Here are some Questions that are asked on the internet, and some of my answers.

Question My horse is gaining weight. She is fed 3x a day. What would be the best way to get her to lose weight? She is lunged for 10 mins day.
AnswerI think I don't have enough information about your horse or its lifestyle to answer this question reliably or safely. General rule make all changes gradually, and cut grain feed down but keep up the fibre, eg hay.
Horses thrive on routine, so don't make any changes you can't keep up.I would advise that a happy fit horse should have plenty of turn out time and as horse's natural food is grass. That is the best food, providing it does not suffer from Laminitis.A horse's digestive system is designed to be eating a little hi fibre food for about 18 to 20 hours a day, be careful not to feed grain then nothing until the next feed. Better to turn out with grass, or if in, a hay net with small holes, that keeps the horse occupied and gives a natural trickle feed.I do hope that there is nothing wrong with your horse, and that you will be able to ride it and both of you have some fun. If the only exercise is lunging for 10 mins it does not need any grain at all. Done correctly lunging is double the exercise for the time, so don't overdo , it can do damage.

Solly

Harvey’s companion is Solly. He is also fairly ancient, registered on his passport as 35 years old. I have no idea of his breeding but he is about 14.h.h. chestnut and in spite of being old has great teeth and keeps his weight well.
He came to live with Harvey when he had retired from his very successful career as a jumping pony. He needed a new home and I wanted to have another horse to keep Harvey company.
Harvey was kept with Wellington and Dawn, two beautiful little 12.2h.h. ponies one black one white (yes I know all white ponies are referred to as grey, but just wait till I get the pictures up on the web site) when Wellington died Harvey rarely left Dawns side, and I knew that when Dawn died Harvey would need a companion.
So the lovely Solly came to stay, If Solly was a person I think he would have been a right jack the lad, I am sure he said to Harvey “come on doll how about a night on the town”. Well he certainly cheered her up after poor old Dawn finally went.
He used to jump the gate dividing the two fields, just to come and see what I was doing, or maybe that was to prove he could still do it. He is very sweet tempered, and is every bit as good as Harvey is with my dogs, they put up with the puppy licking their noses and nicking their food right out of the bucket as they eat.
Solly seems very happy in his retirement he likes nothing better than to be groomed and petted, but also likes to have a bit of a game and a whizz round the field. He always keeps a close eye on Harvey and never lets her far out of his sight. They are a real old married couple.

My current charges

I have at the moment four animals to care for. None of which I own.
To start with the oldest who is Harvey, a chestnut mare of about 15.2 who is over 40 years old. I have been looking after her for about 18 years. She used to belong to one of my pupils, who went to university leaving Harvey to be cared for by her mother. After a term or two it became difficult for Mum to cope, so I was asked if I would help re home her on loan.
I arranged for another younger pupil of mine Kate, to take her on loan. The horse was rather a hot ride and really too much for her to handle, but with my help exercising Harvey through the week, and the accompanying them on my own horse at weekends, they soon formed a strong bond.
After a short time Kate purchased Harvey, and she moved in with my horses, and has stayed ever since. Kate has had to live away for work, and moved back again several times, she is now living more locally so can see her beloved Harvey every day.

Harvey gave us a lot of exciting rides, many of them far more eventful than we could have anticipated. She now lives in peaceful retirement with her companion Solly.

To view or buy more photos of Harvey horse go to my Gallery, It is a new gallery so more things will be added as my blog grows.

Introduction

I've been dealing with horse's ailments, ever since I had problems with my first pony Sheay 40 odd years ago. I have worked with many vets over the years, and their support and encoragement have enabled me to give seemingly hopeless cases a good quality of life for many more years.
This blog will share the wisdom that I've gathered over my lifetime of caring for horses, ponies and other animals. I hope that it will interest you and help you to care for your animals.
If you have any questions, or problems, please let me know.