New to the forums, lto to learn!

[TripleDstables]

Ok, so I'm new to the forum, I would like to say hi to all of you.

brief intro: My name is Sara Pingston, I'm 14, turning 15 in February... and I am in the process of starting my own miniature horse program. I have a stallion, a mare, and a show filly. I first got minis in 2005.

Ok... I really need a step by step, spell everything out sort of show conditioning guide. I need to get my 2 year old back in show shape. Every tip/trick in the bookk. please and thank you.

Mini diets... my stud gets thin in winter all over. my mares get haybellies, but they also get ribby. I feed very very well. What do I do? I feed 2 books of hay in the morning (they go outside until 5 pm.) then at 5 I bring them in and they share a book and a mixture between Platform Miniature Horse feed and Platform Omegatin probably 6 quarts... (I know this is an aweful lot...)

Feet. Mini feet. Why are they so hard to take care of? Each one of my minis atleast has one foot that is igher on the inside wall than the outside, and their legs were perfectly straight before... It isn't my farrier, he's excellent, and we are trying hard to correct the problem... but it's pretty much going nowhere.

This is my 2 year old that I need to get back into shape. Her tail drags about 4 inches now! She needs muscle, and her head looks big because of this, but she's pretty proportionate if you ask me. What are your opinions on her conformation? (Some pictures are of her as a weanling and younger, you'll be able to tell.) She's about 27.5" tall right now, and she'll be two in april. She had blue eyes when she was born, but they are really dark now. The most recent photos were from this fall. Her name is Diva, registered name DB Cause For Komotion full sister to DB Sparticus, previously owned by Clear Brook Miniatures.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...orses/diva2.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...araspics158.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...araspics149.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hayis4horses/diva.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...273-EC22A0A.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...6AE-0496DA6.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...rses/April2.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...rses/April5.jpg

This is my mare that is turning three. She is going to be my brood mare if everything works out. She aborted her foal this fall, she was three months along. But, she breeds easy obviously, because she was only covered once, and that means my stud is quite fertile as well.

Here she is, most photos were her as a yearling, I'll get more this spring when I body clip everyone. She was pretty thin in some of these, and her back legs bow in due to her feet, she had straight legs up until she was about a year old... But, other than that, how does she look? I'd love to hear critique on her conformation as well. She turns three in May. She is Diva's paternal half sister. Her name is Angel and her show name is DB Touched By An Angel.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...araspics088.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...araspics091.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...araspics083.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...araspics085.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...araspics077.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...araspics075.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...araspics048.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...araspics038.jpg

And, last... my studmuffin.

That is actually his name. Studmuffin. Or Muffin. He's a cuty, thickly built little guy though. He was quite fat when I first got him as one of these pictures shows, but I got him because he looked like he'd be a good match for my mare Angel, because she's so fine boned, and he's so stout... the foal may turn out to be pretty. He's got a short dishy face, and her's is long and narrrow. I think the foals will turn out awesome. He is Mainly Komokos bred, with some Soats. He's turning 13! He's only 28" and I'd like to stud him out, but there isn't much of a market for mini studs in my area. Some critique on his conformation? He's in one of Diva's photos and one of Angel's. (the one with facial markings.)

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hayis4horses/stud.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...0161cropped.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/hay...roppedsmall.jpg

Quite a lot of pictures... but I love my little ones.

I also have two black foundation quarter horse sisters and a morgan gelding. I ride and show, and I'm located in southeastern Michigan.

I think I posted too many pictures... it wouldn't even display them all! I linked the rest of them.

I would love to see pictures of everyone elses horses.

Kudos to everyone who read through all of that, and the end!

*Edit*

Clipper suggestions? I've gone through 3 pairs, the motors died in them. I need a good reliable set.

That will last a while.

This may turn into a major critique thread, I love to hear what's wrong/good with my minis.

I may acquire another mini this year, and hit the big shows *hope to see some of you there! But, I need to do some major work/thinking to get there.

 

[Cedar Ridge Farm]

Hi Sara..welcome from Texas. Sounds like you really enjoy your minis.

 

[lvponies]

Welcome to the forum from WV!!

This is a great place to learn and get info on minis.

 

[TripleDstables]

Thanks guys.

I really do love my minis, so when I found this I was pretty excited because I knew there would be knowledgable people on here to help me with what I don't know!

 

[Jill]

Hi, Sara, and welcome here from Virginia

For your horses who are "fat but ribby" in the winter, they are not getting enough to eat. It could be the hay doesn't have as much in it as you think it does (that happens to the best of us, especially at first). What I would highly recommend is giving the horses complete pellets along with the hay.

My show horses, and this winter ALL my horses, are being fed soft orchard grass hay and complete senior feed pellets (all age groups). They have about 50% of their food being hay and the other 50% of their food being these complete senior pellets. The complete senior pellets have extra nutrients, fat and protein and are formulated to make it easy for horses to get "everything" out of them (so virtually no waste).

In the pictures of your horses, most of the horses look very underweight to me. Look and see that you can see their bones and in a horse at the right weight, that should not jump out at you. Diva -- way too thin in first picture, needs weight in all pics imo. Bay horse pictured by the one with white on the face needs some more weight (can see bones) and the one with white on the face also may as I see his/her backbone. Bay yearling in rope halter needs lots more weight. Studmuffin looks to have plenty of weight in the bottom pictures.

Personally, I had some of my horses one show season WAY too thin, so I am only speaking from personal experience and not to be critical. In my case, they were horses a trainer was showing for me but when it hit me, I did feel embarassed. It started to dawn on me when I went to watch her show them for me and got to the grounds thinking "OMG look at everyone's fat horses!" Then up in the stands watching her show one of my stallions, I just felt sick because it clicked. He looked like a deer. I could see the bones at the point of his chest and his hips. I think being around many thin horses at that barn, I did not SEE how mine were too thin until I was up in the stands and saw how well rounded the competition looked and how mine were boney.

Before conditioning (exercising) the horses for show season, you'll really want to bump their weights up which takes more calories in winter than in warm weather. They use calories to stay warm in winter. Plus, any horse who is still growing, tho smaller than a grown horse, may need more to eat as a lot of what they eat actually goes towards growing and building their bodies.

As to the feet issue, I don't have any advice. We trim our own feet and have for years, but haven't found this problem.

 

[Filipowicz Farm]

Hi Sara, welcome to the forum from the thumb area of Michigan.

 

[lildrummer]

It is wonderful, that at 14 you know so much about horses. I did not get into horses until 60, and what a joy. Keep leaning and enjoying.

Happy NY

 

[JaniceZ]

Welcome from Southern Ontario!! I am not an expert on conformation, so i will leave that to someone else, but i think your stallion is adorible!!! Muffin is a perfect name for him.

-Janice

 

[Contessa]

Hi Sara welcome to the forum. This is the #1 place to be if you have minis. I am fairly new to owning minis also (1 year) but I have had regular size horses for most of my life. I have to agree with Jill on your minis, they are way too thin. I feed Platform Miniature & Pony feed also and mine get about 1 pound a day (depending on age) split into 2 feedings. Basically each mini gets 1 flake of grass hay morning and evening. Now that it's cold they get extra hay. They need that to keep warm. Mine are all fatter in the winter. All six of my minis get individually fed in their stalls so I know exactly what each horse is getting. Oh and they get lots of hugs and attention and carrots are their special treat.

 

[novachick]

Welcome to the board! I'm also fairly new to the board and to minis as well! This is a great place to get information!

I agree with Jill and some of the others, your horses to appear to be too thin. My filly was getting a bit thin after we got her and I got some great advice on here. We were feeding a free access of timothy hay and about 2c of sweet feed 2x per day and I started to notice Goldi thinning out over a period of about 3 weeks. At first I thought she was just loosing a hay belly, but I began to feel ribs.

After some of the advice I got here, we changed her over to a 2nd cut grass mix hay (about 12-14% protein compared to the timothy that was about 7-9%) and also changed her grain to 1c sweet feed, 1c Platform mini, 1/2c crimped oats, and 2c soaked beet pulp. There are some great articles on this board about beet pulp, the consensus being that it helps them maintain weight over the cold winter months. I think it has made a big difference for us. Also, I think the change in hay made a big impact for us, because she never ate all of the old hay (it was very stemmy) and she really polishes off this grass hay we got. So you may want to take a look at that as well.

Good Luck!

 

[TripleDstables]

Thanks guys.

I never knew that there was so much to dieting. I'll switch to whatever I need to, to get weight on my little ones to make them healthy. So, senior pellets... and I'm considering beet pulp. I do have omegatin too, I could add that in? How much should I give each of them?

And, I have two types of hay. 40% alfalfa/60% grass mix, and a 100% bluegrass. About how much should I give the three of them morning and night?

 

[Tammie-C_Spots]

Welcome!

I think it's great your doing research and learning all you can!

As others have said if your getting haybellies but ribs then they are not getting the nutrients they need. I go with a 12% protien pelleted feed plus grass hay. I have used the senior feed very successfully too.

I'd suggest you seperate them when feeding grain. Hay is fine to eat together but it's hard to monitor who gets the proper amounts. Each of my minis gets a small flake of hay each am and pm and one mid day if they run out. They clean up all the hay. Grain is twice a day. On average mine get 3 cups am and pm of 12% pelleted horse feed.

Hooves grow from various conditions in different ways. If you have rocky areas or flat, if they are not exactly straight to begin with (and few are 100% straight) and what I think is happening with yours is the younger ones are going through normal growth spurts. Different parts of the legs can grow at different times making leg angles change. Yearling especially can really look off then at two and three straighten back up.

The two year old looks immature for her age. She just needs the right nutrients and get her some fat on her. Particularly her topline needs some fat. When you start to work her that will help with muscle formation. It's very common for foals to have blue eyes when young then change.

You wrote: This is my mare that is turning three. She aborted her foal this fall, she was three months along. >>

It's very common for two year olds not to get in foal or stay in foal.

>>because she was only covered once, and that means my stud is quite fertile as well.>> Actually it's all in the timing of the breeding. You breed on the peak of her cycle and one breeding can do it

>>She was pretty thin in some of these, and her back legs bow in due to her feet, she had straight legs up until she was about a year old...>> Yearlings often have legs go in all directions due to growth spurts. She may straighten up

A tip on photographing Studmuffin- like the two girls photos have him strech his head and neck up and out. I think that will better show his lovely little head and length of neck.

I think your off to a good start

Tammie

 

[TripleDstables]

Thank you very much! I hope they striaghten out!

I can't wait to get them on the new diet plan, thanks a ton guys!

And, body clipping will be fun as well. Does anyone have a reccomendation on clippers? I don't want to spend too much, but I've been through 3 pairs already, and I took super good care of them... I don't know. I oiled and cleaned them before/after/during uses. =/

More critique on conformation would be appriciated, thanks. Is Diva worth showing, or should I get another weanling this season to show? =/ I'm debating.

Also, we may be getting 3 minis from my aunt who can't take care of them anymore. 2 mares, one gelding. All three are black/white pinto. But, They aren't registered I don't think. Mom wants to breed and sell foals, but I think it's a bad idea, I'm very against it. I don't want to breed unregistered minis, that aren't really contributing to the breed, you know? But they could also make excellent pets for people in my area, but then you run into problems if the possible buyer has enough experience/common sense to care for a mini. Opinions?

 

[MyBarakah]

Hi,

For clippers I use a cordless Andis and I also have a Double K. When you clip a bunch like I do I've got to have good clippers I can reley on. I know a friend of mine has a cheaper Whal cordless and gets along with it really well...

On the hay and amounts.... a broodmare (along with feed) gets one whole flake of grass hay a.m. and then again in the p.m.

The youngsters.....if they are ribby and needing feed... I would let them have free choice (anything that is ribbing & needing nutrients) I would let them have free choice until you can see them come around then start to back them off the hay....

It's hard to say which one would be good at showing..... until they are in good phycial condition and filled out properly with the feed....... wait til' they get in good condition and then worry about it.......

And yeah....... you are right...... that is a BAD idea about breeding the unregistered horses just because they are colored...... yes.... that would NOT help the market any. And you can't show unregistered foals.

 

[TripleDstables]

Yeah, I thought so too.

I'll look up those clippers. I go through them like no tomorrow, and mom is getting a tad upset!

Ok, and I know this may seem like I have a lot of horse related problems, but I would love some advice.

Ok, I'm in a bit of a bind. I have my three minis, and three riding horses. One of the riding horses is my quarter horse mare that I show, but she isn't what I'm looking for anymore. I want to get into HUS instead of WP, but I don't have the money to get a new horse, unless I sell her. Then I would have to work with the new horse on riding (looking at young horses) and see if he/she is show shape. And, Spot may not sell in time for showing the other horse... opportunity lost. There are a few I really have my eyes on for sale right now, and I don't want them to sell right under my nose. I don't want to sell my minis, which everyone has been encouraging me to do lately, but I don't want to. But I really want a HUS horse.

I feel like quite the child surrounded by adults on here. lol. But, these are my horsey woes... Any suggestions on that one too? Goodness, some of you deserve gifts for putting up with a new member like me.