First mini and maintain perfect weight!

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MissColonel

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Hello,

I have recently have found my second love in my equine life and it happened to be a mini! As coming from a breeding barn, racehorses, hunter jumpers, and even reining to cow work horses I never really have delt with mini's.

I am very picky when it comes to my horses diet since my QH mare was overweight when I got her. It took a lot of time and the perfect balence to get everything right for her I also knew the weight was not good for her! Anyways I am quite worried about my lil one since he is 8months old 29" and I feel the food I was given and told that is best for him is not. I will lay down some information and I am also waiting for my vet to get back with me too!

Breed: Miniature Horse

Height: 29"

Age: 8months

Gender: Colt

Weight: I haven't actually weighed him yet but his current weight looks good just has a wormy looking belly kinda or momma belly.

Last timed wormed: Jan 1st and every month on the 1st before

Feed: 1 cup( 1cup in the day and 1 at night) of Producer's Pride 12% Horse Pellet

Hay: Great quality hay and about 1 flake in the morning and 1 at night.

Excercise: Daily turnout for about 8hrs and is getting about 15-30mins of light ground work a day.

I love this lil guy and have delt with baby QH and Standardbreds I know they usually got mare and foal feed even at 8months old, but I don't know much about mini feed except they can get fat easily. I deffinately want to make sure he is getting everything he needs so he can grow nice and strong and healthy!

Thank You!!!
 
Congrats on your new addition! However I think you may be too concerned about over feeding this little one. If he were mine he'd be getting free choice quality hay and either 14% or 16% protein feed at about 2-3 cups per meal.

These little ones need a lot of protein and when they do not have enough it can give the illusion of having a hay/worm belly.

Also don't go on just looks alone as their long hair is deceiving.... actually feel around under the coat for ribs, hips, and the spine.

Oh and remember no one can have just one!
 
Thank You!! I thought Somthing was off becuase we do the same with bigger horses and I thought it was weird having him on a "constant diet" iguess you could say.

I have felt under that fuzz and he seems good because that was the first thing I checked when I saw what he was being fed I have only had him for a day.

Oh and the you can't just have 1 I completely agree since he has been at the barn I bored at for 1 day and everyone is now thinking about getting one! We are looking at building a extra barn for the minis if everyone keeps talking like they are LOL!
 
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Congrats on your new mini and welcome to the forum. I wrote up a piece about feeding weanlings (which is what your boy is at 8 months) that is on the 4-H section of our website. Youngsters need LOTS of protein so at this point you should not worry about over feeding. The belly is likely from lack of protein, especially as he seems to have been wormed regularly. Our 8-9 month olds are getting more grain (by weight, and high in protein) than hay, and more grain than anyone else including the pregnant mares. Plus just about free choice hay in slow feeders and they all look great. One is in my avatar- a recent pic, but she is lying down so a bit hard to see her trim belly.

There is a lot more info on minis on our website in the 4-H section and we have more to add soon. (link below).
 
Thank You Targets Mom! I will deffinately check that out! I figured that it was lack of the protein since I ran into this recently at a QH barn that just got some weanlings that only had hay and had huge bellys even though wormed regularly! I will go feed shopping tomorrow and get him the best one I can find for him! I know are hay is the best in are area so I will make sure he can get sa much as he wants!

I am soo happy I will get him on the right track to being healthy and of course happy
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We use Calf Manna (which isn't just for calves!!) to boost the protein because we feed mostly grass hay that is only about 8.5% protein. Our grain is 14% protein and we add alfalfa cubes (soaked), but to get the protein up to where we wanted it we need to add the Calf Manna, which they LOVE.
 
We use Calf Manna (which isn't just for calves!!) to boost the protein because we feed mostly grass hay that is only about 8.5% protein. Our grain is 14% protein and we add alfalfa cubes (soaked), but to get the protein up to where we wanted it we need to add the Calf Manna, which they LOVE.
How much Calf Manna do you typically add? I know it'll vary depending on size, but just curious as to ballpark.
 
I am adding anywhere from 1/3- 1 full cup to breakfast and dinner grain ration which is from 2-3 cups each mini, each feeding, depending on size. Plus alfalfa cubes and a little beet pulp, each soaked separately and added to grain. Our weanlings come in small, medium and large so a wide range!

Our weanlings also get more grain & alfalfa & hay at bedtime, but no Calf Manna then. Can you say "spoiled"?
 
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I think I might need to increase my Calf Manna portion a little bit. Need to order some more, I'm about out. I've been giving a little less than that to my 3 boys, and they do look pretty good, far as I can tell under all that hair.
 
I use soya meal to add protein, it is a lot cheaper than the "branded" goods, but I do not know how available it would be for you- you would have to ask, I think. I would cut out the ground work, just give him free choice hay, a good amount of 16% feed and handle him enough to make sure he remembers his manners, and leave him to be a kid for a while! He would do better for some company but I am afraid these little ones do not do well in with bigger horses, so it looks as if you could be looking for another one soon....
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Thank you rabbits fizz!!! :)I did get a good feed with 16% protein and is slowly switching to that and the constant hay
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the ground work I really am doing with him is really just hands on contact like rubbing all over him and brushing since he wasn't handled really before I got him
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no actual work really just me lovin on him for about 15-30mins
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these buddies of joys are very addicting! Everyone at the barn I bored at wants one and I am strongly encouraging this LOL. I might be able to get another one in the spring myself once I take care of my last school loan woot!
 

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