.
If the vet check had been just blood work, flexions, friend would have spent a LOT of money on a very high maintenance horse.
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