Pony Neglect?

Question

Pony hooves way to long!!?

I know nothing about ponies. I have never owned one.

My question is my brother has some property and we all go out to once and awhile. Well there is a couple that has cattle and a pony. Well the pony is not seprate from the cattle and the ponys hooves are so long. It looks like he/she has elve shoes on.

Is this pony in pain from not being taken care of?

The ponies hooves curl up an I would say from front to back they are about 10 inches!

The pony is kepted with cattle which they do have about 10 acres to roam they are allows by the feed which is full of manure and smells horrible. Which is also the only cover they have.

Answer 1

The pony should definetly have his hooves trimmed.   Horses need their feet trimmed every 6 weeks.  Living with the cattle is not that big of an issue, we put our horses with one or two cows so they are not afraid of them.  10 acres is plenty of space for one horse and a few cows.  Don't call the SPCA yet, visit the couple and get an idea of why the pony is there and if they take care of him/her or use him/her for anything.

Answer 2

Yes,

This is NEGLECT.  It sounds like "slipper foot" and it is painful.

THE easiest thing for you to do is call the local ASPCA in the area.  THEY will go check it out, and get that pony proper care.  

It isn't a big deal and they will do it anonymously, so don't worry about getting in trouble.

THAT pony needs your help!

CALL the local animal control in that area, NOW!

Answer 3

Yes, this is neglect - and the pony is likely in some amount of pain.  Picture yourself thus:  You've always walkedi n flat shoes and today you wear shoes that have heels - what will your calf muscles feel like at the end of the day?

When the pony's hooves grow so long, it has not got heels any longer, so it's like walking on rockers on a rocking chair - it stresses the ligaments, tendons and muscles.

What's worse, the pony may have foundered which means the bone inside the hoof has twisted slightly which causes other pain.

One cannot simply go out and trim the pony's hooves back to normal, just as in a dog's claws, the "meat" of the foot has grown out of shape,  The pony's hooves will need to be trimmed back little by little and in order to recover properly he will need some sort of "physical therapy" to recover from over-extended tendons and muscles as they come back to a normal length.

Any horses' or pony's feet should be trimmed by a licensed farrier every 6-8 weeks.  In Michigan, the going rate for a simple trimming is about $20 - to fix this problem will likely cost hundreds in repeated visits and vet help to get it corrected.

Some people who are ignorant of horse ownership don't realize this - they may think that horses to run in the wild don't get their feet trimmed, so why must it be done?  The answer is that wild horses travel many miles across varied terrain, often rocky.  They travel to find food, water and shelter - not often is there an acre square that they can live without ever moving and even if they could a band of 5 or 6 wild horses would decimate an acre area of feed and water in a short amount of time.  They are roaming grazing animals as nature intended to not over-graze an area - this nature keeps their feet in good shape.  We humans keep them in a soft, confined area and feed them and their feet will just grow and grow.

However, it may not be easy for you to talk to the owner and get them to understand they have a problem - especially if they have little money, they won't want to invest it.  Obviously, if the pony has come to this, it's just a pasture pet they never intended to put much money into.  Good luck in any attempt to get them to see the need to fix this.

By all means, these hooves can not be simply cut way back - I've seen horses die of blood loss when an ignorant person tries to do this.  Additionally, it's not something any ol' human can do - it takes knowledge of the hoof structure - farriers exist because they have knowledge about the balance of each animal's hooves - just like if a human has one foot 1/8" shorter than the other, they can have physical problems, it's important the horse hasn't got a foot shorter than the other or trimmed shorter on one side of a hoof than another.  Finally, there's a breakover point on each h**r, when properly trimmed that allow the horse's feet to "roll" as they walk - too high a heel or too low a heel causes incorrect structure which affects joints and over all health.

Good luck in helping this poor critter!

Answer 4

There is a medical term for what you are describing but i don't know what it is. i do know that the pony is in serious pain. a horses feet are there achilles heel. they even sleep standing up. you should report him.

Answer 5

yess the pony is in extreem pain!!! ok its like u having to walk on your toenails that were 10 inches long. u need to call the spca. immediatly.

Answer 6

There is nothing wrong with keeping a pony in with cows.

However, this pony is definitely being neglected with hooves like that.  It throws off the natural angles of the hoof and leg, so there will be a lot of strain on the legs, and the pony can't move normally with elf shoes on.  This pony definitely needs you to call a rescue or animal control for it.  If the owners have let those hooves grow that long, there's no way they give a c**p about taking care of the pony properly.  It's also probably full of worms, has bad teeth and is unvaccinated.

Answer 7

Call your local SPCA they wont take the horse away they will talk to the owners about proper hoof care and give them a warning. If things do not improve the pony might be taken away but it would be the best intrest of the pony.

Answer 8

Well, the hooves are definitely a sign of neglect. And yess, they are causing the pony pain - if they are not taken care of, they will eventually cripple the poor thing.

Living with cows isn't all that bad, if its only a few & they have 10 acres, thats not too awful. Is there any natural shelter?

I'm guessing though, if the feet aren't getting done, the pony isn't getting any routine vet care, or worming : (

Answer 9

Yes, that's neglect.  If he's been left untrimmed too long, he may not be salvageable.  Sad but true.

Leaving him with cows is fine, he has shelter, and unless he's thin the pasture is adequate.

But hooves like that are gross neglect, IMO.

Answer 10

Call the spca because the pony is in pain. the spca will take great care of him/her. Then they will find him/her a loving new home.

Answer 11

the pony needs its hooves trimed but like the other person said little at a time

u should report the owners or something

Answer 12

Call your local Humane Society and report the location of the pony.  Give them an address.  This pony is being neglected and he deserves to be rescued.