When to turn out new colt with other horse ?

[Kynedi's Mom]

Just wanting options on when I can let my ne foal out to pasture, we also have an older QH mare, she has foaled several times & baby's mom is really protective. So I'm not too worried, I thought about letting mom & baby out for a while during the afternoon so that I can see how they interact with our QH mare, then seeing what I think would be the best idea. The way that our current situation is, ( we only had QH & mini mare & now new baby colt) We only have one trough at the moment, and one fenced grazing area. "Pistol" (colt) was one week old this Tuesday, in your opinion is this too soon. I have been feeding mom 2-3 x daily & making sure that she has plenty of hay, but I think that they would much rather be out of their stall & turn out pen. There stall in approx. 10x12 & open to a pen that is probably 30x15. What do you guys think ?

 

[LindaL]

NO!!! IMO, that is a tragedy waiting to happen! Never turn out your minis with big horses (even in play a big horse can kick and hurt/kill a mini)...and especially now with a foal...That baby will be curious and want to play with the QH (even if "mama" doesnt want him to)... :new_shocked:

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[Lil' Horse Lover]

I would agree with LindaL, not a good idea. I would never even turn a mini out with a biggy if it was just to play and have some turnout time together, definately not a safe thing to do, thats putting both momma and baby at risk. I wouldn't take that risk if I were you. For exercise since you dont' have any other pens you could just take them out for walks during the day. ~Anna~

 

[backwoodsnanny]

Nope would never put mini in with big horse as she could hurt them without even trying. Particularly the foal what if you alternate them with the mare so each gets some time in the pasture. There are those on this board who have lost minis as a result of a kick from a well intended biggy. They can get along for years and then just one high spirited kick and tragedy strikes. I wouldnt risk it I would alternate putting the mare in the pen part of the day and the minis out.

 

[Kynedi's Mom]

Ok, I did forget to mention that this sneaky little mare who was pasture bred prior to our purchasing her, did have this colt while turned out with our QH mare, I know that things will be different now. However, thesemares were best buds before. One never came to barn without the other, Nor did they ever go far from the barn without the other tagging along. Anyway, I understand & appreciate all the comments & advice posted. I did pen my QH & lead Mom out into the pasture a bit this afternoon which she really appreciated & "Pistol" ran in circles around us while she grazed a bit. Does anyone have success stories from having mini's with"biggy's" ? Just curious & would love to know all opinions on the subject- I really hate to have to seperate these guys after they became such good running mates. Thanks again !

 

[Reijel's Mom]

Hi there -

I'll be honest with you, my senior "bigs" and my minis spend time turned out together, and it has worked out fine - my minis rule the roost here, and my old horses are not the kicking type, not even in play - they don't play a lot - they are OLD :bgrin

I do understand everyone's concern about the bigs and littles together, and don't want people to think I'm a terrible horse "mom", so I have never talked on forum about the fact that all of mine are together at times.

I've never had a foal; so I can't advise you on the turnout with the foal.

 

[Chamomile]

I wouldn't put my mini foal out with a biggie, just because I do know how annoying our mini colts are. They want to play, jump on everything, bite and kick out. And if he pushes and pushes at your old girl, all it would take is a warning tap from her and he could be dead or severely hurt. I have seen with my own eyes a big horse reach over the fence and pick up a mini baby as well. Scarey!! And she was always very kind to the foals, one just annoyed her or "said" the wrong thing, that was all it took, just a spit second.... Sometimes it's just better safe than sorry.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Hi there -

I'll be honest with you, my senior "bigs" and my minis spend time turned out together, and it has worked out fine - my minis rule the roost here, and my old horses are not the kicking type, not even in play - they don't play a lot - they are OLD :bgrin

I do understand everyone's concern about the bigs and littles together, and don't want people to think I'm a terrible horse "mom", so I have never talked on forum about the fact that all of mine are together at times.

I've never had a foal; so I can't advise you on the turnout with the foal.

YOu are not a terrible horse mom truth be told there are hundreds if not thousands of minis and ponies pastured with big horses all over this country.

Yes bad things can happen but then again bad things can happen with any horse and while some here have had bad experiences considering how many are out there I dont think bad is the every day occurance.

That said I have a 13.3 hand pony who NO WAY could go with the minis she is a loner and really not tolerent of them at all.. we had a 17 hand T/B who loved them. If someone managed to escape from the barn they could be found standing next to him sharing his hay.

 

[wildoak]

I have a dear 30 year old QH mare who doesn't go out with the minis, but hangs near the fence and grazes "with" them. Before we moved, I had several foals get into her pasture with her. She absolutely adored the babies and just freaked out when I took them away but foals are not smart about who to lie down and sleep under or who to just bump around on. They learn from being disciplined by other mom and other mares. I was always terrified she would step on a foal before I could get to it, just in her overprotective mama mode. Just my thoughts - even if your mares are pals, I'd think long and hard before I put a foal out with them.

Jan

 

[spellcasterminis]

Our minis, POA and big horses have ran together for years. Yes accidents can happen... almost had a nice vet bill because one of the mini stallions got to rough playing and bit my daughter's big paint gelding on the trachea. He couldn't eat hay for a few days and had a hard time eating his grain.

Our foal, Spellcaster's Dun Wicked aka Wicked, is 2wks old now. The big horses are in love with him and him with them. Although I haven't turned him and mom out with everyone else yet. They are still up front in their own lot. I'll wait until he's older before I do that. We have had mare and foals in with the big horses, but they were a couple of months old too.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

No, sorry this is not something you should do.

I have had mare's get in with big horses and have no harm come to them- I even had one mare foal down with a big Hunter gelding we had and he was so sweet with the baby.

Did I even consider for one moment leaving them in together??

No way, never.

Sorry, accident waiting to happen.

Sometimes it never does happen, that is all.

Bogs and Littles do not mix.

It is NOT the "vicious" horse that is the problem, it is the horse that is "just playing" that will kill your foal!!!

 

[susanne]

There are many, many terrible things that can happen to our horses over which we have absolutely no control. There are horrible, unpreventable things that can happen to the humans we love as well.

My philosophy is to focus on those things over which I DO have control...and this is one of them.

If you saw or knew of anything else that MIGHT be a problem that you could prevent or remove from their lives, even if the risk was slight, why in the world would you NOT do it?

Your mares can still continue their friendship on opposite sides of a fence. Please don't take ANY chances that are not necesary.

 

[Magic]

There are many, many terrible things that can happen to our horses over which we have absolutely no control. There are horrible, unpreventable things that can happen to the humans we love as well.

My philosophy is to focus on those things over which I DO have control...and this is one of them.

If you saw or knew of anything else that MIGHT be a problem that you could prevent or remove from their lives, even if the risk was slight, why in the world would you NOT do it?

Your mares can still continue their friendship on opposite sides of a fence. Please don't take ANY chances that are not necesary.

IMHO, Susanne said it perfectly.

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you know, when I was a child, car seats weren't at all common (if they had even been invented-- hey, my kids say that I am older than dirt, lol!) and my siblings and I didn't even wear seatbelts. Were we ever hurt in a car crash? Nope, but I know people who have been, and even been killed, because of not using carseats or seatbelts.

You can bet that MY children were ALWAYS in a car seat, and later ALWAYS wore seatbelts, and I wear mine always now too. It's a smart safety precaution.

One of my full-size horses was at my brother in law's place with a herd of other horses and got kicked two days ago-- my BIL reported that my horse wasn't putting weight on his leg and it could be broken. After a vet check, he's "just" badly bruised, but my boy is coming home today-- he'll be safer with his one brother than a whole bunch of unruly horses. If he had been a mini, he'd be dead, and I would never forgive myself....

 

[Miniv]

I also agree with Susanne........

You didn't say for sure what size foal, but am assuming it's a mini.........Nope. I would not take the chance, even if it were a pony foal and mom, I wouldn't do it.

Seen and heard of too many accidents.......and the accidents can go several ways........ Big horse accidently injures (or kills) the foal. Big horse accidently injures the mare trying to get friendly with the foal. OR mare is being protective of her foal and injures the Big Horse!!!!

MA

 

[Floridachick]

Or my scenerio where a 6 month old mini colt rolled under no climb fencing that I SWORE they could never get under and into the paddock with an Arab mare She chased him down and picked him up and shook him by his mane. All with me and 2 other woman in toe screaming bloody murder running across the 12 acres. He is fine, thank GOD< but I would NEVER EVER chance a mini with any big horse. This Arab has NEVER been nasty either. SCARY to see don't go there.

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[Watcheye]

My first mini used to somehow crawl under the fence where he was being kept seperately and crawl back in with a bunch of bigger horses from what I understand. This is when we were temporarily bording our horses durring a move. Boy did he ever scare a bunch of people. Luckily he never was hurt on those adventures and went on to be pastured with our other horses. He was a larger mini too. Now I have several other minis and there was a time when our 38 year old gelding would hobble around with them for a bit but, I would not turn minis out with large horses anymore just because its true, there is too much that could happen just accidentally. I would definately not turn out a baby mini in the same pasture as a big horse. Those little cuties are just so teeny tiny.

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[LizardBreath]

I have kept one of our minis in with my big horses (Arabs), because he didn't get along at all with the minis. The ONLY reason I let him stay in with them, is because my arab/paint mare tends to "adopt" any horse smaller then her (she did this with our other big horses when they were weanlings). Any time the other big horses decide to start playing, she herds the mini to the opposite end of the pasture, puts him in a corner, and stands gaurd. She is very protective of little ones (even rowdy teenage boys). I would never let my minis and big horses together unless she was with them, and I would never let a mini foal in with big horses, even her, foals are just to unpredictable.