How much weight can a 2 year old pony weighing 400 lbs carry on his back and pull on a cart?
by 
GypsyD
ANSWERS: 6
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I don't actually know the answer to this question as I am more familiar with horses. However, you can contact the breed associations for more information. Unfortunately, you didn't mention the pony's breed. The Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America can be contacted at: http://www.welshpony.org/ and the American Shetland Pony Club can be contacted at: http://www.shetlandminiature.com/ I will say that a 2 year old pony is still immature, so you will want to be careful about overloading him with weight or working him with extra weight to avoid damage to the bones and cartlidge which can lead to early arthritic changes. Sorry I couldn't be of more help, but since no one has answered this question, I figured I could at least point you in the correct direction to find an answer. Would love to see you post an answer when you get one.
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You should be careful loading a 2-year-old with weight; OKGhostrider is right, horses and ponies both do not complete their bone growth until age 4, and before then it is all too easy to permanently damage bones and joints (one more reason why I am against the 2-year-old races). As a rule of thumb -- but be aware that this depends heavily on the pony's overall condition, and the condition of whatever the pony is pulling and/or the skill of the rider -- a 2-year-old should carry no more than 15% of its own weight, and pull no more than 25%. For a 400 lb. pony, this would mean carrying no more than 60 lbs., or pulling no more than 100 (be aware, too, of the weight of the cart!). By the time the pony is 4, it should be able to carry or pull 40% of its weight safely (or up to 50% for the stockier breeds, like Shetlands).
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I wouldn't ride or hitch up a two year old anything. It causes too much damage to the ligaments, muscles, and bone structure not to mention it's not mentally ready for this yet. If I were you I wouldn't do much more than light ground work such as short round pinning sessions or "join-up" exercises to make the pony easier to handle when it does come time to ride. I've seen more than my share of horses ruined by rushing their training. In the long run you'll be glad you waited.
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NO two year old should carry anything on his back yet. Once mature, a horse can carry half of it's weight.
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Although I disagree with trying to ride or train a 2 year old to pull a cart, a pony can carry half of its weight---200 lbs.
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Minis can pull up to 1000lbs and carry 80lb with no problem and 400lbs is big for a mini so you can go off the size. we start ALL horse and pony's on cart at 18mos and are under saddle by 3yr old I not saying that you work them hard but it is good to keep there minds bizzy.
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