Stupid Newbie Questions?

[MelissaAH]

Bare with me

When I do a search for fly masks there are different mini sizes. How do I figure the correct sizing?

Can I bathe them as you would a large horse?

Is it ever safe to let them loose with my 17 year old 14.3 mare in my 1/3 acre turn out? They are housed side by side and the only agression I see is coming from the low totem mini when my QTR horse walks by. I guess she is tired of being low horse on the totem.

They are on an alfalfa/oat pellet but I was thinking of making a change to a timothy pellet. They also get a handful of hay with each feeding. I give 1.5 lbs of pellet in the am and a handful of orchard for lunch and a handful of orchard for dinner with a 1/2 lb pellets at dinner. The old owner gave 1.5 lbs in the am with hay and .2 lbs lunch with hay and dinner .2 with hay. She was using timothy but here our feed store stopped carrying so I bought orchard (wow is that expensive $23.95 a bale). They are a wee bit chubby I think.

Should minis that age, 18 & 21 get pellets only because of possible chewing problems? I hate the idea of horses (at least big ones) not being able to graze most of the day.

I'm sure I will think of more with each new day.

I got a few books on miniatures but nothing beats real live responses.

 

[Hosscrazy]

Farnam has mini fly masks - Fox Feed carries them. They come in one mini size but I've honestly found that the Farnam foal fly mask fit the best.

Yes, I bathe my minis just as I do the full size horses - Quicksilver has some nice products.

Mountain Sunrise carries timothy pelleted feed - I always soak my pellets first in water. Also, the seniors need their teeth floated just like the full size horses.

If you want to go back to timothy hay, the other Fox Feed (Canyon Country) carries it.

You're asking good questions!!!!

Liz R.

 

[MelissaAH]

Thanks Liz....yeah the bag I have now is Mountain sunrise. I wet the pellets first time today because I gave them psyllium mixed in. I use the orange sugar free stuff from walmart. That is what my vet uses on his horses.

Oh yeah...they have the timothy with the heads and all. You know why Fox in Acton stopped carrying it. The feed company wanted them to pay 50% of what they would order for the year. That was 100's of thousands of dollars. They said no way. I think the timothy is "softner" for them. The orchard seems brittle.

They are ready when you are to stop bye and say Hi!

Oh and btw...the previous owner made it clear NO PINE SHAVINGS

Guess what?...they got pine shavings and they love to poop in them and they have no interest in eating them. I even did a small test by laying some out on the floor first (because these two are hoovers) and all the did was sniff them and walk away. So all is good in mini pine shaving land! lol

 

[targetsmom]

I have fly masks that came in small, medium, and large (for minis) and the ones I use the most are medium and large for minis 30-34" and I use those 2 sizes fairly interchangeably.

I do not turn my big horse (14.3H) out with our minis even though they get along great through the fence. Just a short time ago I saw them all playing and the big horse was rearing on his side of the fence while the minis were all running and bucking on their side. They were having a great time, but not paying attention to where anyone else was. Without the fence, the big horse could have easily come down right on top of a mini - all in fun of course, but the damage would be the same as if he did it on purpose.

The only thing I have against pine shavings for minis is that it is too hard to separate out the poop! I use pelleted bedding for them, shavings for the big horse.

 

[MelissaAH]

I don't think I want to chance putting them out together. The QTR and Lady mini are both grumpy butts. Saturday for the first time ever I am letting the minis loose in out big turn out. I know it's been at least 6 years since they have had a good romp. I will have video in hand.

 

[shelly]

OH BOY...That should be quite a show!!!!

:shocked Can't wait to see that video!

:yeah

I use pine shavings and sawdust mixture and I like it just fine. I haven't tried any pelleted hay feeds yet, though mine are on 14% compete pellet and 14% sweet feed plus timothy hay am and pm. Varying amounts for each...Sahara being 2 mos. pregnant gets 1 cup of the grain mix(1/4 sweet-3/4 compete) and 1 flake in the morning and the same in the evening--Mocha, being open only gets 1/4 cup of the grain mix plus 1/2 flake both am and pm and Joey(studmuffin) gets 1 1/4 cups grain and 1 flake am and pm. I might up his some as he still needs some fat on his ribs and hips. Plus they are all on Mare Plus vitamins...1 ounce am and pm.

I tried taking Sahara out and introducing her to my big gelding Shadow right after I got her and they sniffed noses the she proceeded to rear and spin kicking at him like she wanted to kill him and he in turn reared and kicked out at her!!!!! Luckily I knew enough to have Shadow on a lead so I just took him back out of the pasture. Sahara got along just fine with a arab mare that was boarding here, so after she left I thought she might like Shadow for company. NOT!!!!! So I bought another mini(Mocha)!