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I haven't figured out how to post pics yet : / I am introducing him to my dog right now and he is doing well since the farm had dogs, I know that she won't be a good companion for him though. I am considering getting a mini donkey for him, my aunt raises them. Thank you all so much for the help! We are watching him real close today. I will probably get him a buddy soon he is sooo gentle and easy going so far, I know he is still adjusting but the only think he has done is pull back on the lead a few times. He doesn't run from us, just a little skittish when we first walk up. I totally impressed! We will see what his personality is like over the next few days we are in horsie heaven! And yes I think we will be getting som rubber mats and be has a dry stall off the ground where he has hay and still had oats in his bucket last night. Thanks again!
 
Another timely topic as I am also dealing with very thick mud right now... although in the last week it has turned into frozen craters. I was under the impression that one needed to remove the topsoil or something like pea gravel will just sink right down, even if you apply several inches of the gravel to a muddy area? I would love to have some trucked in now to fix the worst areas in my paddock but I want to make sure I get it right the first time.
 
If you haven't tried it already for posting pics, click on the "More Reply Options" button, and you should then have the option at the bottom of the reply box to upload pics (I think they have to be jpeg format to load, but not certain).
 
Yes, for optimum drainage one should have one or more of the following in place.....a natural or man made grade to the land to direct drainage, dainage/runoff ditches, ditches lined with landscaping cloth, then some gravel, then the corrugated piping, covered over with more gravel, fold over the land scraping cloth, then cover over with gravel and soil, all laid at a slight pitch to direct water. The cloth keeps the soil from blocking the pipe, it acts as a filter, Other options.....build up the main area if you can not trench it, then taper the sides to allow drainage, or lots of stone starting with large stone on the bottom, then gravel, then pea size. Look up how roads were made back I the time of Cesar, I believe it was in that timeframe, made much the same way. The lower gravel with larger spaces allow for drainage the top allows for a smoother finish. I am sure there are different products that can be used, but living at the base of a gently rolling mountain, these are some things that have worked for us when we get heavy rain in the spring and fall.
 
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Well, I had to put something down so in desperation I threw hay on it... I am going to rake it up in another day or so. I have used hay in the chicken run like that just to give a stable walking surface then raked it up after it got dryer. I live in central Texas rain here is rare especially in the last few years. I won't use the mulch because no way I could take it up! Thanks everyone for such advice!

We brought our little colt home today, surprised my daughter (it's her birthday gift) and as we all settled down tonight after checking on him several times, I went to let the dog out and didn't see him! I walked into the pen and thought maybe he was just I. The shadows... No he was GONE! I thought we had done everything right, at least right enough in regards to keeping him contained... My heart sank, my daughter freaked, we all freaked! It was dark and we live on many acres of woods. We have one road that leads to a large ranch road highway. I called the sheriff, asked the neighbors for help and my husband jumped in the car to check the road. My tears where shed and prayers said and low and behold we found him! Another neighbor saw him on the road pulled over and caught him (he said it was easy the horse didn't run and was still wearing his halter) my husband spotted them as they where going house to house trying to find the owner. I have him tied for the night. NO IDEA how he escaped.... We plan on just sitting outside tomorrow to see if he shows us. It has been an emotional night and I don't think any of us will get much sleep!
Don't know why my post didn't go through the first time. I have had an escapee myself (worse event on my life) so your not the only one who has had this happen to them before. ;) my boy escaped when I first got him. He was paniked and ran out the gate and ran onto the road. My parents got him and, thank goodness I wasn't there for it, I was on the house with my friends eating cookies. Glad to know you got him back safely. I have a family friend who once sold her horse to a couple. Everything was going smoothly until when they got out to unload Jack (I think it was Jack) the ramp was open and there wasn't a horse inside. The ramp opened on the highway and we got out and was in the middle of the highway, cars dodging him. He was fine after someone caught him. But, I can't imagine, never mind, don't want to.
 
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I don’t post much here-just read-because there’s many more years experience and knowledge here than I possess. (Background: Raised around horses in rural MT, with last exposure some 25 years ago, with the adults handling horse care. Now, at almost 2 years with miniatures, I’m the adult making the care decisions.) So, I probably don’t know squat but I can offer you a viewpoint from a newbie.

I’ve been rereading this thread and another thread of yours, Rockysticksfeatherfarm. Sometimes some “horse people” can be daunting to beginners… in some cases, it appears to be sort of an elitism, as though new people can’t or shouldn’t. Based on some advice, no one new would ever get started in this field. So if you can manage to birth a daughter (I’m assuming you did) or raise chickens or etc. etc., you can do pretty much anything. Ignore the naysayers and use this forum or any other forum as a place to get ideas. Then research as best you can, throw in some common sense and make your own decisions. You might make mistakes but hopefully you’ll learn from them.

RE: Drainage (and fencing)

I haven’t been blessed with an escapee (yet) but I imagine it’s pretty nerve-wracking. Quite frankly, I would table any drainage problems for now and focus on fencing issues. In my opinion, both problems have the potential to be frightfully expensive.

I can explain our short term solution and our longer term plan for drainage. A prior owner installed rain gutters without addressing drainage and also dumped several dump truck loads of rocks around our barn. The rocks are 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Every time I watched little hooves slippy-sliding on big wet rocks I would twitch; every time the rain poured out of the rain gutters and made lakes, I would twitch. We scooped up all the rocks in a pile. (“We” means husband, of course.) Then he (I mean we) installed downspouts and dug downward-sloping trenches about 4 foot deep, down to the sand layer, extending out 20 to 30 feet depending on location. The 2-3 inch rocks went in the bottom of the trenches, followed by layers of progressively smaller rocks, ending with sand and then sandy loam into which I planted pasture mix. It helps, but we still have drainage problems due to large amount of rainfall here. That sucked up the summer, so next year we plan to scoop out large areas in front of all the stall exits and do the same thing on a larger scale. Incidentally, he also built a “horsey porch” in front of/over one stall exit. It’s a wonderfully sturdy affair, about 16 foot long and 8 foot wide. It’s pretty much useless at keeping the ground dry, but our goobs love the 6x6 posts for rump rubbing. We were lucky on this project, regarding expenses since we used materials we had on-hand.

I can’t proffer any advice on fencing since I’m still in the learning phase. When I think of fencing, all I can think of is huge dollar signs. We have what seems like miles and miles and miles of white wood fencing (I think it might be called post and rail) on the property perimeter and cross-fenced and then cross-fenced some more. It was probably built early 90s and has not fared well in our rainy climate. I’ve progressed to the point of buying a post hole digger (whenever “we” do something, it seems like “I” have to pony up new equipment.) Right now, that project is relegated to the category of “I” have to figure this out before “we” do anything further. I won’t even bother you with the aborted paint-the-fence project.

RE: Advice to geld ASAP

We have a little stallion that (as long as I own him) is probably going to go to his grave with all his parts intact. He’s not registered (sin #1, probably.) He has procreated under our care (sin #2, now I’m one of those evil backyard breeders.) But in the first few months of ownership, I received so many well-meaning declarations that I should geld him, that just the mention of gelding sends me into a tizzy now. (Not on this forum, by the way.) But I also received some well-reasoned advice (again, not on this forum) from people I respect, regarding the pros and cons. At this point, I choose to not geld. Is this a correct decision? Who knows? Time will tell.

RE: Companion Animals

Since I decided not to geld our stallion I’ve been wrestling with this one for awhile now. Right now he is housed separately. He can be near his “herd,” separated by fence at two locations outdoors, and his stall is katty-korner to the stall of the mare and foal, so he can hear them and smell them. It works for now.

I’ve read suggestions here regarding companion animals. I didn’t like goats when I was a child. Just to check, I sought out a neighbor’s goat; they take him for walks on a leash. No offense to anyone, but I still don’t much like goats. So, big goob is not getting a goat for company. Before having miniature horses, I was in love with the idea of miniature donkeys. (…with a couple reservations, such as remembering a donkey across the way that used to bray like a rooster in the morning and wondering if that cute, squeaky bray wouldn’t annoy me after awhile.) I researched donkeys for abit and don’t remember much except vaguely that donkeys can be prone to a disease that is not good for horses. That’s all I remember and it could be hugely wrong; perhaps someone else can comment.

I wonder about dogs. All three of our horses seem very fascinated with passing dogs. I’ve watched a coyote walk through the pasture not twenty feet from the horses, and they ignored it. But if a dog passes on the street, the horses are all over the fence. I can’t count how many dogs have been zapped on the electric we strung on our wooden fence when they tried to play with the horses. I know, “the internet” says horses are herd animals and a dog won’t do, but I still wonder. What if you put a larger size, young dog or puppy full time with a horse? Would they bond? Would the dog provide protection, like with sheep herding type dogs?

I think the bottom line is that you need to decide if you can afford a companion horse both in the time it takes to care for a second animal and the potential money you’ll have to spend on feed, farrier, vet, etc. Your current guy isn’t going to perish immediately without companionship.

I could regale you with ten billion other things I’ve experienced/learned in less than two years, but I’ve yakked too long here so I’ll shut up now. And wish you a sincere Good Luck; a year or two from now, you’ll look back and wonder how you dealt with it all.
 
Thank you AngC! Reading on this forum and talking with other horse people (no offense to them) I realized that.... I was starting to feel very inadequate! I have been succesfully raising chickens for several years : ) not to mention my happy, healthy, well trained collie/GSD mix. I have a 14 year old DS a 9 yo DD and a 4 mo old DD who was birthed in a bathtub ; ) I also homeschool. And talk about a learning experience!! We did get the fence issue fixed the next day (as no on slept that night!) and he has been staying put.

It's funny you mention dogs because my dog loves him and wants him to play.... So far all he has done is trot around a little tossing his head but otherwise kind of ignores my dog no matter how much she acts like an idiot lol! She got to excited though and started to paw and jump on him trying to get him to play so out I the pen she went. I think once she figures out he isn't a DOG she will calm down. Until then there won't be any unsupervised visits.

I had to make my DD come in out of the rain today she just wants to be with him and I think he has already started to like her. I walked in to the fence and he just stood there but when she walked up he walked up to her : ) she follows him around grooming and petting so far his manners are impeccable!

He did nip her on the chin today, she pushed him back and said NO! He didn't hurt her but I know any kind of biting needs to be stopped immediately. I am still figuring out horse behavior so not real sure why he did it, my best guess was he was trying to groom her but since it was her face I'm not sure.

I almost didn't come back to the forum after my first post but I am learning to take it all in stride. Take advice, and do research. I also have the wonderful resource of the farm owner who didn't mind me calling him panicked at 9:30 at night! WHEW! It almost was a real tragedy and I really think if it weren't for all the prayer we would have never got him back!
 
You are doing great don't give up.

I don't have a companion animal either.

My mare loves my little pugs they play in her padock when we are out there in the summer. As for fence I just have spruce poles that we cut and buried with livestock fencing around it with spruce poles across the top. I have problems with dirt with clay so bad drainage here. That is why I said gravel was best. We have what is called D-1 here it is small rocks with a sand mix and it mixes with the clay to make a firmer ground.

I am glad you found where you little one got out at. They are smart , if they can get into or out of a place they will. I even have to put

Clips on my stall door to keep my mare in. Lol she will work it till she gets it open and then there she goes ;) at her old place she was known for getting out all the time.

You and your kids will bond with this fellow, btw I homeschool as well.

Just remember stallions are different than mares so I would talk to the breeder or someone with stallions as to how to handle them.

Only geld if you want to or if there is a medical or behavior that will need to be corrected.

Good luck and just remember they are always 2 yr olds.

Be consistent just like kids and treat him as a horse with all the horse rules.

Be carefully of biting and rearing those are dangerous and have to be corrected.

Your daughter did great she corrected right away. He is little so establishing dominance should be easier than my daugter is having at times with our 300 lb mare.

Don't worry you will do just fine.

There are lots of things to learn

As as you know when we teach our kids

We learn right along with them.

Just wanted to give you a "hug" of incouragement .

I grew up with horses but have only had my first and only mini since September .

So don't give up you are doing fine.
 
Thanks! I am def going to geld him, just waiting on income tax for extra cushion ; ) I want to geld him because my daughter is interested in showing so if we decide to go that route we won't need to worry about that. He really is an adorable little guy and I can't wait to see what he looks like in the spring after he sheds to see if he will get more spots, I think it so cool, like a little surprise waiting each year to see how they change. His parents are beautiful!

Is there any advice on signs or behaviors to watch for if he gets lonely? Since we fixed the fence he hasn't tried to get out, he hasn't stood by the fence or paced or anything yet.... Of course it has been raining so he is spending a lot of time in his shelter/stall. I wish I could figure out how to post pics from my phone because that is what I use the most. It's easier than the laptop when I have my LO in my arms a lot.
 
When I brought my mare home she mopped and called the first day but then was fine. Just spend a lot of time with him.

Have all recesses out in the barn for play time with him. Motivation for the kids to finish thier homework.

We spend a lot of time with our mare and our bond is tight we can leave her loose in the yard and she comes when we whistle.

You can teach him that. It makes catching easier. We started by every time she came we gave her some of her pellet feed. Some say don't hand feed. So a small bucket would work. I am bad and do hand feed. I know I probly shouldn't but she takes her vitamin E better and I know she has not dropped it. ( she thinks it is the best candy) be careful that only you feed him till he knows not to bite.

Little hands fit in thier mouths better than ours. As for the phone I don't think we can I have the same problem and have to go on the computer to do the pics. I post on my iPad or my phone. I wish that could be fixed.
 
Oh my, ok so I just tried this too... All I had to do is not use the mobile site but the full site to get the option to add an attachment! Here is here sitting with himimage.jpg
 
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I went to the link on the bottom that says full site, then when you go to post or reply the button "more reply options" is there and from there you can choose to add an attachment .... As far as the sideways issue I don't know how to fix it. When I made the album I could edit them and flip them.
 
I've been following this with interest but havn't offered advice because we're new to this too. Our wee 6mth old stallion (who we intend to geld too) arrived on Xmas day and looks very like yours
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I think our daughters are about the same age too!

We're also learning and learning. Scooter settled in immediately and seems to like his new home. He tested us a little at the beginning - planting his feet the odd time if he didn't want to go somewhere but it didn't take much to overcome that. He tries to nibble sometimes too but we let him know that's a No-No. It's not agressive -- more like he's just investigating but I know it could be dangerous if allowed to develop. We don't feed him by hand and his previous owners didn't either.

Like you, I've had to fight not to feel intimidated but I've received really excellent advice and have connected with the lovely @Supaspot who is here in Ireland with me
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I think the slightly "cross" posts just stem from a geniune love and protectiveness for horses - which I can understand and appreciate very much.

I love wee Scooter so much already - every so often I get this wave of happiness coming over me and I feel really lucky. It's so good for the kids too - gets them away from that 'ol computer!
 
I too have had escapees. It is a truly frightening situation that makes you question everything. The very first day we had our first girl (she was 10 months old), she escaped between fencing we never thought she'd get through. The worst part? She was being boarded at a neighbor's house and we had just left to go into "town" to get some things. Our poor, wonderful neighbor had to chase her down. Thankfully, she encountered a small stream and stopped. He was able to get her at that point but she then balked at everything on the walk back up to their place.

This past spring/summer, we had 2 major escape events. One happened because my son didn't shut the main gate properly the night before. I came out at 5:30am to start getting two of my horses loaded on our trailer for a show and found the gate wide open and 4 of our six horses NO WHERE in the immediate area. I thought I was going to lose my mind. They were found about 45 minutes later about one mile away through the fields that surround our house. They were "stopped" by some overgrowth at the edge of the field and a ditch full of water. We found them just as they could have crossed a pretty busy road (though not at the time of day on a Sunday) and would have been able to cross into another field that was several miles wide...finding them after they crossed that road would have been so much more difficult.

Finally, in July, *I* didn't shut a gate properly and 5 of our 6 horses got out. Thankfully, a neighbor was driving by just as the rounded our house and went running into the field on the one side of our house. I was able to grab halters, leads and bucket of feed and my neighbor drove me up the road to try and get ahead of them. They were having a blast running through the fields. I got lucky in that there was an area of tall grass about 1/4 of mile away and they stopped there to graze. I was able to get each haltered and tied up one at a time. My neighbor had to leave so I was left with walking all 5 horses home by myself. After fighting them for a bit (they were fighting with each other and fighting to get to grass we were walking through), I finally just moved to the middle of our small road so that no one could reach any thing to eat. This particular stretch of road has good sight lines from either direction. If a car were to have come from either direction, I was prepared to walk a little faster until I got back to our place. My arms, hands and wrists ached for 2 days after fighting them all to get them back home.

After the last incident, I seriously contemplated giving up. I thought I was a failure at this horse ownership thing and I was doing my horses a disservice by keeping them. I was so upset and shaken up by the "could have beens". I ultimately decided that would be an overreaction but I did conclude that I had taken on more than I could handle. I was so very lucky to find a great home only a mile from our house for two of the girls, the ones we had gotten last who were a bonded pair having been together since birth. They are so much happier, my remaining 4 are so much happier and *I* am feeling like things are back to a state that I can manage better.

Your little guy is adorable and I love how happy he's made your daughter. We newbies all make mistakes but it's how we handle and learn from those mistakes that count. If we're lucky, our mistakes don't lead to any major bad results. I'm very proud of how far we've come as horse owners in the last (almost) 4 years. Much of the credit to our success goes to the many great people on this board.

I wish you continued success and look forward to hearing more about him.
 
Wow, I can't imagine trying to find more than one! At least they stick together whew! What a nightmare! My husbands response was he felt like he was going to vomit, here we made our daughters dream come true and got her a horse and loose it on the same night. It was almost so very tragic, we do live about half a mile off a busy road at night you can't see anything. Even though deer are a constant threat people drive to fast.... The little guy wouldn't have stood a chance... Soooo scary. I had just finished a conversation with my DH about microchipping him the neighbor told me you can put a GPS tracker in them. Does anyone know about these? Thank you all so much for sharing!

And "scooter" glad to hear your story too : ) I bet it's beautiful in Ireland! We have always wanted to visit there and Scotland, my husband heritage is from Scotland and whales (strong genes!) he always says he wants to move there but honestly being from Texas I don't think we could take the cold lol! It gets below 60 and we think we are dying ha!
 
Too cute! I like the red ribbon; I bet that will become a memory that lasts her a lifetime.
 
We use stonedust for our paddocks. It's great for muddy areas. I think pea gravel will also work well.

Tammie
 

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