Earthology
Well-Known Member
Hello there!
I am proud to say that I am a new owner of a miniature horse! Se is so beautiful! She is very sweet! Follows us everywhere! I am so excited! Once she settles in we are even going to have a "*Horse-Warming party."
Next Tuesday I will have internet services turned on at my home and can upload more pictures then!
I have owned her for almost one week. I have a few concerns about taking care of my mare correctly. I have been researching for quite awhile now in regards to feeding and nutrition.
I cannot seem to find good old plain grass hay around here! I read that timothy was good for minis, and thought I was set to bring her home! In so far, my horse does NOT like the timothy hay I have for her.
Previous owner fed her dark green grass hay only. It was beautiful hay! However, she said she isn't selling any of hers (I don't blame her! Beautiful hay! I'd have held on to every bale myself)!
With this mild winter she has been eating grass out in pasture. Her stool went from individual pellets that were dark and hard when I brought her home. I read that this meant she was perhaps a bit dehydrated? The color was very dark brown, as in darker than Hershy's chocolate brown.
From the grass in the pasture and what little nibble of Timothy she "seems" to eat, her manure is now soft, what I could call "normal." Seems plumper, fuller, moister. The color is brown, much lighter than when she first came to live with me.
I did note a worm in this new colored poo. It was dead by the time I found it. It was curled up, white. Overall, it would have wrapped around the outside edge of a dime. I am not sure what kind it is, but indeed, my mare is just a tad bit too skinny. I can feel her spine and back "hips" a bit. I assumed it was because she was the lowest horse on the "totem pole." I thought perhaps the other horse higher up weren't letting her get enough hay. Perhaps it is a combination of both of these things, it makes sense with the water too.
(At least with my Serama chickens, that's the way things go, the lowest one on the totem pole ussually doesn't get enough food and water sometimes).
I did pick up three different horse wormers. I forgot the names, but am doing some research on alternating different wormers over different months.
***MY MAIN QUESTION IS:
For all owners in Ohio, does anyone know where I can find some good grass hay since this is what my mare is used to eating? Even is she eventually does begin eating the timothy hay, I would like to get a list going of potential suppliers for in the future. I have google'd and craiglist'd and kijiji'd like crazy and am coming up empty handed. What scares me the most is my supplier of Timothy hay is now SOLD OUT!
I live in Northwest Ohio. I would be willing to travel a little ways into Northeastern Indiana or southern Michigan.
I am proud to say that I am a new owner of a miniature horse! Se is so beautiful! She is very sweet! Follows us everywhere! I am so excited! Once she settles in we are even going to have a "*Horse-Warming party."
Next Tuesday I will have internet services turned on at my home and can upload more pictures then!
I have owned her for almost one week. I have a few concerns about taking care of my mare correctly. I have been researching for quite awhile now in regards to feeding and nutrition.
I cannot seem to find good old plain grass hay around here! I read that timothy was good for minis, and thought I was set to bring her home! In so far, my horse does NOT like the timothy hay I have for her.
Previous owner fed her dark green grass hay only. It was beautiful hay! However, she said she isn't selling any of hers (I don't blame her! Beautiful hay! I'd have held on to every bale myself)!
With this mild winter she has been eating grass out in pasture. Her stool went from individual pellets that were dark and hard when I brought her home. I read that this meant she was perhaps a bit dehydrated? The color was very dark brown, as in darker than Hershy's chocolate brown.
From the grass in the pasture and what little nibble of Timothy she "seems" to eat, her manure is now soft, what I could call "normal." Seems plumper, fuller, moister. The color is brown, much lighter than when she first came to live with me.
I did note a worm in this new colored poo. It was dead by the time I found it. It was curled up, white. Overall, it would have wrapped around the outside edge of a dime. I am not sure what kind it is, but indeed, my mare is just a tad bit too skinny. I can feel her spine and back "hips" a bit. I assumed it was because she was the lowest horse on the "totem pole." I thought perhaps the other horse higher up weren't letting her get enough hay. Perhaps it is a combination of both of these things, it makes sense with the water too.
(At least with my Serama chickens, that's the way things go, the lowest one on the totem pole ussually doesn't get enough food and water sometimes).
I did pick up three different horse wormers. I forgot the names, but am doing some research on alternating different wormers over different months.
***MY MAIN QUESTION IS:
For all owners in Ohio, does anyone know where I can find some good grass hay since this is what my mare is used to eating? Even is she eventually does begin eating the timothy hay, I would like to get a list going of potential suppliers for in the future. I have google'd and craiglist'd and kijiji'd like crazy and am coming up empty handed. What scares me the most is my supplier of Timothy hay is now SOLD OUT!
I live in Northwest Ohio. I would be willing to travel a little ways into Northeastern Indiana or southern Michigan.
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