New here....

[moonpieface]

Hello everyone! I have recently found myself on a new adventure. I was given two mini horses. A family friend of ours was asked to help find new homes for a few miniatures that the original owner could no longer care for. We ended up with the last 2. I have never owned a horse, but always wanted one. My mom had a friend that taught my brother and I to ride, we had to help with the chores, but that was about 20yrs ago.

I was super excite when my husband agreed to having the minis! My family of 6 welcomed them with lots of love. We named them Brownie Bob and Salty Dog. My 3 year old helped with feeding and chores. Within a few days Brownie Bob passed away. We took Salty Dog to the vet as soon a possible. They are not registered and we know nothing of their background. The vet said he is healthy, had one kind of worms (can't remember which kind), he is approx. 5 years old and is a stallion. Boy did that explain a lot. The vet asked a few questions about Brownie Bob and said it sounds like he had colic. They were both skinny and rough looking.

After we lost Brownie Bob, Salty Dog become more agressive. I no longer allow my little one to help feed him, because he started bucking at me. I push him away and tell him no when he starts that. I don't think he was handled much, poor guy. I plan on having him Gelded within the next month. He allows me to halter him, then tries to lead me. I pull his head up and say whoa, and make him be still before we start again.

I am so glad I found this forum! Any advice, tips, or info is welcomed. I would like to get him a new companion after he's gelded and has some better manners.

Sorry this is so long, thanks for reading!

 

[REO]

Welcome to the forum!!

I'm sorry your boy passed away.

I hope you'll stay here and ask lots of questions and read a lot

There is a search box to look up things like colic etc. There are also many info pages here if you go to the main page to find them.

About minis, never use Quest wormer. Be very careful using Bute medicine on them too. Minis need their teeth checked more often than big horses.

I'm glad you'll get your boy gelded. You're doing right by telling him whoa and making him stop when he pulls on you. You're the boss and he must respect you

Did your vet give him wormer to get him started? What are you feeding him?

Again, welcome!!!!!!

 

[Mona]

Hello. Welcome to L'il Beginnings, the most popular, interactive gathering place on the internet for Miniature horse enthusiasts! As Robin said, here you can learn so much from sharing in other's experience.

That is wonderful that you gave those horses a good home, and I am sorry you lost one so quickly. Yes, get that stallion gelded ASAP especially with the change in attitude he has shown towards you.

 

[welovemini's]

Welcome! You will find many "mini savy" people on this site. I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination but I do recommend that you read as much as possible about the care of mini's. I find that everytime I come on this site and others, I always learn something new! Nutrition is VERY important to a healthy happy mini! Was the vet able to determine what may have caused your horse to colic? You may want to post your feeding schedule on here...I am sure someone could help to make sure you are feeding correctly.

Also, after you get your little guy gelded you may want to consider a "friend" for him, horses are herd animals and appriciate having a friend ..or two...or three lol

Anyways, enjoy your little guy and good luck!

Lisa

 

[little lady]

Hello and welcome to the wonderful world of minis. Make your boy mind you or you will have your hands full. I would concentrate on learning all you can about miniature horses and their care before taking on another. Possibly try to find someone close to you with mini's or a miniature horse club that you could network with someone that can help you. When you are ready to add another mini you may want to check with a rescue. You can always come here and ask questions! Enjoy your new mini!!

 

[moonpieface]

Thank you for the warm welcomes!

He was wormed at the vets with Equimax. They showed me how to use it and sent the rest home with instructions to worm him every 2 months. The vet did not speculate as to what might have caused the colic in Bob. I have been feeding Salty Dog 18 oz of sweet feed at 8am and 8 pm. I have been tying him out to graze for about hour and a half once a day usually around noon. We are in the process of getting some small pastures fenced. Almost got all the t-posts in for the first one. Then I give him a flake of hay around 5 and spread it out. I dont know what kind of hay it is, I forgot to ask I got from our friend after Bob passed away. He said he wasnt giving them hay. They were in a small pen with short grass and he was feeding them once a day. Am I feeding too much? I could see their ribs and the hip bones stuck out. Should I be feeding something other than sweet feed? I do plan to educate myself much mor before we get a companion, as well as gelding and teaching him to mind. Can you recommend some of your books or manuals that you just could not live without in reguards to minis? I hope to find some mini owners and/or clubs close to me as well.

Thanks so much!

 

[moonpieface]

Oh when i say 18oz, I'm not weighing it, its just a red solo cup that i use as a scoop, they say they hold 18oz. I level it off at the top.

 

[islandminis]

Hi and welcome-- I am also new to minis, have had mine for 6 months - this forum has been a gold mine of information. Took me three days to read thru everything on minicare etc but was well worth it! You'll find info and answers on practically everything.

 

[chandab]

Oh when i say 18oz, I'm not weighing it, its just a red solo cup that i use as a scoop, they say they hold 18oz. I level it off at the top.

Ok, so I didn't know how big an 18oz red solo cup was, but happen to have a clear one in the cupboard; looks like its roughly 2 standard kitchen cups worth. When I used sweet feed a cup was about 4 oz, I think, might be a little more.

Most minis don't need sweet feed, too much sugar and starch; a good fortified pellet or a ration balancer (ration balancers are fed at very small amounts, like 1/2 cup daily for some) might be a better choice. Ask several horse people, they'll all have their own feed plans; mine has changed a few times since I got my minis, most are currently on an extruded feed with a couple exceptions.

this forum is a wealth of mini information; the search feature will help you find almost anything you want (upper right of page). There is a veterinary guide book for miniature horses, I wouldn't be without my copy; http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miniature-horses-rebecca-l-frankeny/1101969054?ean=9781570763984 link is to the book on Barnes and Nobel, but I'm sure it would be available many places.

 

[kuelinkellyville]

I see that you are in Oklahoma, so am I. I live in Kellyville, that is southwest of Tulsa on route 66. This weekend there is a Mini horse show in Ada Oklahoma, it begins Friday afternoon and ends Sunday Evening. If you are anywhere near Ada, that would be a good chance to see what they look like when they are well taken care of and loved a lot. Although a lot of people have mini's for pets, you will see that they can, drive, jump, halter, obsticle. You can do anything with a mini that you can with a big horse, except ride them.

Welcome to the world of The Miniature Horse.

Danny

 

[MindyLee]

Hi there from Michigan! Cute boy and since ur new to minis, just wanted to share with you that if your not fimliar with colors... the dark color horse (guessin he is the one that passed) is a bay and the lighter colored one looks like a silver buckskin.

Watch out for these guys, there addictive!

 

[ThreeCFarm]

I'm in OK too...where are you?

 

[wingnut]

Welcome to this fabulous world of minis!! I going into my 4th year (brought first girl home April 2009) this year. I still pinch myself. We are up to 6, all mares.

I feed both sweet feed and pelleted feed. My "hard keeper" (horse who has a hard time maintaining weight) will only eat the sweet feed. I can't risk her losing additional weight, so I feed her what she'll eat. All my other girls have NO problem maintaining weight. I feed them Purina's Miniature & Pony feed at this point, although I'm going to transition them to a ration/balancer feed soon. This kind of feed has no or very little caloric value. It just provides a balance of minerals and vitamins. If you feed good hay and/or sufficient pasture, you may only need to provide a balanced supplement like this. Most feed supply stores have a great tool that is a feed measuring cup. It has a pelleted side and a sweet feed side. The markings tell you how much by pound you're feeding, starting at 1/4 and going to 1lb. My girls currently get 1/2 lb a day, divided into two feedings of the Purina feed (the hard keeper gets far more).

You will literally find dozens of different answers to the feeding question. Another consideration is whether to allow unlimited pasture or not. The concern is the current spring grasses can be uber rich in sugars and potentially cause laminitis or founder. I combat this myself with muzzles for everyone but the hard keeper and they aren't on the pasture 24/7. Our pasture is very lush though. When not on the pasture they are given hay. During the winter when they have little pasture or the pasture is not providing sufficient nutrients, they get up to 2% of their weight in hay. My girls have a combined weight of 1200lbs, so they get roughly 24-25lbs of hay per day during the coldest parts of the winter. In the summer that gets dropped back to 1%. Of course, all but the hard keeper are not bony or overly thin. If I had a horse like that (and I do!) I would feed him/her more, slowly but more.

Patience, training, a firm but kind hand and lots of time spent with him will bring your new boy around for sure. Good luck and keep us posted!!

 

[moonpieface]

I am in McLoud, which is close to Shawnee. Unfortunately, I won't be able to go the show in Ada this weekend. I can't wait to go to one though! I was wondering about the coloring, he needs a bath. Is it necessary to clip him? Where do you get mini halters from? Right now I'm using a pony sized halter and I feel like it might be a tad too big. I also have a foal sized halter, but i havent tried it yet. Oh and when you bathe do you use the hose or water buckets? I guess it really depends on what he is comfortable with.

Salty dog is doing well. He looks heathlier than when he arrived. He let's me pet and scratch him a little then be backs away, and sometimes he rest his necks against my legs, but as soon as he realizes what he's done he pulls away. These loving sessions are getting a tiny bit longer everyday.

You guys are wonderful!

 

[markadoodle]

Greetings, from Maine!

You'll learn so much here, and meet so many new friend.

I'm so happy you gave those horses a nice, loving home, but I'm so sorry for the loss.

 

[wingnut]

There are many online resources for buying mini tack. I use a combination of Ozark Miniature Tack and a local supplier/friend to me here in Maryland. Definitely getting a mini halter is something you'll want to do.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Hi, welcome to the forum. I highly suggest finding a local person to "coach" you if you can. Somebody experienced with minis would be even better but you could use an experienced horse mentor that can come to your place and help you one on one. I am lucky that my first adventure into miniatures came with a breeder that answered endless questions, night and day, she offered and became my mentor and is now one of the best friends I have ever had. I had experience with big horses, but minis were a big mystery. She introduced me to this forum where I have received tons of information and help too. Books are helpful too. Lots to learn about horses. I feed a fine grass hay free choice and a pelleted supplement. My guys are in decent weight. I provide grazing but limited as too much grass can overload the system and cause founder. Best wishes on your new adventure from SE pa. I love my boys, they are both geldings.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

Moonpieface, I live 1 1/2 hours away from you, but there are plenty of people in the OKC area that would be much closer that could help you out.

I get most of my mini tack from Ozark Mtn. I use a hose to bathe, much easier to get all of the shampoo off that way.

 

[REO]

I live an hour below OKC. (above Lawton)

But my good friend Mary lives in Shawnee! She's a great person to know!

I buy my halters from KayJay tack (google it) I love the way those halters look and fit! Only $5.00!

 

[HGFarm]

Welcome from sunny Arizona! Star Lake is another good tack supply.

Glad to hear he is doing better and so sorry for the loss of the other one. Worms are the #1 reason of colic. Yes! Make sure his teeth are checked and floated! Also glad to hear you are getting him gelded. He will learn to love your family and settle in as a good pet and maybe make a family driving horse??

I agree with not needing to feed sweet feed. I would just bath him with a hose, but I use just a wet sponge on faces, ears and all the head area. You dont want to get any water in his ears. He may freak out at first if he's never had a bath (I am willing to bet not) so just keep the water pressure low- make SURE there is no soap left in his hair to irritate his skin.

Keep us posted and we love to see pics of progress and how they are doing so make sure you document with pics as he improves!

Again welcome and yes, there is a ton of wonderful people on here that are more than willing to help.