I'm a newby with stupid questions........

[MiniCooper]

I just got my first mini last weekend.....so I am really playing this by ear. I have experience with big horses, but this is a bit different.

A little about my new obsession:

He is a teenage, 28" stallion.

He was supposably used in shows and parades and such by a previous owner. The woman I got him from bought him for her younger kids to ride. She had him on a 10 acre pasture with 10 other big horses. She told me she threw out 2 bales of hay a day to feed. So she had no idea how much he ate.

I have him on a 1/4 acre pasture during the day.... with a little 10x12 barn with a 6x10 stall, where he sleeps at night.

Does this seem adequate?

I am feeding him 1/2 flake of Timothy mix hay and about 1 lb of Farnam Mini feed, morning and night.

And a trace mineral salt block. But he is still trying to eat blackberry leaves thru the fence!

Am I not feeding him enough?

He was obviously wormy when I got him, so I wormed him with Safeguard on Monday. He seemed really "off" for a day or so after, I was really worried about him getting sick/colic

(I checked on him 3x in the middle of the night)

Should I dose him again? I am almost betting he hadn't been done in a while.

I have the vet coming out to exam/shots etc, but not for 2 weeks.

I just don't want to seem like one of those people who bought a mini "because they are soooo kewwwt"

and has no idea what to do with them.

Thank you for your patience with my stupid questions.

 

[twilightranch]

It sounds like that should be enough unless he is thin? Congrats on your new mini. If thats him in you avatar he is very cute!!

Yes I would dose him again in about a week and also give him some probios after.

 

[disneyhorse]

Congratulations! I think you are going to have a lot of fun with your new little guy!

As to the hay, it's tough to tell because a "flake" varies around the country I've found... here, a "flake" is about seven pounds but our bales are about 110 pounds. I recently have been able to get 60 pound bales, and the "flake" is a whole lot smaller.

I'd recommend estimating his weight and then weighing his food. Horses eat anywhere from 1-2 percent of their body weight per day. If he's wormy or wormy-looking I'd suggest giving him a bit more food since the parasites have been eating his nutrients.

As to the worming, I would hold off for at least 4-6 weeks to allow what is in there to mature enough that you can kill them with a second round. Worming again in a week won't be beneficial. After that, keep worming every 6-8 weeks and be sure to rotate the ingredient (don't use Quest!!! But do rotate between Ivermectin, Pyrantel Paomoate, Fenbendazole, etc.)

Have fun! We'd love to see pictures!

Andrea

 

[MiLo Minis]

Andrea is right, weigh a few flakes of your hay one at a time to get an average of exactly how much you are feeding him and then give 1 percent of his body weight in hay per day. But don't be concerned, you are likely giving him enough. Horses will eat all day if you let them and he probably just likes blackberry leaves!

 

[wildoak]

Sounds like pretty intelligent questions to me

. I would do just as disneyhorse suggested in regards to worming and feeding. If he's in full winter coat, you may have to get in the habit of feeling through the hair to assess condition. It's pretty misleading to look at a small yak and then see what you have when the hair comes off - lots of surprises under there, in both directions.

Jan

 

[Katiean]

My bales of hay I get here are around 110lbs. I am feeding just grass hay (like field grass) right now and I put out one flake for 4 minis morning and night. At night I add 1 cup of beet pulp soaked with 2 cups of water. Then I add 1 cup of safe choice and 1 cup of c.o.b. All of mine carry plenty of weight. As for worming I would do it again in about 7 days.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

There are NO stupid questions...remember that!!!

Safeguard is Fenbendazole, which is very, very mild....if he looked as if he was uncomfortable after that I would suggest he is very wormy and you really should consult a Vet before proceeding.

Me, I would do the Fenbendazole five day, but I do think you should get a faecal test done first to find out what you are facing.

For future reference there is very little point to using Fenbendazole as a one off wormer. and Ivermectin based product is much more efficient.

You need to find out how much he weighs in order to find out what he needs to eat, but the very best food is grass, of course.

My animals run on a minimum of two acres- is it possible to give him a bigger paddock??

The reason he is trying to get the leaves and telling you he is starving is that it is in a horses nature to do this, to try to eat all the time, and I try to make sure that they can, even if it is only short grass, as it is at the moment.

My horse also have ad lib hay, and they will normally leave their nest half full, but it is still there for them.

Unless there is a reason, such as founder, to keep the horses weight down to a minimum, I would never dream of weighing hay.

I think maybe a start would be to give less feed and far more hay, that will keep him happy and stave off the hunger that the worms are most probably causing.

I would then get a faecal test done and proceed form there.

 

[sedeh]

You've already gotten some good advice. I just wanted to welcome you to the forum and to the wonderful world of mini's!!

And the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked!

 

[MiniCooper]

Thank you guys so much for the advice......like I said, mini's are all new to me. And thank you for not making me feel silly for asking questions.

Unfortunately, I don't have a bigger pasture to keep him in. I really with I did, but I REALLY like having him at home so I can spend as much time as possible with him.

I feel better knowing that I am not starving him, like he is trying to make me feel like I am! LOL

I think I will wait until the vet comes out and do the fecal test beforedoing anything else. He really did look uncomfortable after the Safeguard deworming. I used it because I knew it was a mild dewormer. My mom ended up with a horse that had an impaction of parasites after deworming.

So I was REALLY afraid when he started yawning and biting at his sides,laying down, gums were a little pale, etc.

His bloated belly is already gone down, so he looks a ton better. I know he has been pretty infested, his winter coat is really in terrible shape.

I can't wait to see him this spring/summer and see how he fully cleans up. He's adorable even now, and a ton better than when I got him (clipper tracks and all- LOL)

Thank you again!!