Care for your Pony
Sponsored by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the RSPCA Guides give you the most helpful and accurate advice on how to best care for your pet.Care for your Pony is full of helpful advice about how to choose a pony and how best to look after it.All aspects of day-to-day care are covered:• Housing• Feeding• Handling• Grooming• Health• Exercise
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Collins
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
New edition published in 1994
Reprinted 1994
This is a fully revised and extended edition of Care for your Pony, first published in 1981 and reprinted with revisions in 1985
Text of the 1981 edition by Tina Hearne; text revisions and additions for this edition by Angela Rixon
Designed and edited by The Templar Company plc
Pippbrook Mill, London Road, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1JE
Front cover photograph: Animal Ark, London
Text photographs: Angela Rixon
Illustrations by John Francis, George Friar and Sue Camm
Courtesy of Bernard Thornton Artists, London
Copyright © Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 1981, 1994
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
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Source ISBN: 9780004127323
Ebook Edition © FEBRUARY 2017 ISBN: 9780008241896
Version: 2017-02-16
First things first, animals are fun. Anybody who has ever enjoyed the company of a pet knows well enough just how strong the bond between human and animal can be. Elderly or lonely people often depend on a pet for their only company, and this can be a rewarding relationship for both human and animal. Doctors have proved that animals can be instrumental in the prevention of and recovery from mental or physical disease. Children learn the meaning of loyalty, unselfishness and friendship by growing up with animals.
But the commitment to an animal doesnât begin and end with a visit to the local pet shop. A pet should never be given as a âsurpriseâ present. The decision to bring a pet into your home should always be discussed and agreed by all the members of your family. Bear in mind that parents are ultimately responsible for the health and well-being of the animal for the whole of its lifetime. If you are not prepared for the inevitable expense, time, patience and occasional frustration involved, then the RSPCA would much rather that you didnât have a pet.
Armed with the facts, aware of the pitfalls but still confident of your ability to give a pet a good home, the next step is to find where you can get an animal from. Seek the advice of a veterinary surgeon or RSPCA Inspector about reputable local breeders or suppliers. Do consider the possibility of offering a home to an animal from an RSPCA establishment. There are no animals more deserving of loving owners.
As for the care of your pet, you should find in this book all you need to know to keep it happy, healthy and rewarding for many years to come. Responsible ownership means happy pets. Enjoy the experience!
TERENCE BATE BVSc, LLB, MRCVS
Chief Veterinary Officer, RSPCA
CONTENTS
Owning and caring for a pony can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. It teaches self-discipline and self-reliance and helps to develop a sense of responsibility in young people. In return for good care, a pony will provide years of pleasure and a wonderful way to get and stay fit.
But ponies can be extremely demanding animals in terms of time, land and money. There may seem nothing to match the fervour of a childâs longing for his or her own pony, but if parents do not give the matter careful thought, or if they make a hasty purchase, then they may find out too late that they have created an impossible situation.
A pony must have daily attention at regular times not just when its owner finds it convenient. It must have a safe, well-fenced field or paddock, and field shelter if it is to live out all year. The field must be well-drained and preferably large enough to divide into two or three sections to allow for controlled grazing. If the pony is to be stabled during the winter, a loose box of adequate size must be provided, with plenty of bedding, changed daily. The cost of winter feed is another factor to be considered before taking on ownership of a pony, for even hardy ponies which live out all year need supplementary food from late autumn to early summer. There will also be regular blacksmithâs and vetâs bills to be taken into account.
