Would you buy a really overweight pony......

[mrslaughan]

so I am looking for a lead rein pony, and a trusted horsey person has just been sent a potential lead rain to be "brought back into work".
the photos of the child competing it over 6 months ok, it looks fab. She has arrived at the yard morbidly obese - it has been turned away for winter and has basically stuffed itself. other than the colour, you wouldn't think it was the same pony.......
it seems to have a nice nature, no nasty habits , and not too forward off the lead rein, but it is really really overweight and must be a real risk of lami........things I am worried about is can we get the weight off fast enough, and while it is loosing weight is it at risk of lami?
If ts a lead rein so not doing huge amounts of exercise - though we do have a walker at the yard, I wouldn't normally consider putting a pony of this size on it? Could I? I don't have a suitable horse to lead it from.
Starvation paddock no problem and actually I would probably only allow it in the starvation paddock/corral for a couple of hours a day.....
also once it sheds half its body weight (a little bit of an exaggeration - but closer to the truth than you would think) am I going to end up with a pony that is much more forward?
it is not too much I don't think - so its not the cost of the pony, its just would I be buying a whole host of difficult health issues.......
she's 12hh - mid teens and a little porka

[Swift1978]

We bought a very overweight, completely unfit pony in Feb. Put him on a strict diet and exercise routine (daily walker sessions on top of any other exercise were key in the early days) and within 3 months he was like a completely different pony; he was even used in a Facebook post by our vets to show how quickly things can be turned around for an overweight, unfit pony. He has daily turnout but limited to 6 hours a day max, enough hay at night to keep him going in a trickle net, a small handful of chaff at feed time so he doesn't feel he is missing out when the rest of the yard get fed and in the first couple of months he was exercised every day, without fail (he usually gets one day off now).

Ours is a little different to yours in that he was larger and for me and my two girls (17 and 8) to share. 8 year old has since lost her confidence a bit with riding so its just me and DD1 exercising him at the moment. He is ridden 3/4 times a week and lunged in a training aid 2/3 times a week.

Get a John Whitaker Training aid, this has helped enormously with muscle and top line building. It has been hard work but it is so worth it! You'll be so proud when you look at a lean healthy pony and know that you did it! I've included some pics of his transformation! First one is hime when we bought him, compared to 3 months later.

[mypropertea]

Well done! You have done an amazing job.