Dwarf with pot belly or not???

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ElliesMom

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Hi , IM a new mini owner of a yearling mare. Ellie is just so adorable and we are so enjoying every minute of her! I know she is not show quality with the roached back and extremely large pot belly. My question is if you think she is a dwarf all the way at 27" high, or just has a couple traits, or is just fat? Her legs are good and I dont think her neck is short, but her legs look very short because of her vary large belly! When she was a foal, she did not display any dwarf characteristics at all. Here mother and sire did not have any dwarfism. Anyway, just wondering what everyone out there thinks? Thanks, and glad to join the group here!

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Ive added a pic of Ellie when she was a filly. She looks good here, but I still think her belly was a bit big in this one as well......What do you all think???

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Yet a third pic of Ellie with her two pals....they really love each other! The shepard mix (KC) and Ellie Play chase together, and KC is Ellies "nuzzle" buddy. Kc allows Ellie to nuzzle and chew on her whenever and whereever and really seems to enjoy it!

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Ive added one more pic just taken yesterday 8/18/2005. I hope that it will show her a little better....her roached back is obvious, but Im still wondering if all of you think she is just FAT or thats the way her belly should look???? I think you can compare the two pics and see that see has lost some weight.....if I am feeding her omelene 100, how much do you think she should get fed each day?? I also give her prairie hay but Im switching to brome hay tomorrow. Thanks for all your input!!!
 
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Yes, she definately sounds like a full blown dwarf to me, but pictures would give you a definate answer.
 
Yes she sounds like a dwarf to me from your description. They are a special needs loving little horse and there are people here that can guide you on their very special care.

To post a picture upload the picture in your computer files then go to www.photobucket.com and get a free account. Then click on submit and browse and load the picture. Then highlite the URl and hit COPY. Then come back here and begin your topic. Go above to the tool bar and hit IMG. A box will appear and then click PASTE. The URL will then jump into this box. Click submit.

EDITED: Glad to see you got her picture loaded. No, I don't think she is a full blown dwarf from this picture, but her back does appear to be roached back here and could also be terribly fat so I don't know about that part or it could be that she is not standing on her back right leg causing it too look more pronounced than what it is. She looks to me to very pudgy and can stand to loose a few pounds. I don't suppose she was accidently bred, was she? She is a heavy type boned gal too, so that adds to it. I think she is really adorable and I do like her markings and colors and she's cute and you are having fun with her and that's what matters.
 
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THanks for the help! Ive added a pic of Ellie now so you can help me evaluate her. So what do you think????
 
I think she needs to have her diet analized so she can loose some weight. Does she gets lots of exersize ?

I am no diet expert but I am sure there is someone here who can help you.
 
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To me, she just looks like a fat lil girl! Shes very cute. I don't see no dwarf in her at all!!

Joyce
 
[SIZE=14pt]If she has 3 characteristics of dwarfism she would be considered dwarf.... her neck isnt as short as most dwarves, she is VERY fat and her pot belly could be diet related. A roached back , large head are the only characteristics I see on this pic. Her joints are not overly large, her limbss are not disproportionate so she is probably just a very chubby pet.[/SIZE]

Lyn
 
Hi, I think the way the pic is taken makes her head look large, but actually it is very petite and normally looks small compared to the rest of her lol! I am currently feeding her prairie hay as wanted, 1/2 cup omelene 2x's a day and pasture but it is nearly burnt up and down to nubs. I have been prescribing psyllium this week for her to see if she is loaded with sand or dirt, but not sure that it is doing much. I dont have a large area to excercise her in so lunging is not more than a trot. I sometimes run her loose around the yard using a whip to keep her going, but I worry about that big belly hurting her. The pics dont show it too well but it is very distended looking underneath. How could I do things differently to help her loose the belly if she can? She has recently been wormed so I know it cant be worms. HELP!!! Im desperate to know what to do to help this situation.....
 
I don't think she is a dwarf. I think she is a fat little old stlye mini! And cute as a button at that!!

I think it would be easier to see if she lost a few pounds! Like I am trying to do right now!!
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She has lovely coloring and I love her name!

Enjoy her!
 
Thanks for posting that pic. After seeing this pic, I would say she is not a dwarf, but is definately a pet quality little girl.
 
She is cute!!!
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. Being that she is 27 inches it's probably easier for her to gain weight. How much "prairie hay" is she eating? Her grain ration isnt very high so it's not from that. Has she been dewormed lately? You might be better to up her grain a tad, not much and lower the amount of hay? Lots of hay tends to go straight to their bellies. Give her a hug and kiss for me, she is adorable.
 
[SIZE=14pt]Im with Danielle, I would increase her grain to 2 cups twice a day and cut her hay back to just a handful twice a day. Increase that grain gradually over a period of a couple of weeks.[/SIZE]

Lyn
 
I am no vet or no expert but i would think that her roached back would lead to the appearence of a pot belly due to her conformation and how she stands
 
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She looks like a very cute pet. I am with the group that believes in feeding a mini, not waving a bit of grain and hay under their nose. Worm her very well. Increase her feed. Omelene 200 is super stuff and good for her. Gradually build her up to at least 1 1/2 cups twice a day, as for the hay, I am unfamiliar with "prairie hay", my kids get a grass hay. Depending on the horse; a large handful to 1/2 flake each twice a day. My pastures are all eaten (they are all out from sunup to sundown) and burnt too so I have been taking 2 flakes out and shaking out all over for 8 horses. My kids "are" chubby but not obese. For her health and longevity she needs a different food regimin and lots of just pasture walking, exercise at this weight would be bad with the heat we have this year. Does she have a friend to pal around with? She is a sweet lil thing.
 
Young horses have a hard time digesting hay; it tends to sit around in their guts for a long time, contributing to the "hay belly" look. Yearlings are notorious for this.

I would buy a "junior" feed (I feed Purina Equine Junior) and switch her over to at least half of her diet to be that, with only a very limited amount of hay. That would give her the nutrition she needs, and help her to lose the belly.

As far as I can tell, your filly isn't a dwarf (how is her bite?) but she shows characteristics. At least she has a loving home with you, and not somewhere that she could end up being bred.
 
Dimimore said:
She looks like a very cute pet.  I am with the group that believes in feeding a mini, not waving a bit of grain and hay under their nose.  Worm her very well.  Increase her feed.  Omelene 200 is super stuff and good for her.  Gradually build her up to at least 1 1/2 cups twice a day, as for the hay, I am unfamiliar with "prairie hay", my kids get a grass hay. Depending on the horse; a large handful to 1/2 flake each twice a day.  My pastures are all eaten (they are all out from sunup to sundown) and burnt too so I have been taking 2 flakes out and shaking out all over for 8 horses.  My kids "are" chubby but not obese.  For her health and longevity she needs a different food regimin and lots of just pasture walking, exercise at this weight would be bad with the heat we have this year.  Does she have a friend to pal around with?  She is a sweet lil thing.
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Hi, I have just started feeding her omelene 100 and am gradually increasing it for her - do you think omelene 200 would be better for her? Prairie hay is all that is around in Kansas, but I did find a seller of brome hay and I will be switching over to this hay - it is better quality. I will try to reduce the hay amounts, but I worry she is not getting enough to eat as she has lost some weight since the pic was taken. I dont excercise her much right now with the intense heat, but on an early morning or cooler day I do give her excercise (gradually building time up). She has no other pony pals, but has been adopted as a dog by my german shepard and newfoundland! She has begun to act like a dog now lol! I'll add another pic of the three of them together....its too cute!
 
Magic said:
Young horses have a hard time digesting hay;  it tends to sit around in their guts for a long time, contributing to the "hay belly" look.  Yearlings are notorious for this.I would buy a "junior" feed (I feed Purina Equine Junior) and switch her over to at least half of  her diet to be that, with only a very limited amount of hay.  That would give her the nutrition she needs, and help her to lose the belly.

As far as I can tell, your filly isn't a dwarf (how is her bite?) but she shows characteristics.    At least she has a loving home with you, and not somewhere that she could end up being bred.

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Her bite is perfect! No problems at all......except that she uses them on me!
 
Yes I like the Omelene 200 for a yearling. My favorite is Strategy. Great for all ages. Easy to chew too, but many prefer the sweet feed. If you can trust your dogs implicitely then let them all romp together it'll be good for her.

The only way I can show about the belly is with the poor starving kids in other countrys. They have a very large tummy due to lack of food. Minis do get this also. By increasing her feed gradually (7-10 days) you help her digestion be more efficient and in time you should see a change in her. She's always going to be a short sweet pudgy thing but that's just fine. Be sure to worm her with an Ivermectin product like Ivercare or Zimectrin to kill the bot eggs and worms., alternate with strongid or panacur. Never use Quest. Bots and worms also can cause the distended tummy.
 
From the photos provided, I would say it is *possible*that she is a minimal dwarf-the roach back, distended belly, and what appear to be pretty cow-hocked hind legs would, to me, indicate a mild "short-upper-limb"(my own term)form-but, it is really hard to say, one way or the other, from the photos.

Kudos to you for loving and caring so for her-that's what counts-that you love and are enjoying her! I agree that a regular worming regime is important; depending on her previous deworming history, the fact that she had recently been dewormed doesn't necessarily mean she is worm-free. You may well need to do so again at 30 day intervals, a couple of times,with appropriate products(do not use anything containing moxidectin), AND at accurate dosing-people often underdose, and that only helps the worms develop better resistance to the dewormer(s)! Then, continue with a suitable regime(around 60 day intervals, alternating 2-3 chemical 'families', at proper doses.0

Given her age,I would agree that Purina 100 probably wouldn't provide the nutritional level she needs;you could go to Purina 200, but if it were me, I would consider a 'complete',junior feed(as Magic suggested), such as Equine Junior(along with reasonable amounts of a decent grass hay)-but I would suggest caution in amounts of ANY concentrates(meaning grains, and feeds formulated with grains). I have NEVER fed as much as 2 cups twice daily of ANY concentrate to ANY of my minis, with the possible exception of large(34")mares in full lactation. It should be remembered that horses evolved as grazers, and need the long stem fiber of natural grazing, or of hay, as a substitute for grazing-their relatively inefficient, and somewhat fragile, digestive systems, were NOT designed, through evolution, to utilize relatively large amounts of concentrates well. My advice would be-to be cautious, have an accurate read on her weight, study manufacturer's and researcher's opinions/recommendations on amounts to feed, with specific reference to Miniatures. The distended belly*can*be a sign of "regular"sized intestines in a smaller-than-usual body,IS one of the signs of dwarfism, can have little to do with what the horse is/isn't eating-so might not be a sign of overfeeding of hay. It does appear to me that she is a bit-not hugely-overweight, overall-it might be that a more nutritionally suitable concentrate, but not necessarily more OF a concentrate, is called for.

As for her foal photo-though it's not too clear, I would say you are correct in your assessment that even then, she had a bit of a pot belly. It is common for minimal dwarves to not be very evident when young, becoming more evident as they get older. Even if your little mare IS a minimally-expressed dwarf, she looks healthy and well-loved---and that's what's ultimately most important!! Best of luck with her!
 
Hallo and WELCOME!! I am Mrs Unpopular
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I do think your filly is a minimal Dwarf and I think it will become more obvious with time. I bred Native Shetlands- what you people(
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) call "old fashioned Minis" for a while and the yearlings do not look like your filly- Rabbit (My Avatar) was 24 " at a year and did not have a pot belly- although he was healthily fat- as are all my horses. Even with the grass poached as it is (It does not ALWAYS rain in England
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) I ma feeding no hay and no feed to my broodmares or my yearlings or anyone else- except the foals. The mares have slimmed off a tiny bit and are no longer looking as if they have swallowed inflatable dinghies!! With the greatest of respect to my Forum Buddies I have NO idea why people feed grain especially to an animal in the sort of condition your cute thing is in. Look- in the long run, does it matter if she is a Dwarf?? You are not intending to breed her, she is no less the love she was yesterday. Enjoy!!! I can see you already love her
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At worst she is minimal- her legs look OK to me, her feet are fine- love her and care for her and you will be alright. And, of course, keep in touch.
 
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