Hello i am new here.

[Mustang13]

hello i am new here but not new to horses.i am a long time horse owner i own 8 full size horses and a 3mo old mini horse. i am very interested in driving mini horses i had a recent injury to my foot that makes it hard to ride right now ( its fine as long as i dont have to get down!) i find the mini horses so easy to work with plus easy for the kids to handle. we did have a 7yr old gelding who i adored he was my first mini a gift for my birthday this past april. the kids suprised me with him in the kitchen. i loved that little guy I tought him to drive was looking so forward to all the things we were going to do. then that terrible day came when i came home found him in shock and dying. vet said there was nothing that could be done and he died in my arms and just like that he was gone. the vet exam found that his artery into his kidney had blown out though there was no reason found for it. vet was saying his blood pressure must have spiked for reasons still unknown.

well i am lost with out him. i miss our walks. i am looking to add another mini to the family so once again we begin our search. I have never purchased a trained driving horse before. any tips on what to look for in a driving horse? my goal is for a begginer ( to driving ) kid friendly family mini. that can be a companion to cruze our 3mo old mini. what has amazed me in my search is the number of mini horses out there with 0 training or conformation flaws that people are breeding.

 

[atotton]

Welcome, you are at the right place. This is a very helpful forum. Sorry to hear about your gelding.

 

[crookedhalo09]

Welcome! I'm new as well. I'm so sorry to hear about your gelding

 

[Mustang13]

Thank you.i am amazed at how hard it is to find a good trained mini. I called on ALOT of mini horses. I have found allot of them people claim drive people refuse to let you actually see them drive. Yes I have checked shelters too but most are project horses that are near me. I mean nothing against project horses or foals but I have a foal I just wanted a kind hearted mini I could hook up and go. That could keep my foal company and the kids could play around with. My heart is broken over my mini I am just feeling very very bummed and burnt out.
I did find two candidates I am looking at and very possibly bringing home tommorow. One if I remember correctly is 11yrs old smokey joe he's currently a stud but won't be for long. The 2nd is a 14yr old gelding. I have looked around this board I know one board member had a horse related to him. His name is insperational dandy Boo they both have been shown in halter and driven they look very sweet very kind eyes.I am looking forward to meeting them tommorow and if they are as kind and mellow as the current owner says they are they will be coming home with me.

 

[Mustang13]

Thought I would share a picture of the one I lost his name was Tucker. I sent my husband to look at a donkey he came home with Tucker who he bought for $25. He was worth so much more then that to me.

The little guy is Cruze ( sorry for the fuzzy pic it's hard to get a good pic with a cell phone) registered name ledgerocks splashy tattoo he's a little pistol!lol kids are having a blast with him they made a agility course in the back yard they lead him through and they dress him up. He's going to be a very good horse. It was always my intention to make a driving team of tucker and Cruze.

 

[Jenny]

Welcome! Sorry to hear about Tucker.

Your little Cruze is adorable!

 

[REO]

WELCOME!!!!!!

There is a free sales board (link at top of page) Feel free to post there and ask for what you're looking for.

I'm so sorry you lost your boy

I'm sure you'll soon find another mini that you'll love!

 

[Mona]

Welcome to the L'il Beginnings. I am very sorry for your loss, but just know you'll have no trouble finding just what you are looking for! Best wishes.

 

[wingnut]

You've had a rough go of it and I'm so sorry to read that. You are so right in doing what it takes to find just the right horse for your needs/goals, even though it's sometimes hard and takes far longer than you want it to.

Many could go on and on about available horses that are being bred that maybe shouldn't be or ones for sale with little to no training of any kind. It's the nature of the beast though, from what I've learned in the last four years since I got our first mini. Keep looking though! There are good horses available out there.

Please take care with the little guy and too much jumping work in obstacles. Most aren't ready for that kind of work until the age of 3. In fact, you can't show in such classes before 3...it's too hard on those growing bones. Maybe include that in your list of things you want in the new horse...in addition to the driving. I just started doing agility and jumping with my own horses this past show season and it is lot of fun!

 

[candycar]

Welcome from KY!

 

[Barefootin]

Hello and Welcome! keep looking and you will eventually find the right horse.

 

[Helicopter]

Welcome to the forum. Good luck with your pony hunt.....just be careful you don't end up with 23.

 

[Mustang13]

Thanks all for the welcome! We ended buying the two we were looking at. Joe and smokey had been together thier whole lives. The have the calm temperaments and the experience to help us learn!. The old owner was very helpful and honest the boys are exactly what she said they are. They are so calm the one is a stud ( not for long!) I just can't believe how calm he is the gelding is more interested in saying hi to everyone then the stud!. I think they will fit in well!.

Thank you for the warm welcome. I do appriciate the concern for our little baby mini and the kids I just want everyone to know we don't jump him he is just led around things like poles and bags etc. we kinda do that for all our horses when we start them the extra attention makes them so much calmer. We don't do any kind of hardwork until at least 3 after a vet gives a ok.

 

[Mustang13]

Sorry for posting pics before i bought them i didint know. but now that they are mine please Meet smokey Joe and inspirational dandy Boo! Wish I had a better pic of Boo at home but he wanted to check everything out joe just wanted to check out the grass! ( sorry I don't know how to rotate the pictures)

 

[REO]

Congrats! Have fun with your new boys!