UC Davis "The Horse Report" - Miniature Horses

[Hosscrazy]

I thought it was very well written and I was just thrilled to see U.C. Davis devote this story to miniature horses... and I loved how Dr. Claudia Sonder, the CEH Assistant Director said near the beginning of the article "It’s the rare Miniature Horse that doesn’t bring a smile to my face." How true is that!

I'm sure if you have questions about the article, they would love to hear from you! Here's their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/ucdavis.ceh

Liz N.

 

[AngC]

Sorry, I didn't realize. No offense intended.

 

[Lil Timber Buck]

Thanks for sharing!!!! I love this information. The more I know, the better. I will be sharing this too.

 

[Debby - LB]

AngC Please use the Search function on here to find information and read about horses as guide animals. This is a very touchy subject amongst horse people for a variety of reasons. Discussion about it here generally turns south pretty fast....everything you could ask about it has already been said at one time or other here so just do a quick search for it (and please do Not reply and bring up old threads about it.)

 

[rabbitsfizz]

In breeding and line breeding, even in humans, does not bring the size down. It is selective breeding that does that and, with care, close breeding does help. But the actual relationship of the animals/humans does nothing to reduce the size....

 

[disneyhorse]

A flake of hay here weighs seven pounds. We have big three string bales.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

How much does the whole bale weigh, just out of interest?

 

[Hosscrazy]

I have one in the back of my truck right now that I'm about to unload -- we're also 3 string and I would estimate it weighs 70-80 lbs.?

Liz N.

 

[disneyhorse]

The weight depends on the type of hay. Our feed store has pretty heavy bales... Sometimes 90-120 pounds (especially the alfalfa) for the tighter packed big bales. Looser hay like Bermuda grass is usually closer to 70-80 pounds.

 

[horsehug]

Mine are excellent grass hay and two string squares, and they weigh about 75 lbs.

Susan O.

 

[Minimor]

Don't know where the 1/6 of flake got started but

From the article:

but one flake of hay would

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be equivalent to about six feedings

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for a Mini.

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They must have bigger bales/flakes there than we do here, that is for certain! I am currently feeding bales that would weight about 50 lbs, maybe a little more--I feed 1 bale to 5 or 6 horses, that is TWO or THREE flakes per horse...some flakes are bigger, some are smaller, but for sure none are big enough to feed 6 horses with one flake.

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[rabbitsfizz]

I feed small bales- they must weigh around 40lbs although I have never weighed one- it varies a lot from bale to bale, anyway! I put a bale out, in a small round bale sort of thing, I have NO idea where I acquired it but I have two and they are very useful! It will take a whole bale and I squash it down, once it is opened. To start with it lasted my four boys three days, now, they have settled down, it lasts up to eight days (that must have been quite a heavy bale, though) I would not dream of rationing a horses hay unless there was a very good reason.

 

[little lady]

I finally had time to read it last night and enjoyed it but found myself wanting to read more.

 

[Shari]

I found the article to have some good basic information, worth making a copy of for my files...BUT, I'd have to take exception to the flat statement that miniature horses can 'pull 4 times their own weight'! Have to wonder where the heck they got THAT figure?? Taken literally, the article is saying that my 250 lb. gelding could pull 1,000 pounds??? I don't think so! Yes, a mini might, under ideal circumstances,be able to get that kind of a load to begin to roll, but actually PULL it, as in, really driving, w/o harm?? I would not dream of asking a horse I cared about to even try it. What bothers me most is that the 'uninitiated', newbie to driving, would believe it, and try it....

Margo

I agree with you Margo...

Maggie, even in shape, was having trouble some times,with my new weight, in the Country Road cart... going up and down hills. The cart and my new weight, came out to her weight... at 250lbs.

If I made her try to pull more weight, we would either have an accident or she would break down. Neither is acceptable to me.