Dilemma backyard or paddoch?

[Miniitis]

So I've had my mini about 2 weeks now. For the first 4 days I kept her at a paddoch up at my work which has 75 acres of smaller sized paddochs. It's free to keep her there, it's only 4 minute drive away and there are 3 other full size horses on the property but she can't always see them if they move to higher ground.

I thought that I wanted her home, so we brought her back to our house which is on about 1/4 acre. Our backyard is devised in two areas. The back is dry sand, grass free and then we have made gates to the front half where we have lots of short thick lush lawn grass.

At the moment she is kept mainly in the dry area through the day, let out for a few hours on the grass and then put back in the dry area at night. She seems to be adjusting quite well now.

Everyday we have been taking her for walks for exercise and she can and does trott around her dry area.

The problem is that I find because she is always within site from my kitchen , I am forever watching her lol!

I mean checking to see if she's okay, if she's eating, or sleeping, or looks bored. It's quite tiresome.

I also feel that she actually might start running the risk of us treating her more like a dog.

I mean it's great having her at home, but I know she needs exercise and the only means of that at home is to walk her everyday, and we do that with our dogs.

Up at the paddochs I have access to a round yard for lunging and plenty of open space for trotting her around etc, but the only thing is that I think she might over eat up there. If I did put her up in the pasture, which is summer dry grass, would I need to fed her any extra at all?

What would you all do, keep her in the backyard with the routine I've been doing or put her back in the paddoch?

 

[eagles ring farm]

I would keep her in your back yard and get her a friend another mare or gelding

That way you know she is happy with the company

 

[Miniitis]

Getting another for the backyard would be totally out of the question. We actually want to keep our lawn. She nibbles it down, but I think if we had two, we would have no lawn left. Also I don't think we could keep up with all the manure two would produce in such a small area.

I was thinking of getting her two goat friends for the paddoch though if she is to go back there.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I have similar to your backyard set up. I prefer having him right with me in sight and I play with him often. I have goats but they are in a connecting paddock rather than in with him. He loves the goats but only if they are not in same paddock as him. We go on nice walks and We also drive on occasion. I spend lots of time with my mini boy and enjoy looking out and seeing him. I had two minis but at the moment only have one. I know he would be lonely if the goats were not right there and sometimes I know he misses my other mini boy quite a bit in spite of all my attention and in spite of the goats. . He talks to me and the goats..but when one goat got in with him he got quite crabby with the goat. I have two large paddocks with grass and one dry lot.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Horses are herd animals and although we have had some quite heated debates on this issue as far as I am concerned horses NEED horses. They do not speak goat. They are horses. And two goats would eat easily as much as one more Mini and would also eat EVERYTHING it could get near to! I am sorry to say this but I think people who force their horses to "bond" with them by removing all other equine contact are selfish. It is not a true bond and would disappear in a minute if the horse were to be turned out with other horses. Your Mini needs friends of it's own species. Goats, Donkeys etc all speak a different language. Also, as you have rightly said, the exercise she is getting is not adequate, and walking er on a lead is not enough- your dogs get let off to run and play, when does she get this?I would take her back up the road and start looking at getting her a friend- Last Chance could find you a rescue Mini pretty quickly and it would not be expensive. Think about it......

 

[happy appy]

I am a firm believer that horses need horses also.

 

[Max's Mom]

I greatly sympathize with your feeling that you are constantly checking on her. I tried to bring our mini to live in our yard. I was making him go from living in the company of other horses to only seeing other horses (our neighbor's) from a considerable distance. I worried constantly about everything - is he lonely, is he bored, is he okay, am I doing the right thing... and I was checking on him from out the window many, many times a day. In fact, I kept waking up all night and checking through the window (as he had a run-in, not a stall) and even sometimes outside. After 2 weeks, I was such a wreck that I brought him back to the place I boarded him. This option was much more expensive, but I was finally able to deal with the anxiety in an appropriate and healthy way.

You said that your other option is free and only a few minutes away. It sounds like a better set up for three reasons. First, she will have more room to move around and exercise. Second, she will at least have the visual contact with other horses even if sometimes they are temporarily out of sight. It seems to me that this is much better than having no equine contact at all. And third, you will not be burdened with all the issues with keeping a horse in your small yard. Manure removal is no small issue. I felt compelled to muck 2-3 times a day because I couldn't stand having poop piles attracting flies just a few feet from my front door! And if she's up the road you can still check in and visit her often without seeing her out the window.

As for the feeding concerns, unless she has a metabolic disorder, Cushing's, or insulin resistance or is dangerously obese (which it seems like most people here think is not the case- from your previous post) I think you should have no problems with the type of grass you are describing. If you need to limit her intake, you could also consider a grazing muzzle for part of the day, or dividing the paddock in such a way that she only has a small area that she will quickly eat down to nothing, and then be let out for part of the day on the bigger area.

Most of all, good luck to you! It is hard to make these kinds of decisions- or at least I found it so. I had emotionally and financially invested in the idea of keeping Max at my house and had many fantastic reasons for doing so. I found it hard to "go back" on that decision, but now I am glad I did.

 

[Miniitis]

Thank you Max's mom, you are very understanding. Seems like you went through the same thing. I'm the same with the poop lol and I don't want my neighbours start complaining about the horsey smell if the poop starts to pile up.

I know that it is better to have horses with horses, but honestly I don't believe that animals can only be friends with their own species.

Ever heard of cats being best buddies with a dog? We had a ferret that used to crawl all over our dog and never bit him once and ferrets are known for their nips. I also have seen many programs where an elephant befriends a sheep etc.

plus she would have horses within sight.

I am actually hoping that the goats do eat a lot of the pasture as I would rather feed her hay etc so I can monitor her feed intake more. Most people keep their horses in dry lots anyway. There are several paddochs to choose from, so if one gets too low I can always move her to another.

It is a hard decision.... Being caught between her being so close and being in a more horse environment.

 

[chandab]

What about doing a bit of both? I'm not saying move her back and forth constantly, but what about seasonally? Perhaps keep her at home during the winter, and at the place down the road in summer, or vise versa, whatever would be best for you and her.

 

[Carolyn R]

I agree that, most horses require other horses for companionship. There is that rare instance where they just don't tolerate or seem to be a favorable count part to their equine friends, but this is few and far between. If the location is that close to you, why not keep her there during your work week and have her home on your days off? It sounds like it is close enough to do so. It is not a bad idea to have a set up at your place, ESP if you end up wih a sick or injured animal that needs constant monitoring. Sorry to say, but I also feel goats are not the best counterparts, they need to be dis budded/dehorned to prevent injuries while rough housing with horses, often they will chew off a horse's tail if give the chance, you need to worry about copper toxicity ssues when it comes to them eating mineral blocks or stealing horse feed, increasing the animals in a small area increases parasite counts/risks, it really does sound like you can have the best of both worlds by having such a great facility so close, and for free!

 

[MyMiniGal]

I board too, and boy, I wish I had the choices you have...I think it would be neat to be able to do both too. My mini seems to like to be a loner...it is hard to find another mini she will take to, but I do think she likes having horses next to her. Even though she gets upset at them and squeals at them, at times, like when we are feeding her and they look at her wrong. LOL But I would love to have a little bit of both worlds...be able to have her at home...I think winter having her here would be nice, since winters are harder to take care of them...plus we have to drive to get to her, and if ice is on the road, that makes it a bit harder. So having her right out the backyard would be nice, but we live in town and they won't allow mini's kept in backyards. I would be like you, worrying about them and wanting to watch them all the time. I have a hard time, even with having her boarded. I can't wait for my husband, who goes and feeds her before he goes to work, to send me that text saying..."All is well".

 

[Foxhaven]

+1 on horses needing horses.

I will say there is an occasional and rare (I am finding) exception to donkeys not speaking horse - if imprinted on minis that is. Sam had NO interest in other donkeys but bellowed to be with minis when we were evaluating him for adoption. Mind you, he may speak horse with a VERY strong accent... but not terribly assertive. Rare find.

I doubt a goat would even come close. Find a way to adopt another horse.

 

[Miniitis]

I think I've made my mind up and my husband and I have decided to keep her at the paddoch and every few weekends we will walk her back to our place. Like it was said it will be really handy to have our yard still set up if she takes ill or so something else happens where she needs watching. But for my own sanity, so I am not constantly thinking of her, I think it best she be at the paddoch.

I'm going to stick with the goats for now as they are coming tomorrow and if the relationship doesn't work out we will look out for another mini.

Thanks everyone for their views, it's made me look at things in various ways and helped me decide.

 

[shorthorsemom]

sounds good. I am in process of maybe getting my other boy back and then I will have two again. I agree with those that say that having a goat just doesn't do it. It is ok in a pinch but not the same, but has worked ok here for now while we work out some things and I think for lack of other options, it isn't a horrible life.

Not perfect or ideal, but certainly better than some of those minis that have found their way into neglectful situations where they have hours of lonlieness and no handling.. My boy I have now is a loner and is a crabby strange little dude and I was surprised that he missed our other boy so much since when the other boy was here he tormented and chased him around pretty often. Guess speaking horse to horse is better even if they are cussing eachother but for those that have one horse and a goat or whatever, but provide love and companionship in the human form, I don't thing this is a horrible life either...

My single boy I have now is so strange I didn't want to rehome him when I started to feel guilty for spending so much money on my horses. I read the book black beauty and pictured him having a not so great life if somebody owned him that didn't understand his quirkyness. I love him and understand him and he loves me but he sure is a strange little boy.. He is here to stay.

When my sister in law had her brain injury 10 years ago she had several biggie horses her family tried to hold onto for her. They had horsey companions in the field and decent care. What they did not get was daily handling by the humans. My brother does not know horses, he fed watered and cared for them and had the hooves done. He was unable to handle them and they began to get wild. They were like wild brambies within a year. He finally rehomed them after a few years and it took extensive handling and training to bring them back to being decent companions.

I guess my message here is that I do think that decent human companionship and care is a good thing and I think that horses can be in the best turn out with the best horse friends but if they are out of sight and it is not as convienent to get to them to work with them... then there is nothing wrong with keeping a horse close at hand and not having two (or more). Two horses is twice as expensive... more hay, double dentals, double shots, double hoof care and although not ideal and yes they absolutely miss the company of other horses... but I watch my boy nicker for his goat and she answers and I still say.. it can be ok in a pinch to only have one horse to love and spoil.

I see both sides of the coin here.. and agree with both. I love my boy in my back yard and I see him all day and play with him often. No I am not a horse, but turned out with other horses and not having human interaction isn't a great thing either. When I had biggie horses and boarded them, I regretted every day how difficult it was to get out to the rental stable to go see my guys and love being able to spot my boy from my window and check on him.

Hope that makes sense, not critical of any of the view points written.. they all make tons of sense.... take care.. cheers folks, please don't fry me.

 

[shorthorsemom]

My Chippy boy is back! (in my avitar). I am so happy to see him back but what was priceless was the reaction of my other boy Ike who has been alone with only goat company since last October. He was so glad to see his Chips back. They were dashing around and having such a great time, they really did miss each other. I am glad I am back to 2. I tried only having one... It can work but two is so much better than one. Now that he is back and I realize how much I needed him back. He is here to stay. Yippee. happy dance. Potato chips.

 

[Miniitis]

Okay, so she is in the pasture now with her two goat friends. They are all friendly and stand together but feeding time is another matter. She lOVES her food and is chasing away the goats whenever they try to steal her share.

But being in the pasture 24/7 I'm not sure if I should be feeding her at all??

It's summer native grasses that are about 3 to 4 inches tall. They don't have much nutrition in the at all, just sugar stored in the bases, I guess. She is in very very light work as it's really hot here at the moment and she's only 2.5 yrs old.

I would say she's not over weight but she wouldn't want to get fatter.

Should I feed her just pellets or nothing at all? Please help. Oh and unless she comes home again, I can't keep her on a dry lot. If she comes home again, then,she won't get the exercise. This is so hard.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I would suggest a "suck it and see" approach. She obviously is not that fussed about the goats so they are hardly company for her so I personally would not bother with them, unless they are your pets of course. But as to the grass, stop feeding her, weigh her after a couple of weeks and see how she is. Keep a close eye on her condition. If I was not showing a horse this age I would not have it in work at all, and the ones I do show only have a little round pen work to keep them trim. She is a baby, let her be one. Relax. Honestly, I think you are over thinking this. If she looks OK and she acts OK the chances are she IS OK!!

 

[Miniitis]

Thanks, when I mean she is in very very light work, I mean she is only getting lead around and doing some tiny mini jumps for a few minutes every 4 or 5 days, so she is totally allowed to be a baby. I wouldn't actually call it work at all.

As for the goats, I think they are getting along well, I often see them laying together or this evening when a storm hit, all three of them were in the stable together, to me that is 3 animals that are very much liking each other.

I thought this forum was for help not for people to say " oh you are worried too much and suck it and see."

All I'm after is a simple answer from someone with experience to say, no you shouldn't be feeding her if she's on pasture or yes you can feed her but only x amount of ?

Thank you for answering that question.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I feed a vitamin mineral supplement. Pasture doesn't provide perfect nutrients in all cases so to cover my bases I feed some enrich 32 supplement. It helps with catching them daily too if they get a little treat in their bucket for coming in. The enrich I feed I just give about 1/4 cup twice a day. Your feeding could be somewhat different for a baby than my boys that tend to get chubby on grass. I feed quiessence or remission when they start to get too fat which is something you could use in your future if you need it, but not for now..

When I had a youngster on grass, he also got a supplement, not just pasture. There are many different types of supplements. I choose either enrich 32 or triple crown lite for my horses. I feed a fine grass hay too and they do not get pasture 24/7. You should read safergrass.org for how grasses can store sugars. Some folks pull them off grass in late afternoon when the sun is high. I had a horse founder in a drought.. I didn't realise that grass under stress stores sugars. Good reading.. I am just generalizing. It is good for the feet to get off the grass for some time too.

As to the goats... I have tried your situation... My horse hated the goats near his feed bucket. It was too dangerous mixing the goats and horse together, kind of like when folks mix biggies with minis. It can work, but not always ideal. My goats and horse shared a fence line and each had their own separate shelter.

As a side note.. "Goats are made of sugar" and they hate getting wet, so they will share the shelter with the horse not for friendship, but to get in out of the rain. Keep a close eye on them... I love my goats, but glad they have their own space. My goats are smaller goats, not the biggies..

My driving trainer got a goat for her horse when her other horse died suddenly. It didn't work as far as sharing pasture space, but shared fenceline and different living quarters worked fine. She recently got two young colts she will train for driving...Her horse is very happy to have the young horses, he had missed her other horse quite a bit.. take care... Keep asking questions.. this is a good string and it is good that you are sharing and asking questions. Hope this helps you some

 

[Carolyn R]

Just a heads up, you say she allowed to be a baby, not sure of her age, but wanted to make sure you know that it is not wise to jump a young horse under 2.5-3 years old. It is not good for their joints.