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Minister Man - it sounds like you actually have a great foundation for handling your boy as well as a support system in place for on the spot questions in person and of course this forum as well. That's awesome.

AS to dealing with stallions that can be "inconvenient" - I, too, have had them in the past w/o problems. We've recently had some problems due to moving, getting a larger place and NOT getting our fences hot. That has been an issue for us that is getting addressed now. This is the first time we've had 2 Sr (used for breeding) and 1 JR (also used for breeding already) stallion on our property. Plus we have a colt that is still a stallion, who is scheduled to be gelded. It's the first time that we've actually had this many geldings, as well. And a suckling colt - but he is sold and will go to his new home when weaned. He will probably be gelded by his new owner next spring - when he is 10 months old. She does own 1 shetland mare and 2 horse mares - so he may become studdy before his appointment date arrives - we'll all see. They want to wait - feel that he won't be ready in September (he'll be 4 months old).

When I look back, we've always had "Junior" stallions - as I seem to always get colts in twos and we've usually waited until they were between 18 months and 2.5 yrs of age to have them gelded. Some would become study and all had to be separated from the mares around weaning time and before gelding. I usually didn't sell our babies until they were a year of age or older.

I've insisted that our stallions have manners. I utilize them due to their personalities (able to be handled by an amateur with non-horsey family members and children also involved), their bloodlines, their conformation and for who they were ("OOO LALA" - factor is what I call it) . Our first pony stallion was a riding pony for our oldest daughter, a lesson pony for kids at the barn we leased property from, a lesson pony for our other two daughters (but they didn't ride him regularly as our oldest originally did), my driving pony and last of all, a breeding stallion. We took him to school Show N' Tell's for all 3 of the girls (spanning 5 yrs) and as a lead line pony he went to Birthday parties, BarB-Ques, Office parties, Halloween Bash's and Church gatherings. He very much "worked for his living"... The resulting foals from 1996-2006 often kept our hobby mostly paid for with their sales. Our family worked the brood stock ponies (mares as well as the stallion), trained the ponies we bred (a few we sent out to pro trainers to take to higher levels of training/showing), showed many of them and then sold them to good homes. A few times we made mistakes when selling and I brought those ponies back home, often did more training and resold them. I also had a list, for a while, of folks that wanted AJ foals - so if one became available, I often matched a buyer up for that pony without bringing that pony back home myself!

I have pictures of all 3 of our daughters riding him at different times and a few of him being driven. He was a larger Shetland at 45.25" tall.

Our 2nd stallion was purchased to carry on our bloodlines and because I'd fallen for him when he was a youngster. When he became available as an older stallion at a price we could afford - we bought him. Other than our original stallion and his daughter, we'd sold the Shetlands as the girls' had graduated to large riding horses. After purchasing the 2nd stallion, I put together a group of Shetland mares that I wanted and then we continued with our program. He was never trained to ride as I didn't have any lesson children or kids around to train him with. He did do a lot of ground driving and I "logged" with him for 3 years (I'd think similar to what you described with full size horses except that we didn't work w/ the same size logs, I'm pretty sure). He also ground drove with one of our mares and with the gelded son of the pair. Once he understood he was working, he wasn't a problem to drive with either one, however I don't have any pics of him actually logging with either of them. I never got him hitched to a wagon or a cart.

Both of those stallions have since crossed the Rainbow Bridge. We owned AJ from the time he was 3 yrs old until he was 20 (17 years) and Iggy from 9 yrs to 16 yrs (7 yrs).

We now have our 3rd stallion (purchased in 2012 as a yearling by bloodlines, conformation and ... "that something" in pictures). He was our first stallion to be sent out to be fitted, trained and shown and he did awesome. Had our circumstances not changed, I'm sure he would have completed his HOF in halter and possibly in driving as well. WE have also retained the last purebred son of the first stallion that we felt lucky to be of stallion quality for us - that can be crossed back and forth on our current mares. Yet, we don't breed every mare every year.

We also have another stallion that I originally bred/raised/sold. He was supposed to have been castrated. I should have held out and had him castrated before he left our farm - we all would have been better for it. Instead, they didn't get him gelded and waited to call me until he'd become both a bucking bronco pony and a dangerous pony in the paddock - where he ran at large with other ponies and horses. They were all scared of him, yet when they caught him, they never separated him from their others (or maybe they had but he got out??). I brought him home and scheduled him to be castrated only to have him get out of a fence that has held full size mustangs with no issues (!!) and we couldn't get our hands back on him right away - he knew all the tricks to evade capture - even running right thru a couple of fences or right over the top of adults. It's taken a while for me to get him to where he is somewhat back to his nicer 2yr old self, but I can't wait until his next castration date of September, and I seriously hope that once the testosterone drops, he'll become his old sweet self. He should and then we will even more fully work on some issues he has. He's had some serious work since we caught him again, but it's not easy and you NEVER forget he's a stallion. You have to be vigilant all the time with him - more so than with others we've owned and I don't want the grand daughters around him at all... Honestly, I never thought of him as a stallion quality pony. He did run with some of our mares for a couple of months - yet most have come back into heat - which for a breeding stallion is also an issue. We shall see what happens... I DO like his first foal and if we do get some more that are like her, than this interlude (lots of Headaches) will have been worth it.

Our two current stallions - Wizard is 40" tall and Echo is 42" and not done growing yet. They will both be trained to drive. By the time our granddaughters become good enough at riding, they will probably have outgrown at least Wizard and maybe even Echo. Not sure yet. Also don't know that either will have the desire or the skill to ride a stallion as their mom did... And that's ok. The stallions are actually for my pleasure, not theirs, right now. If it becomes more than that at a later date, well that's all the more special.
 
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Minister Man - you will be fine.

I agree you could probably find a nicer stallion - but that's judging from one picture.

I ran into the same resistance you did when I purchased my first stud 5 yrs ago now - and ironically he's turned into my first super horse.

I got the 'you WILL Get hurt' - puh-lease - I work with cattle for a living. I have a 3000# bull that wants to kill me right now. I do not need a lecture on the "raw power" of the miniature horse.

I got the 'a good stallion makes a great gelding' - but he was top in the state for showmanship, if I geld him will he be super duper number one in the state? We went undefeated one year - multi judged shows too: all judges, all classes, all year, and not small or easy classes. If I geld him how will he win more?!

The bonus I see in at least my stallion is they read body language SO much better. Which makes my guy an absolute showmanship machine. He will dislocate his hip before he lifts a pivot foot, and my signals are so minuscule because they can be. It paints a pretty picture in the ring.

And I think stallions are more expressive. I know what he's thinking at any point in time - as does everyone else he encounters. Usually with him it's 'I really don't give a crap.' He DOES have a bit of an attitude; but it's by no means dangerous or obnoxious or any of that - he's a riot.

He's boarded at a race stable with a few other stallions and a whole herd of 2 yr old colts waiting for the fall sale. actually he's stabled next to a Morgan stallion. With 'his' mare on the other side of him. And there's a welsh stallion, another Morgan stud, and a few standardbred racehorse studs. I'm sure I'm missing a few too, because when handled and managed correctly, you shouldn't be able to tell they have a 'brain between their legs.'

And none of them are studd-ish. None of us have the issues so many people say they have. Because we all know what we are doing, treat them like horses, and don't put up with the crap.

All of the time problems with stallions are caused by poor management, inexperienced, fearful, unwilling to learn or just plain 'not as smart as the horse' handlers. You haven't done this before, but you are willing to learn and seem to be confident.

You got this!
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And none of them are studd-ish. None of us have the issues so many people say they have. Because we all know what we are doing, treat them like horses, and don't put up with the crap.

All of the time problems with stallions are caused by poor management, inexperienced, fearful, unwilling to learn or just plain 'not as smart as the horse' handlers. You haven't done this before, but you are willing to learn and seem to be confident.

You got this!
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FurstPlaceMiniatures -

LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
When I was a kid I was bullied, and I didn't have a friend in the world. When I was 14 my parents bought me my very first "friend" she was a 6 month old Belgium Filly. she arrived on the 23 of December my Christmas present. That was 34 years ago and there has not been a day from that one to this that I didn't have a horse. That little filly had never been handled. Teaching her to lead........ there were a lot of merry runs across the barn yard, but I never let go........ We broke her in a team with a percheron gelding that was in his twenties..... I worked those two a lot....... she was my go to friend, I am so glad she couldn't talk and tell my secrets.....

Unforturnately she had an accident in the pasture. She was pastured with the cows and got in a tangle with a feeder wagon...... We have to put her down. She was 8.

My father was never well in my life time. He had lung problems.... we didn't always get along, and sometimes I felt like he didn't like me much. but there was always that time that he bought me my belguim.......... He died 10 years ago at 64.

I am telling you this story not for sympathy or anything like that. My purpose is simple........ I picked this stud because he looks like a little belguim.. little team of them would do all the gardening I do......... and when I look at him, and work with him I will remember the times my dad and I had with the one he bought me......

SO now that you know I am an old softy, and sappy, He may not be the best stud, but he will be mine, just like my dad might not have always known how to show that he was the best dad, but he was mine.
 
Your telling us about your Dad and your first horse - friend, confidant, partner - is SO NOT SAPPY!! and he or a little team of them could certainly do gardening work!

My original pair is a little larger at 40", but they have done a lot and will do more. They have taught me lots, too, with the driving lessons I took and the draft horse events we've gone to here in the states. We have since gotten several pairs going and have done 3 abreast doing some work and ground driving with a 4 abreast.

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Great pictures, thanks for the encouraging words. The thing about trying to garden with minis is that I am not sure where to get the equipment.

Amy sue, the little buildings that I pictured that you said were yours, what are there dimensions? I am guessing each half is a tie stall.

The fellow that is trucking the stud called, and the stud is on route......... I asked him his opinions of his temperament, and he said that he has loaded some pretty crazy acting stallions, but he would never have known this was a stallion if we hadn't told him. He said he lead right along with the lead between just a couple of fingers.

Did I mention that I am buying this stud sight unseen? I haven't actually met him yet. I bought him based on pictures and videos.
 
More drafty type miniatures are growing in popularity as well.

You don't want to breed the 'perfect AMHR type' but more the perfect 'economy model workhorse' by the sounds of things - so what! So long as you are responsible about it and don't pump out twenty a year to starve in a back field somewhere - hold your head high!

I don't want to do the 'model' type either. IMHO we have made the miniature horse too fragile to serve their original purpose, instead, I plan to do kids ponies. Specifically roan and flashy pinto kids ponies with good minds, Arab like heads, and flashy movement.

My stud fits the bill for that to a tee. I showed him 3 years on the same circuit before our competitors knew he was a stud. That's how good his mind is.

My foundation mare just held her own at a ritzy dressage competition on Saturday against imported warmbloods - not bad for a $400 craigslist buy! Then on Sunday, she won me a trail challenge. Oh, and she's also only 3.

THAT is the the kind of horse the world needs more of. She is also started on cattle and showing great promise in that. She is a true 'all rounder.' With an awesome mind, and she's a pretty little thing.

But here's he kicker - she's a grade horse. Only pinto papers. Mom was a grade Arab and no one wants to tell me who dad was. I have a breeding lined up next year to an imported welsh. We will see how that goes - I'm hoping for a clone of her in black and white!
 
Minister Man -

For Harness, I would think you have some type of availability there? (sorry, not real sure about your corner of the world). Otherwise, there are many harness makers here in the USA that specialize in work type harness that is already/can be made for Mini size horses. Leather, nylon, biothane and betathane and work collars as well. I know that shipping can get "pricey", but maybe go in with a group as I've stated below (?)...

For the actual equipment - I recommend that you check out Draft Horse folk and also the info at Rural Heritage dot com. Most equipment sized for riding lawnmowers, ATVs or 4-wheelers will also fit the mini horse and small pony.

There is an annual event here in the USA, over the 4th of July weekend, that is called Horse Progress Days. Put on over a 2 day period. Switches states every year - I went to the one in OH in 2014. Demos agricultural equipment done with true "horse power" - often with clinics and "guest lecturers". I know that there is a group of folk from other countries that have come - to view, to ask ?s, to participate. Some of those group have then gone together to have equipment shipped to their countries &/or a group of folk from here have gone abroad to demo/teach as well.

Many manufacturers here in the USA now make equipment sized for ponies and minis OR you can get them custom made. I have had custom made equipment (3 & 4 "horse" eveners) and will be doing some more (3 abreast and 4 abreast neck yoke) from Pioneer Manufacturing. I got a 1/2 ton geared wagon and then had some modifications done on it to suit me, too. There are other companies that build as well in some of the Amish communities in other states.

The disk that is being pulled by the mares above is actually 2 attached to each other - they are sized for ATV gardening. The riding disk (green) is a full size one meant to be pulled by Draft Horses, but was pulled by our mares for a short bit. With a 4 abreast hitch, I could see using that for longer periods depending on the type of ground (how wet/deep). We did it more on a dare (we were told "...no pony could...") and they first had to unstick it from the mud. Then they pulled it (with my larger size on it) about 3/4 of a mile down a hard packed gravel driveway, around the end of the fencing and a little more than the same distance to get to the rear of the field to enter it and start discing. They did one row all the way up, all the way back and then were floundering - so I steered them out of the field and we returned the disk to it's starting point (quite a bit more pulling). I've tried to purchase that disk from the farm that owns it, but so far, haven't been able to get it, LOL.
 
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Oliver has arrived! we unloaded him off the truck, and put him on the lead. I stood and talked to the guy for about 40 mins, and he stood at my side like a puppy. The mini gelding was about 50 feet in front of him and the Standardbred mare and big gelding was about 50 feet behind him, and he barely moved. Once he called to them, I snapped the lead and told him no, one he tried to rear, I pushed him backward, and that was it.. The rest of the time he just stood there............ quite and didn't move.

I put him the barn by himself, and left all the other horses outside, and not one word from him, he just stood there and ate some hay.

The guy that brought him said he has worked with several stallions, ( his family show drafts and minis) and he said he would never have guessed this was a stallion if we hadn't told him.
 
AmySue, do you know any of the dimensions of your cute little mini barns? I know there was a post about them, but I can't seem to find it...... If my herd keeps growing there will be a building project on the horizon.
 
If I remember correctly, he made each stall 4ft wide and 6ft long. The minis can turn around in them, but they aren't big enough for long term stabling. He built them in a hurry to accommodate overflow in the stable to safely contain stallions. They are completely portable, he picks them up with the forks on the loader and moves them around. I planned to move them further apart and build two more stalls in between the two barns and put a gambrel roof over it, but like everything else around here, it has yet to happen.
 
Is Oliver registered? I bought an unregistered stallion at a creditors auction. I believe he comes from decent bloodlines; I selected him because I liked his temperament. But I was hugely surprised at the bias against unregistered horses, especially amongst mini horse owners. I had no intentions of making my fortune at horse-breeding (I do have an accidental Baby.) Anyway, if Oliver is intended to stand at stud, do you have a customer base?

While you're contemplating containment procedures, you might want to think about the mare/s. The only reason we ended up with a foal is because our mare vaulted over a stall door that's over 4-foot high from a dead, standing start; I think that stall might be larger than your potential dry lot, but essentially she just hopped right over the stall door (bottom half) with no running start. Regarding your concern about pasture-breeding... our mare had a small chunk bitten out of her shoulder; not enough to get a vet involved, but enough where I cleaned it/etc. That's all I know about pasture breeding.

Regarding pacing... Nicky has only paced the fence during one period of time, when Baby was first born and I had to lock her and her dam up in the stalls. Now, the only way I know whether the girls are "in heat' is if I lift a tail to check for "winkies." Our three goobers are at their most dangerous when the weather changes, storm rolling in, I think they may have barometers up their butts?

Good luck. I love a stocky pony. Oliver is quite handsome.
 
Oliver is not registered, and I was concerned about that, but neither is my mare, which is his main purpose. If others want to use him that's good it not ok.

So far it has been a bit of a learning curve. I expected him to be hard on the gelding, but I tried them all together while I was right there to supervise and it was the gelding that tried to thrash him. They are not going to be pasture mates.

I am working on his enclosure. So far during the day I leave him in, and put him out in the evening. He stands in the barn as quite as can be. When he is out he calls out a few times, and then goes to eating.

I have lead him around out with the other horses, and if he tries to "pull" me, I stop him, back up a step or two and make him stand and wait. I used the command steady, now if I say that he calms down and walks with me. I praise him and we keep going until I need to repeat the process. I am really pleased with him, but I have a lot to learn.

I am concerned about mare fencing....... It is definitely a learning curve.......... I like the stocky minis best. I believe that is what they originally were when they worked in the mines. I need to learn stallion handling skills and it is better for me to be sure I can handle a stallion, before I buy a world class stud and destroy him with poor handling.
 
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I think you are off to a great start, and I doubt you will "destroy" any horse with your handling as you are concerned about it. It is the people who are truly clueless and not concerned about behavior modification that ruin horses. It sounds like you have a plan and a good pool of resources to turn to for help. I personally like the stockier minis and ponies with substance. The ultra modern refined type are beautiful and I appreciate them, but I primarily use and sell a lot of stockier work ponies. Reading your story about the Belgian makes perfect sense about your decision to buy this little guy. As for papers..as Ang said, that is a hot button issue as a lot people assess a horse's worth based on pedigree. The thing is, lots of papered horses are not worth the paper that their pedigree is printed on, so unless you plan on showing at Nationals...papers or the lack thereof are not a big deal. I have a stallion that never came with his papers, he had them, but they were lost before I bought him (got him off Craigslist for $100). He is my favorite and he gets more inquiries than the one that cost $8000. Many people want to breed a mare for themselves, they do not plan on going into the horse business, they do not want/cannot handle a stallion at home, and cannot justify paying show horse prices for a pet they plan to keep at home in the back yard. So, they pay the $150 stud fee for our grade stud, breed their mare and keep a foal. Just because he isn't a world champion stud, does not mean that he is a bad horse. I fully respect the professionals with show caliber horses moving the industry forward, and I agree that the crooked, poorly conformed horses pumping out foals that fill up kill pens at auction lots make the breed look bad and flood the market, so I fully understand where the bias comes from. As long as your horses do not show faults (crooked legs, bad bite etc.), breeding results in useable offspring and you care for the resulting offspring or responsibly place them....then don't worry too much about what people think. As long as it creates meaning and purpose in your life and you enjoy yourself with it...run with it.
 
This is a picture of the stud. He is arriving the first of the week. That gives me the weekend to at least have a stall ready....... I have been reading about handling stallions, and I have a friend that has draft stallions. I can get some advice from him as well, but his stallions are huge......... Is he worthy of being a stallion? He is quite, easy to catch, healthy, handles quite well...and I know that he is fertile....... I am going to try him on my mare.....

I held a mare for breeding once, but I have no other experience in handling them at breeding time. I am hoping to pasture breed with him.. I will not turn him out with the gelding, thanks for the warning. At his current house he is in a pasture with a saddle horse.

I am pretty excited, and scared at the same time. Thanks for all the help, I will read it several times this evening to be sure I understand it all.,
Addressing whether he is breeding quality - the picture isn't the greatest, but in my opinion, he would make a really nice gelding. He is too upright in the shoulder, and as far as I can tell, quite short in the hip. Also, if he is not registered....what are you going to do with the resulting foal? The markets (here in the USA) are flooded with unwanted grade ponies, and unless big enough for small kids to ride, they really have no value and you will see a lot of them end up in the kill pens. So be prepared to have that foal for the next 30 years unless you can find someone that will take good care of a pasture ornament. Just my opinion....and I've been raising horses for over 40 years.
 
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Thanks for your thoughts and opinions. I may not sell any foals anyway...... and if no one wants to use him, I am ok with that too............

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder........... But the fancy little long necked minis like the show minis don't interest me at all......... I doubt very much that is what the breed looked like when they pulled coal carts in the mines............ But I am weird that way....... I love draft horses too, but I don't have much use for the fancy show ones thye are too long legged and too big of feet to do the work they were originally bred for,,,,,,,, but that's just my opionion, and I have been a farmer for 40 years.
 

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