Ziggy has been on a grazing track since the end of March. He has never, ever been so slim at this time of year - when he trots towards you, you can see his ribs on each side come and go as his belly swings.
He is feeling fit, feisty and full of himself, and every day he and the other horses gallop up the track and play at the top with much leaping and kicking, caprioles and courbettes all over the place.
But of course he's starving hungry and makes woebegone pony eyes at me whenever he sees me. He has been shivering in the cold and windy wet mornings recently, too. Sometimes I feel so sorry for him I let him into the central section with our poor doer, Mattie.
Trevor came to trim him today and praised how well he looks. But when he looked at his most sensitive foot (right fore) he sucked his teeth and said "White line is spreading a bit here. Just watch out how much grass he is getting."
So I must harden my heart and not give him more grass. It's tough because the track is very well grazed down and all the track horses are on psyllium now to protect them against sand colic. Jeez, what a balancing act! I wish I had 6 acres of moor.
He is feeling fit, feisty and full of himself, and every day he and the other horses gallop up the track and play at the top with much leaping and kicking, caprioles and courbettes all over the place.
But of course he's starving hungry and makes woebegone pony eyes at me whenever he sees me. He has been shivering in the cold and windy wet mornings recently, too. Sometimes I feel so sorry for him I let him into the central section with our poor doer, Mattie.
Trevor came to trim him today and praised how well he looks. But when he looked at his most sensitive foot (right fore) he sucked his teeth and said "White line is spreading a bit here. Just watch out how much grass he is getting."
So I must harden my heart and not give him more grass. It's tough because the track is very well grazed down and all the track horses are on psyllium now to protect them against sand colic. Jeez, what a balancing act! I wish I had 6 acres of moor.