Study: Hungry Ponies May Want To Hibernate Sponsored by:
If you ve ever jokingly referenced having “the urge to hibernate” when the weather turns cold, you re not alone! Interestingly, ponies may feel the same way especially if they don t have enough to eat.
Animals that hibernate experience a decrease in both their heart rate and their body temperature when winter weather hits; their metabolism also slows. Drs. Lea Brinkmann, Martina Gerken, Catherine Hambly, John Speakman and Alexander Riek created a study to see if ponies had similar physiological adaptations.
The research team used 10 Shetland ponies and studied them through the year, measuring each pony s vital signs and using blood tests to check metabolic rates. During winter months, they fed all 10 ponies a diet that met 100 percent of their maintenance needs. They then divided the ponies into two groups: one group received meals that met tall their metabolic needs and the second group was put on a diet that