New to Mini's

[Dknisely]

I am getting a 9 month old mini mare. She is extremely people friendly as she was well imprinted from birth. She was weaned at 4 months. my question is what is the best way to start with her to get her used to everything. She has worn a halter and actually won a ribbon at her first fair showing. I know I have to go slow but just need a place to start because I know I can't do too much with her being so young. I have ordered a book by John Lyons on Bringing up baby. How long should her training sessions be? Are pine shavings ok for her stall? I guess I need to know what groundwork to start at and how many times a week should I work with her? I have read only 5-10 minutes at a time and always end on a good note. Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Marty]

I would say don't work with her in the same space all the time. Change her grooming area to a new place frequently and take her for walks in different directions away from her comfort zone in the barn. This way she will be exposed to everything, all over the place. I've brought mine out of the barnyard and into our backyard or front yard and up on the porch for grooming and visits. So they hear and see all kinds of things that they wouldn't necessarily see from the barn view.Make sure she knows "no" or "whoa" , set her up, and you can teach her to trot along side of you. Make sure she is outside more than she is kept inside to avoid stall vices and provide her with a friend of her own species. A lone horse is a no-no in my humble opinion. The attention span is not much for a weaner, just 5-10 minutes a day, maybe twice a day. I also use shavings and as long as you provide hay for her in the stall she shouldn't eat them. If she does eat them, try wood pellet bedding instead. Best wishes.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Babies eat all sorts of strange things so be careful with stuff in her area. I used plastic streamers on an electric fence for a weanling I had and he ate the ties. Luckily, he was able to pass them, but I learned by lesson. I thought I was doing everyone a favor by marking the fence, but it wasn't a good idea.

Remember she is a horse, not a person or a dog. Just because she is cute as a bug you need to be her leader, not her friend.

Sounds as though you are both off to a great start!

 

[Foxhaven]

Just FYI - I have had MUCH better luck with SOFTWOOD wood pellet bedding (no hardwood). In fact, I just use the same pellets we burn in our pellet stoves (verified no chemicals exist other than softwood sawdust). Spray it with water, it expands back into sawdust and forms really nice, soft bedding that is easy to muck and separate from the road apples. It also clumps with urine which is easily removed. We 'recycle' the soiled sawdust in the sunny barnyard which breaks down the urine fairly quickly, and when churned with the moist earth really does a nice job of managing the mud factor - which my donkey appreciates (he has a tendency to develop thrush, probably from his rescue history).

The problem I had with wood shavings was, increased cost and increased waste. Also, the sawdust breaks down MUCH faster for us (we spread the manure and plan to use an English harrow to break it all up this spring along with seeding to improve the pastures. Did I mention the marginal quality of mountain soils?). Nothing in it for them to eat out of boredom either.

Hope that helps.

 

[7fluffyfriends]

Congratulations on your new mini! They are such fun and there is a WIDE variety of activities open to you. Plus their smaller size helps with the feed bill though your other expenses will be similar to that of a larger horse - at least in my area.

Marty offered a lot of good advice - the one thing I would add is maybe keeping a simple journal of what you do each day. I personally find that helpful as it provides a reminder of how much time is spent and what activity (or activities) we take part in. Most years, I just use a plain old wall calendar - the kind you get free from local businesses - and jot down short notes. The written reminders helped me organize the week too - including the very important day off - we all need one!

Most minis seem to enjoy all of the attention you can give them, so in a sense, every moment is a training moment. John Lyons and other wise horsemen provide great groundwork ideas applicable to any size equine. Your filly has a lot of growing to do and a long life ahead. Take it slow and enjoy the discoveries you make along the way!

Again, congratulations!