HELP!

[lucky]

We recently purchased a 10 year old gelding mini. I wanted him to love and take care of. OH MY, I'm Stupid --- in that I know absolutely nothing about horses! So, after searching for days for info. I finally decided to feed him the new purina mini food and I am doing a two week gradual food change from sweet feed, which is what he was fed. Now we just made a fenced area on our 5 acres for him. We plan on putting him in at night and letting him out on rest of our property during day... I am wondering.... Will an 8 tall and deepx10wide lean to run in be sufficient for winter facing east with 3 sides fully enclosed and east side enclosed say 6 foot leaving a 4 foot opening???? Or should the east side be all open? Do I cover the bottom with pine or ceddar shavings? We live in OK. Also, how often do I give him a bath and how often do I brush him? What is a weight tape? What do u do if the horse nips you? I have only had him a week and I am starting to get more comfortable with being close to him and we are bonding I would say. I was a little freaked out at first..... I know that's probably halarious..... ))) It's gonna be an adventure for sure! Thanks for any help or insite u have time to give.

 

[targetsmom]

Welcome to the wonderful world of minis!! I would suggest that you brush him - and clean out his feet - as often as you can, but that you bathe him only when needed. Bathing tends to remove oils from the coat, so I only do it for shows and clipping, and if anyone is hot and sweaty and just needs cooling off. As said, grooming is a great time for bonding and just getting used to each other and checking him out for issues.

Just a thought on your acreage: Do you have fencing that sections off the 5 acres? I highly recommend it! For example, making a dry lot for confinement, or when the vet/farrier is coming, or you need to control his feed, or dozens of other reasons. In this part of the country we need an area like that for when it is icy too.

Our big horse - in New England- is in a 10X12 foot run in, so that size should be fine for a mini. One thing we added is a tarp that comes down a few feet to provide shade in the summer. It will also keep out snow in the winter (we hope!). If you plan to get another mini (LOL!!!) I would leave the opening as wide as you can. But for only one, it is really up to you. I would use pine shavings - you need to be sure that whatever bedding you use does NOT have black walnut bark in it. I use pelleted bedding in my stalls though, and be sure to find a "fine tines" manure fork to separate out the little mini poops from the bedding!

A weight tape is notoriously inaccurate for minis, but you can measure with a regular tape measure and do a fairly good conversion. Have you checked out all the basic info on the Lil Beginnings Main Page? (link above).

Photos???

 

[lucky]

Thanks so much for the two replys! Yes, need to get manure fork. Our five acres is fenced and then we fenced off an area by house inside property that is fenced and it is about 113x50. Inside that fence is where we want to build the run in. It is under a bunch of trees and should be good for shade. I will look at the basic info on main page. Is the conversion there? I will look. Thank you sooo much! I will try to get some pics posted. )

 

[lucky]

Here is one pic.

 

[AnnaC]

Hi and welcome to LB and to the addictive world of miniature horses.

I would just like to add another couple of points. Did the folk you got your boy from tell you what he had been wormed with and when he was due for his next dose? If not then I would give him a gentle wormer first like panacur and then follow it up a few weeks later with ivermectin. Minis must not be given Quest/Equest wormers, nor should they be given Bute as a painkiller if one is needed.

Next you need to find a good farrier (one used to trimming minis preferably) to get his feet checked - if you give the folks on here your nearest town, I'm sure there will be someone who can recommend a good farrier for you.

Dont forget that your little fella will need exercise. The size of area you have for him now is fine for him to 'live in' but will not be enough to give him exercise. So, depending upon where you live and how he feels about it (traffic wise if you have it around you) then off the pair of you go for some nice long walks - super for bonding time!

Please feel free to ask as many questions as you like, you will find everyone here only too happy to help you with your little chap.

This must be so exciting for you! Wishing you good luck - and, oh yes, pictures as soon as possible please!

 

[AnnaC]

Oooops, I was posting at the same time as you! What a cute little fella - looks as though he's in good condition too. Congratulations!!

 

[cretahillsgal]

Your run-in sounds just like the ones I have here. East is definitely the direction that the opening should be. I am in SW Oklahoma.

I wouldn't bathe him from here on out unless it is absolutely necessary. And then he will need to be dry before nightfall. The temps are getting rather cool at night now. OR maybe they just seem cool because we have gotten used to 115 degree temps. LOL

He shouldnt need to be blanketed or anything here in OK, unless you have to clip him. His hair coat should keep him plenty warm enough.

NEVER tolerate him nipping at you. If he does give him a good slap on the shoulder. Raise your voice and make him know for sure that what he did was wrong! Nipping and biting seem to be one of the first things people say about the minis. They always ask "Dont they bite?" They have probably gotten this reputation because so many people let them nip away cause they think it is cute when they are litte. No so cute when they are grown and have learned to nip and bite to get their way.

If you have any more questions you are welcome to send me a pm. Good luck and have fun with him!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Where in OK are you? Are we close enough to play together? He is a handsome fellow!

Our 3-sided run-in sheds face south. The sun comes into it in the winter, but it's totally shaded in the summer. A very cold, sharp wind comes from the east frequently with driving rain. I would not face my shelter east. (Of course, rain is not a problem right now, unfortunately.) I wouldn't cover the floor, just leave it dirt.

The nipping problem is hard for softies. One thing you can try is when you feed, do not let him eat until you say he can. Use your body to block him from the food, stomp your feet, wave your arms, or carry a tool to "extend" your body to tell him NO. You can buy a dressage whip at most farm stores that carry tack. It is a good cueing tool, making your arm longer, and a good length to work with a miniature horse. He will be much happier if you are in charge and he is not.

Have fun!!

 

[REO]

I am in SW OK too

Welcome to minis and to the forum!

The shelter sounds fine! Here, the trees bend towards the north because we have the sound wind blowing hard a lot. Even in the winter. I prefer the opening to be facing the west or the east.

We once had a shelter with a wide opening that faced west. The wind picked it up, over the fence and smashed it into the field next door! So I prefer a smaller opening LOL!

I never bathe mine. Brushing is good for them

I'm glad you're getting him off the sweet feed.

Never use Quest wormer on him. In some cases it has been known to kill minis. Including one of mine when a vet gave it without my knowledge.

Where are you located?

 

[sdust]

Where in OK? I am a part time Okie... I live in Oklahoma Dec- May and Colorado the rest of the time, for this year and next, then full time Coloradan. I do know that there are MANY WONDERFUL mini people in the Oklahoma area that will be a BIG help to you. I have never met anyone down there that won't bend over backwards to help. So just ask. I was in the same place you were back in 06' and now my mini gelding is a driving machine. E-mail me and I will give you my phone number. Good lick. Debbie Goad and Trey

 

[LittleRibbie]

Just wanted to say Hi from Florida

I think you little one looks great and you've gotten lots of great advice. I cant wait till you post pictures of the ones you buy next month and the month after that!!

 

[lucky]

Thank you everyone for your warm welcome and all your good advice!! I am located about 10 minutes east of Shawnee. Here is another pic I am posting. His bangs are quite long....just found out that if you trim them they grow back.... too funny!!

I told my husband that I found out that they are herd animals and are happy when another is around. Thankfully there is a pony next door. So that helps...yes, maybe next year I could consider another if all goes well. Thanks again! I feel better knowing I have moral support out there, where I can ask some questions and get answers.

 

[Lindi-loo]

AWWW hes a cutie

 

[Jill]

Welcome to LB and congratulations on your new mini!!! That's very exciting and he looks adorable.

The shelter you described for him sounds perfect and you will learn lots from the people here.

Congrats again

:yeah

 

[mydaddysjag]

Your shelter sounds like it would be great! I have a "shed row barn" which is essentially a row of stalls that open directly out into my paddock. I was going to just build a run in shed, but we get big cats and coyotees etc. in my area, and that worried me. I enclosed the front half of my stalls with plywood, (mine are 8x12, but 8x10 would have been big enough) then the other half is a plywood stall door, made as dutch doors, the top portion is a framed piece of "cattle panel" which is a rugged wire "fence" panel with 6"x6" squares. We cut it to size, framed it with 2x4 lumber, and hung it. During the day my door can be kept open so they can come and go in the stalls as they please, but at night I do put them in with the doors shut incase any predators might come out. I like the cattle panel opposed to a solid door, it still lets them see outside and get fresh air, but will keep coyotees, stray dogs, etc out.

As a new horse owner, you will want to find a reputable vet, and maybe even have them out just to do a wellness check. We have our vet out twice a year routinely for shots, and then for emergencys or illness. He looks healthy in his pictures, but its always good to meet your vet and get a feel for them before you need them in an emergency. Its also good to build a "relationship" with them, because it will make them more likely to answer the phone when you call at midnight with an emergency, lol.

You'll also want to find a farrier, and have his hooves trimmed about every 6 weeks.

Deworming generally every 8 weeks, but you can also do fecal egg counts beforehand to see if he needs wormed beforehand. Many people just deworm on a set schedule. Sadly, the wormer is MUCH cheaper than the egg counts. The eggs counts cost me $25, the wormer I can find on sale under $3.

Research "Colic" and be familiar with the signs, it is a "common" horse ailment, and can range from mild to deadly. Your better to catch it early, but if you havent seen a horse colic, its easy to miss the first signs.

Get some first aid supplies on hand. You can buy premade horse first aid kits, but honestly, most of the stuff in the premade ones isnt stuff you need, and they forget the important stuff. Its easier to just put the kit together yourself. Ask your vet for a tube of banamine to keep on hand to use in emergency incase you need it before they get there.

Get some books from your local library on horse care, or look around the internet. There is a TON to learn, but its a great adventure. Do you have a local horse facility where you could get lessons on horse care and they could help you learn horse body language? That would be a huge help

 

[wingnut]

Welcome to the club!!!

I was in your same shoes in April 2009. That one mini has turned into 6. That's my max though....I swear!

I'm proud to say that we have come a very long way in 2.5 years. It's been quite the learning curve but so worth the effort. Keep reading here. Look up things online. Ask questions, more questions and some questions after that!!

5 acres of decent pasture is probably far more than one mini can handle. Obesity and laminitis/founder are the biggest concerns with giving him that much unrestricted pasture. There are some mini owners here on the board who do have their minis on a pasture 24/7 with no trouble though. LOTS of what you read will be conflicting information! That was probably the toughest part to overcome: determining what works best for YOU and YOUR horse. And trusting yourself to know when you've got that figured out.

We started out with a 12x12 run-in shed with attached 8ft tack room. It faces due east. We split the stall into two by creating a divider in the middle and my husband built dutch doors. Good thing because we got 3 blizzards that first winter! Not the norm for Maryland! We've since added a second building that has a 12x10 stall and another tackroom. The two buildings face each other and are 12 feet apart. We did this purposely so that we could put a 12ft gate between them on one side.

Finding some local people who know horses, and especially minis, is a great way to get the help and info you need. And my "locals" are generally an hour from me...so I use the term loosely

Good luck and share pics!! (I see you did!!! Love his color!)

Edited to add: When I first started my researching, I came across the warnings about Quest and minis being a HUGE no-no but didn't know for the longest time why. My current vet and talked about this back in June. Quest wormer has a very low margin for error when dosing. Wormers are meant to be given on a weight basis. If you don't know the exact weight of your horse (and weight tapes aren't terribly reliable) you want to avoid guessing when the drug your using has such an easy threshold for overdosing. Most of the other wormers have a much higher threshold....sometimes as much as 10, 20, or more times over.

When it comes to getting a good weight? Find out if your feed mill has a scale you can drive to and use. Our local mill has an equine specialist and she has come out to our place with their portable scale for the last 3 years for me. I have an accurate weight on all my girls every July as a result.