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choklitbean

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2005
Messages
71
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4
Location
BC Canada
Hello, I'm not new to horses however I am new to minis and since it's been quite a few years since I've done anything horsey at all I thought I better find some knowlegable folks so here I am.
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I had a 3 year old mini stallion delivered to me for temporary boarding when his owners had to move. His feet were deplorable so I reached to pick up a hind to have a good look and found myself being sat upon. When I refused to let go HE did - with both hind feet, but I got that under control and when he stood calm I put his foot back down. That's when the front end came around rearing, striking and biting. I fell madly in love and bought the little tiger the next day (for a good deal less than they wanted
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Now my questions: I'm scared to death of foundering the little guy but I've heard very different opinions on pasturing minis. He gets let out for one to two hours daily on a mix of grass and clover and has been on this for nearly three weeks. Right now he's kept in a small area and exercised daily until the paddock he's supposed to go into has been eaten down more. It's two to three inch tall clover mixed with plantain, wild geranium and grass. The paddock is dinky - only 40x15-20 feet. Do you think it would be safe to leave him out on that all the time now? He's not obese but he's bordering the fat line. I can't exactly feel his ribs. We have two acres for him to chomp on daily other than this area. Right now he gets a small handful of hay before he gets turned out, can I stop giving him the hay or should he always have a bit in his tummy before I let him out?

There is something else too. He and I have come to an understanding about what behaviour is expected of him, however at feeding time he can still become very aggressive when he's hungry. Once he's had a few bites of hay he's okay again but I've never seen anything like this before. He shakes violently when he's hungry, as if he were hypoglycemic, he'll also shake for a short time after I bring him back in off the grass. He'll eat anything green including cedar - goats don't even eat cedar! It's like he's in a perpetual state of starvation. I've had ponies that liked their food before but this is bizzarre. I've taken to giving him a noon feeding which helps during the day, however in the mornings he's a wreck. Any thoughts on this?
 
Hello! I'm not much help on pasturing as I don't have one yet
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but just wanted to stop in say hi and WELCOME from Idaho!!!
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Where are you from? Any photos of your little guy?
 
I'm from BC in the North Okanagan area
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I'd love to post pics of my little guy but I'm afraid I'm not very computer savy in that respect. He appears to be a greying silver dapple but we'll see what happens when he finishes shedding out. He had a nasty case of worms and so it's been a guessing game with all the color changes we've been seeing. He's been everything from milk chocolate to sooty black chocolate with a heavy cream overcoat (just a beard now). At present he's looking rather roanish with a cafe au lait forhead, hence the thoughts of grey.
 
I can't give advice or answer questions, BUT I can welcome you to the forum.
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Hope you figure our what's going on with your little guy.
 
choklitbean said:
goats don't even eat cedar!
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Mine do!
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Welcome from Bend, Oregon!! I can't help you on the pasturing either because I don't do it. I have it, but since I'm new to horses, I'm too afraid of founder, so just let the goats have the pasture.
 
I believe that I CAN help you! Here is what I do with my soon-to-be gelding Leo who is pictured at the bottom of this reply:

- Turn out in pasture (fescue) twice a week

- Turn out in dry lot paddock with 1/2 flake of hay in the morning & evening 24/7 with access to LARGE tub of water

- 1 sccop of Strategy Brand Feed in morning and evening

- excersize 4 times weekly

*NOTICE*

I have been trying to get weight off him so this would be good for you if you want to keep him fit. I also give him a salt block that he has access to. So try it and see how your boy does. I really love Strategy because it is a compound feed which means no mixing in electrolytes or figuring how much beet pulp you need - it's all right there and ready to go.

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Your goats eat cedar! Years ago when I was a teenager we used to breed and show dairy goats and when we moved to a larger piece of property we let the herd of fifty+ clear it. They ate everything except cedar. When there was nothing left a few of them would stand and strip the bark but no one really ate it ever. We must have pampered them too much.
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Thank you for the help with the feed tips, Katie. I'll give that a try. We put some geese in the paddock to eat it down some more. I'll go out and mow it if I have to so my guy can get some stretching room.

Oh and I forgot to say before that he's 29 inches.
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