Newbie with a newbie

[arabbossmare]

Hello first let me say I am a arabian person, I have 9 of them. I love them. Well I am currently possibly adopting a mini gelding (was gelded a week on friday) . The only history I have on him is he was with two other stallions (minis) that were abandoned by their owner along with some other critters and some critters that was found dead inside the home. These guys were living in a back yard

. They were not exposed to mares (to our knowledge). They were fine living together batching it

until they (were moved to the facility. Well the smallest of the group (who is with me now) starts instigating fighting. He would get the bad end of the deal and he is thin and scabs over all of his body because he would get injuries. He acts study tho' never shown to a mare. My Gelding (was stallion this past spring) cannot stand him. Has tried to attack him with me standing nearby over the gates. So I worry that I may not be able to keep him because he would get killed by my gelding.

He is bitey and will try to rear up and paw you in defense. I am not sure if it is a napoleon complex or if he is just afraid of being man handled? I don't man handle him. I don't take crap off him but I do not handle him in such a way as I am bigger than he is. The question is there a different approach I should take? I do not have experience with the mini's but I am good with the larger horses. Am I looking at a large horse problem in a mini body or do their minds work differently? He really needs this break at being a better horse. I know I can do it but, I need advice on how should I deal with them.

Carla and Spike

 

[ruffian]

Miniature horses are, indeed, HORSES! You must handle them the same way with the same force and enforced respect! Especially colts. Your Arabian background should help you with him. It may take some time for the gelding to take effect. I have 4 recently gelded boys, and only 1 still is acting studdy. He's older and was used one season for breeding. He's coming along, but it will take time.

Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of Miniature Horses!

 

[minimom1]

Similar to what Ruffian said " they ARE horses" and need to be treated as such.

I have QH's and mini's and a mini donkey, they are all different but are all held to the same rules. I expect good manners from all of them, no biting, kicking, charging or bullying.

My mini;s are small (28" range) so I do not keep them in with my big horses for safety reasons but otherwise they get treated the same. They are on the same worming and farrier schedule.

You do have to be VERY careful not to overfeed when you are used to big horses.

My only advice would be to keep them seperate from your big guys as even a well intentioned misplaced kick can end your mini's life and second educate yourself on mini's.

I adore mine and have friends say to me all the time "What are they good for, you can't ride em ?" This same friend owns a great dane and she can not ride it either (lol).

I hope it all works out for you and you enjoy your new little man.

 

[arabbossmare]

Thanks everyone. I am excited about my little guy. I really hope I can use him in therapy to visit nursing homes and hospitals and the like. I really think he has potential for it. He is really sweet and he does try to be good. My husband is leery of him as he already bit (Spike) a young girl that takes lessons from me on the neck. Of course I warned her to be careful around him as he had only been here less than 24 hours! Ahhh kids...you can't tell them anything because they know everything! Needless to say he reared up on me because I was trying to spray his guy part because he was casterated on Friday.

I do tell him he is the biggest horse on the farm, and all the mares are his. I mean I gotta pump his little ego up!

I am really in love with him. I hope we have a good bond and that he can have a forever home with us. I am considering getting a hardship registration. I think it would be awesome to show him and win a few ribbons in the name of the rescue!

If anyone is interested in the other two they available please check www.horsehavenoftn.com

We get some great horses that cross our paths and deserve loving homes! There are two other minis there. Both are bigger than him but have great personalities!

So I am looking forward to my Mini Experience!

Carla and Spike aka Little Lord Runtleroy

 

[RhineStone]

Needless to say he reared up on me because I was trying to spray his guy part because he was casterated on Friday.

I don't know how "popular" this technique will be, but some other mini person told it to me umpteen years ago and it does work.

Here goes: When a mini rears, grab their front legs and walk/run them backward as fast as you can until they almost fall over backward. Then put them down. They will decide pretty quick that they would rather keep their feet on the ground than be that "out of control". My stallion reared constantly every time he felt "stressed". It only took once of this and he hasn't reared since. That has been at least 10 years ago. I might have had to do it maybe twice on bull-headed horses.

I had a mare that I couldn't catch in the act a number of times (she would be put to the cart, or I just couldn't get to her in time, etc.), so once she reared when I was removing a blanket over her head and I had to put the blanket down first and then I lifted her front legs and ran her backward. Whalla! She hasn't reared since, and that was a few years ago! (She was such a pain that she would rear instead of stand still in the cart. She reared in front of the judge once in line up. The judge had to pull her down out of the air!

Didn't place too well in that class.)

I would not recommend using this technique with any breed other than a mini (if you could even reach their front legs), and probably not if they are "striking" at you. (Duh, do ya think?

) I pretty much only use this technique on consistant rearers, vs. one time shot horses. It really does work, and doesn't hurt them at all. Just psychs them out!

 

[arabbossmare]

When I used to ride Walking horses, the trainer would take a whiffle bat and attach hot water to the end, Thus when the horse reared up the horse was smacked in the head with the whiffle bat and the water would make it "think" it was blood. Needless to say I don't ride walking horses anymore! I was educated on cruelty so that now I can walk in the light of the truth! You will never see me doing that! My stallion (gelding) arabian would rear up. I would just stop and look at him as if to say are you done? Then we would do a few circles..when he realized he could get to point a to point b sooner if he just stopped rearing and then having to work.

I think it was a one time thing. But I appreciate the tip and will give it a try..You never know you may see us on Dancing with the Stars!

Carla and Spike who says...."mares, can't live with them and can't satisfy them either!"

 

[Charlotte]

First I would like to commend you for taking in this needy boy.

It sounds to me as if he has no real training of any kind. He is simply responding to humans in the same manner he responds to other horses and this is not acceptable. So he needs to start his education from gound zero. Begin his basic training with the same things you would teach a young arab colt.......walk forward and whoa. Once he is well grounded in those two skills another skill may be started...such as turning, then trotting in hand, then backing in hand, accepting being groomed all over and having legs and feet touched and lifted....etc.

In this situation I would suggest always having a halter and lead on him any time you plan to interact with him in any way. That allows you to somewhat control his responses to your actions. Minis are horses and need training for the same things a big horse would. (there are a few medical and medication issues that bear knowing about with miniatures, but for training....they are a horse)

I am also a firm believer that minis should not be turned out with much larger equines. Some will say they have done this for years with no problems, but I've heard too many horror stories with the mini always the loser.

Good luck with your new 'short' gelding!

Charlotte

 

[RhineStone]

I think it was a one time thing. But I appreciate the tip and will give it a try..You never know you may see us on Dancing with the Stars!

Never thought about it that way! I am usually too irritated that I am looking at feet instead of ears!

Yes, it could also be a ground manners thing, and that is always good to work on. (There are WAY too many minis out there with very poor ground manners, like the handlers think they are going to hurt them or something because they are so small....

) But a couple of the minis I have had to "dance" with were trained very well in Showmanship, and had excellent manners, so rearing was just their "stress reaction". Other stressors can include "leaving", bucking, panicking, etc. So you can still have a horse with good ground manners that will rear. The horses just need to learn to control themselves.