Slinkky
Well-Known Member
Hi All,
I wanted to give everyone an update on baby Hoot.
As many of you remember, I got Hoot this past Sunday. I spent Monday and Tuesday sending out emails to total strangers and I put up a posting here to try and get some guidance in hand raising a foal. Time was short and Hoot was thin...I didn't think I had much time to play with. I literally did a search on the computer for "Mule Farms" and sent the same email out to 10 different farms. The response from total strangers has been phenomenal. Every one here on the forum has been nothing but supportive and encouraging. The advice I received, for the most part, has been the same across the board. And NOT ONE PERSON has been negative. :bgrin
I decided to go with a mixture of 3 different feeds. I am using 2 parts Equine Jr., 1 part calf manna, and 1 part crimped oats. He loves it!
It was so good to stand there and watch him eat with gusto. He didn't just nibble, he dug right in! By next week the ribs should be covered and he should start filling out. Oh yes, and he has good coastal hay at all times. I keep the hay in 2 places. One is in his little barn and the other is near where the horses eat their hay.
I worry that he does not have a pasture mate, but I have a plan for that also. My choices for a pasture mate for Hoot are as follows: My riding mule (too grouchy), our Arabian (too flakey) and 2 mini geldings (36" and 38"). All my boys are good mannered but none of them have been around a baby. Everyone is great over the fence. There has been no hollering or squealing, no pawing at the fence, no kicking. Just the simple sniffing through the fence and watching each other. The two big guys will put their head over the fence and talk to Hoot and nuzzle him some. It's so sweet to see how gentle they can be. My 2 minis are just as sweet across the fence, but it's a different story when they are in the same pasture with Hoot. Everything is fine until Hoot gets into "their space". Then they either chase him until he can't breath, or the kick at him and keep kicking half way across the yard. I know this is the way horses teach each other, but I don't think Hoot is physically strong enough yet to handle it.
So my plan is this....
I will turn one or the other mini out with Hoot in the evenings for 2-3 hrs. I will leave a drag rope on the mini so that if trouble starts, I can catch the culprit and put a stop to it. The on weekends i can leave them together for longer periods of time. I'm not an overprotective sort...and I know Hoot has many MANY lessons to learn, but I want him to be strong enough to learn them. I figure after a week, maybe two with this new plan, I will put one of the minis with Hoot permanetly and then eventually move the other over as well.
We are also dealing with respect issues already. I was talking to someone yesterday and the words Monster Mule were used. I don't want a Monster Mule and want to nip bad behavior in the bud. Which is what i got to deal with yesterday. I was sitting on my bucket in the pasture watching Hoot graze and watching him talk to the horses across the fence. He eventually came over for a scratch and a hug. He put his head over my sholder and I scratched his neck and back. I was loving the feel and smell of this little one and thinking we were indeed going to make it, when all of a sudden, Hoot took two steps back and rammed me! :new_shocked: I have been kinda expecting this type thing, so I wasn't completly taken off guard, but it was a shock. I smacked Hoot on the chest (the point of contact) and gave him a firm NO and turned my back. He was very quite and just stood there. He eventually walked around me so he could see my face and then he put his head down and stretched his neck out as if to say "can I come up to you?" I put my hand out like "STOP", and just let him stand there for a bit. Then I approached him with pats and scratches and all was forgiven. I know biting and kicking will be coming up, And I'm not sure how I will handle them. I am not a promoter of hitting your horse, but I refuse to bite him like his momma would do.
: Any suggestions?
I guess that's it. I want to give Hoot a few days on this new feed, then I'll get some good pics to post.
Thank you all for your kind words, support and advice :aktion033:
Slinkky :saludando:
I wanted to give everyone an update on baby Hoot.
As many of you remember, I got Hoot this past Sunday. I spent Monday and Tuesday sending out emails to total strangers and I put up a posting here to try and get some guidance in hand raising a foal. Time was short and Hoot was thin...I didn't think I had much time to play with. I literally did a search on the computer for "Mule Farms" and sent the same email out to 10 different farms. The response from total strangers has been phenomenal. Every one here on the forum has been nothing but supportive and encouraging. The advice I received, for the most part, has been the same across the board. And NOT ONE PERSON has been negative. :bgrin
I decided to go with a mixture of 3 different feeds. I am using 2 parts Equine Jr., 1 part calf manna, and 1 part crimped oats. He loves it!
I worry that he does not have a pasture mate, but I have a plan for that also. My choices for a pasture mate for Hoot are as follows: My riding mule (too grouchy), our Arabian (too flakey) and 2 mini geldings (36" and 38"). All my boys are good mannered but none of them have been around a baby. Everyone is great over the fence. There has been no hollering or squealing, no pawing at the fence, no kicking. Just the simple sniffing through the fence and watching each other. The two big guys will put their head over the fence and talk to Hoot and nuzzle him some. It's so sweet to see how gentle they can be. My 2 minis are just as sweet across the fence, but it's a different story when they are in the same pasture with Hoot. Everything is fine until Hoot gets into "their space". Then they either chase him until he can't breath, or the kick at him and keep kicking half way across the yard. I know this is the way horses teach each other, but I don't think Hoot is physically strong enough yet to handle it.
So my plan is this....
I will turn one or the other mini out with Hoot in the evenings for 2-3 hrs. I will leave a drag rope on the mini so that if trouble starts, I can catch the culprit and put a stop to it. The on weekends i can leave them together for longer periods of time. I'm not an overprotective sort...and I know Hoot has many MANY lessons to learn, but I want him to be strong enough to learn them. I figure after a week, maybe two with this new plan, I will put one of the minis with Hoot permanetly and then eventually move the other over as well.
We are also dealing with respect issues already. I was talking to someone yesterday and the words Monster Mule were used. I don't want a Monster Mule and want to nip bad behavior in the bud. Which is what i got to deal with yesterday. I was sitting on my bucket in the pasture watching Hoot graze and watching him talk to the horses across the fence. He eventually came over for a scratch and a hug. He put his head over my sholder and I scratched his neck and back. I was loving the feel and smell of this little one and thinking we were indeed going to make it, when all of a sudden, Hoot took two steps back and rammed me! :new_shocked: I have been kinda expecting this type thing, so I wasn't completly taken off guard, but it was a shock. I smacked Hoot on the chest (the point of contact) and gave him a firm NO and turned my back. He was very quite and just stood there. He eventually walked around me so he could see my face and then he put his head down and stretched his neck out as if to say "can I come up to you?" I put my hand out like "STOP", and just let him stand there for a bit. Then I approached him with pats and scratches and all was forgiven. I know biting and kicking will be coming up, And I'm not sure how I will handle them. I am not a promoter of hitting your horse, but I refuse to bite him like his momma would do.
I guess that's it. I want to give Hoot a few days on this new feed, then I'll get some good pics to post.
Thank you all for your kind words, support and advice :aktion033:
Slinkky :saludando:
