This is getting a bit rediculous!

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~Karen~

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Ok, so we bought 2 3 yr. old QH's 3 1/2 weeks ago. We have had so many problems since then and has been a bit frustrating to say the least.

The mini gelding thinks he's all that and abag of chips, and wants a stand off with the full siz QH gelding. We had to seperate them because that little stinker, Toby, would rear up and land on the QH geld. (Scout) back somewhere and bite him. Scout wouldn't pay him no mind until Toby would do that, then the fight would be on. Out comes the back hooves, knocks Toby back a bit, and Toby comes back for more. So we seperated them. The 2 minis in their own pen and the 2 biggies in theirs. So Toby tries to go through the fence after Scout. We run hot wire. That set him straight. Now, 1 of our dogs that was running with the minis begins acting stupid, so now he has to be seperated across the lake near the house, on cable, until we have the time to build a pen for him. We have our great Per. dog running with the big horses (he is such a good dog, but usually winds up with the short end of the stick.) And both horses gang up on him, corner him and 1 horse lays a whalup into poor Tag that sent him into the air and in the lake. So now we put Tag back with the 2 mini's. We learn that Mini mare, Jessie is preggers and we built a pen for her so she could have privacy.

This is all so rediculous! ther the Jessie, is there any way possible we can get these horses running together, and then Jessie later on? I really don't want them all seperated, but don't know what else to do.
 
Oh my - sounds like a recipe for disaster and serious problems!

In short - no - I don't think you'll be ever to safely have them all together. Risking serious painful injury/death to try it.
 
I always think this of my nine minis! Can't they just get along? But they can't! I don't have enough room for them to be all together so mine are in about four pens. It is just the nature of the beast, but I too don't recommend biggies with minis.
 
In the 70's someone gave me a mini that we kept with the big horses. What was so funny was there was a draft cross in the pasture and he would hide from the mini. They just do not have any concept of size. Now I would not put minis and big horses together.
 
Here at our new house all the horses run together without any issues. Although its not really advised we have one problem horse here and he's always in his pen when the minis go out with the herd. Haven't had a issue nor do I plan to because they never go out without me here..
 
Oh man do I know how frustrated you are! I went through something similar earlier this year. I never could leave them unattended together and I didn't want to keep them separate so I got rid of one. It was so frustrating though! I am sorry they aren't getting along and I am even more sorry that I don't have any other advice to give you :DOH! Is there a chance they just need more time? I know this wasn't the case with my two girls but I'm sure it works with others. I have seen biggies with mini's and ponies before and everyone was happy as could be. But if your little guy can't stop starting fights with your biggie than it could continue to be quite dangerous for your little one.
 
I should add to my post above that I DO run my old riding mare with my minis, and have always run my big horses with my little horses - but I've always had very old laid back riding horses who the minis were in charge of and the big oldies accepted it completely. It just sounded like everything you were describing was really scary/dangerous for ALL of the critters involved.

I'm bringing a new young spunky riding mare home this summer that doesn't like to be at the bottom of the herd, and I don't know if I'll be allowing them all to be together. Time will tell for me.
 
Some minis are just not equipped to run with big horses. Pssst....don't tell them they are inchest shorter!
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I have one that gets along great with minis, but causes a rucus with the big horses. So I quit all together. I even quit putting them side by side on the fencelines. They just fight over the fence and someone eventually comes away with no mane! Plus the fact that one kick from a big horse could potentially harm a mini very seriously.

I think nice old horses are fine to run with the minis since they just don't care. Good babysitter horses.
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I have 3 QH's, 2 mares and a gelding, 1 mini stallion and a gelding. These all share an 18 x 30 ft run in that is divided with full size corral panels. The minis play with the biggies throught the fence. The stallion isn't real studdy so everyone gets along.

I don't ever let the biggies in with the minis. One well aimed kick and they would be brain dead. The minis just don't seem to see the size difference. Being right across the fence they at least have each others company though and sometimes seem to enjoy each other. But I know if they got together it wouldn't be good.

I do have a realy bad story about a mini stallion that got in with a group of thorobreds. He didn't make it out alive and it was a horrible ending for the little guy. No details unless you realy want to know what happened.
 
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I think Jill knows of a horse that was in an equine hospital when she was there with Khaki years ago that was seriously hurt by a mini... will get back with the story......
 
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Yes, Kim is right. Back in 2003, I had a then 11mos old show filly who colicked at my trainers and required surgery. When we visited her the second day after surgery, there was another mini there on IV with his head all bandaged and they were not sure if he would make it. He had been kicked by a big horse.

Then I also remember hearing about (but right now, i can't remember through who) a big horse who was hurt badly by a mini who stood under him (her?) and kicked repeatedly? I can't remember the details now at all but remember being surprised that a mini seriously injured a biggie.
 
Okay... so I always turned out my minis together. Sometimes they would squabble or play, but either way occasionally one would get kicked by the other one and get a scrape or go lame a little bit if they got kicked in the leg.

So if a BIG horse accidentally or on purpose kicked at a mini, that would be a LOT more damage!

Bad idea in general.

Just because it CAN be done doesn't mean it SHOULD be done!

Andrea
 
Oh my - sounds like a recipe for disaster and serious problems!

In short - no - I don't think you'll be ever to safely have them all together. Risking serious painful injury/death to try it.

My feelings too. Make provisions for them all; cross fence and separate.
 

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