A Mini Horse Checklist?

[Kira]

Not sure if there is already a topic on this or not, but I figured I'd post it anyway.

I am looking into getting a Miniature Horse next year, but before I do that I want to get a "presentation" together to give to my husband so he knows that I know what will go into it. Below I have listed what I have already. Please let me know if I'm missing anything or am wrong on anything. Thank you.

The Checklist

Purchase of Miniature Horse - $500 limit - one time only

Remodel of Shed to "Barn" - $1000 limit - one time only

Purchase of Grain for Horse - $15.00 per 50 lb bag - figuring 3 bags for year, I was told 1 bag would last all winter - $45.00/year

Purchase of Hay for Horse - $6.00 per bale - was told it would go through 1 per week - $312.00/year

Purchase of Shavings for Horse - $5.00 per bag - was told it would go through 2 per week - $520/year

Purchase of Wormer for Horse - $5-10.00 per month - $120/year

Purchase of Farrier Services - $40.00 per 6 weeks - $360/year

Purchase of Veterinary Services - $ not sure on this yet

Purchase of Fencing for Horse - $ not sure on total - $3.29 per post and $150.00 per 100 ft roll of fencing

Is there anything I'm missing or need to add/change? BTW, I live in Maine.

 

[chandab]

Well, depending on the size of mini you get, you may or may not be right on those feed calculations. I have mostly B-size minis (34-38" tall) and each goes through about one bale (75#) a week (often times more in winter when its cold, and a bit less in summer when they can graze part of the day),and a bag of grain every 60 days (I'm feeding a low volume feed, so they each get 3/4# daily, other feed may require higher feeding levels). [Plus I'm feeding soaked beet pulp, a bag last 3-4 months per horse. Its not a necessity, but I like that it helps hydrate the horses in winter when they might not drink as much.] [i have several minis, so go through much more than this, but trying to give you one horse figures.]

You'll need to consider salt, the little 4# salt blocks are a few dollars, and at most you might go through 1 per month, taking into account loss to weather if you keep it outside.

You'll need a few basic grooming supplies, most are a one time purchase. A halter or two, even with only one horse its hard to stop at just one halter.

You might have a hard time stopping at just one mini, they are like potato chips, you can't have just one (plus they are herd animals, and do better with a companion).

Oh, and there just might be a checklist of some sort on the "best of" forum, but I"m not sure.

Welcome.

 

[disneyhorse]

Hello...

I think you undershot the grain prices a little bit... I am not sure three bags will last a whole year for a mini... but I guess it depends on what sort of grain you get and how big your mini is.

I think you overshot the price of dewormer... is this for a daily dewormer? I just rotate pastes every eight weeks... and most pastes average about $7 a tube online for non-generic, and a tube can dose your horse five times if your mini is about #250. So it's only like $20 for the whole year to paste deworm!

Consider the cost of "extra" stuff... leadrope, halter, flymask, brushes, hoofpick, buckets, lungeline, lunge whip... I spend about $100 per year on "stuff" that the horse tends to accumulate.

Fly spray and shampoo and such, I spend $20-50 per year per horse...

Vaccinations, if you give your own can be as inexpensive as $30 per year... my vet charges $300! I usually spend an average of $500 per horse per year for veterinary costs... mind you, this is AVERAGE and some years I spend next to nothing and other years it's thousands of dollars! I figure it's an average of $500 though, that covers a colic call or the odd emergency, and then the BIG issues that spring up that are thousands. I've had spider bites that need steriod shots, colics, torn eyelids, abscesses, mysterious leg swellings, choke, and all sorts of fun stuff through the years.

My husband probably DOES NOT want to know what the horses cost me, so I never break it down!!!! I tell him the initial cost and how much board is... but from there the money just comes out of the account! ;-)

Good luck, you will have fun with a little one!

Andrea

 

[Kira]

I was looking at Tractor Supply Company for most of the things I would need. The feed I was looking at was the Purina Miniature Horse & Pony Feed that at my store costs $15.00 a bag. My friend who has 2 mini horses and lives in MA told me with adequate grazing they would need very little grain and that 1 bag would be enough to last all winter. Of course, not having any experience with having a mini horse I'm not sure exactly what I will need. I appreciate the help

Also, what is the MINIMUM grazing that I should have available?

(I have to tell my husband how much it'll cost and for what... he's the only one working, so it's essentially his money that I'm spending and he's the type that wants to know where it's going)

 

[chandab]

Do you have any horse experience, or is a mini your first horse?

If you have previous horse experience, then a mini is still a horse and you should expect the same manners from it as any other horse you've worked with. It'll have the same basic needs as any other horse, just things like feed and dewormers are a little less expensive as they are smaller (feed and wormers are based on weight).

If you have no horse experience, then perhaps if there is a therapeutic riding center or even maybe a horse rescue near you, and they would appreciate a volunteer and would be willing to help you learn the ropes of horse ownership over the next several months while you look into getting a mini.

 

[fourluckyhorseshoes]

You can get the generic tube wormer from horse.com and its about $20 for the whole year so would be able to get more usage out of it for a mini.

 

[Kira]

My mother and my aunt both had horses about 6 years ago, but after my mother's gelding passed away from colic and my aunt sold her gelding, I haven't had any experience with them. I used to ride both geldings regularly. As for mini horses, I have no experience with them. I am reading a lot about them and will be going to various breeders in the Spring/Summer of next year to get a better feel for them.

 

[chandab]

My mother and my aunt both had horses about 6 years ago, but after my mother's gelding passed away from colic and my aunt sold her gelding, I haven't had any experience with them. I used to ride both geldings regularly. As for mini horses, I have no experience with them. I am reading a lot about them and will be going to various breeders in the Spring/Summer of next year to get a better feel for them.

If you rode and worked with the saddle geldings, then at least you have a good start and aren't totally green to horses. Miniatures are still horses with just a few differences.

This forum is a wonderful resource as are the Little Beginnings Home page, the info pages are great, just filled with information. There is a link to LB home page at the top of the forum and from there you can find the info pages.

 

[Ann knight]

Well. imo, one horse alone is not a good thing ...they need company of some kind ...preferably another miniature horse . Maybe you have a friend who like to get a miniature and they could board at your place , helping with the costs . I don't mean to dampen your enthusiasim but I have found things always seem to cost more than expected so best to budget for the unexpected . Miniatures are wonderful and it great to see you planning for your new family member.

.....Ann

 

[Kira]

I hadn't thought of that, Ann. Thank you for mentioning it. I will certainly do some networking and see if there is anyone I know who would like to do that.

 

[Ann knight]

I did that with a friend ...well actually it was horse number 3 and then I ended up buying her half out ...my husband swears that was the plan all along

.........Ann

 

[JMS Miniatures]

IMO any animal needs a buddy. You can have a goat for a friend or I'm sure you can find 2 geldings localy for around your price range.

I also agree your going to be buying more bags of grain than that. For one or 2 minis I can see 6 bags a year. The hay you probably got it right for one mini one bale can last a week, or maybe just under a week. It all depends on where you buy your hay. Right now I give 4 flakes of hay a day to 3 of my minis and a bale is lasting me 2 days, 3 days max. But the weights of bales are so different its redicolous, but I think if I had good size bales I can defintelly go thru 2 a week for 3 horses. Wormer it all depends on what you buy, and its also important to rotate wormers. The tubes I generally buy $5-$10 a tube, and I only worm every other month and for one tube if you rotate should last you all year. So a year's worth of wormer can be less than $50 a year. One thing you didn't list is vaccinations. Mine cost me around $80 a year for one mini and thats if I do it myself. Farrier services it all depends how much it costs in your area. I have myself a good one that just charges me $15 a mini and I have him come down maybe every 3 months, you can usually get yourself longer during the winter months, and you may get yourself lucky and get one that only needs 6 months of trimming. And I think Disneyhorse put a good estimate and save yourself $500 in vet costs a year, you never know when you'll use it. I even forgot dentist work. A horse's teeth should be done at least once a year, even sometimes twice a year, my vet charges me $50.

 

[disneyhorse]

Oh, that's a good one, JMS... dental. Horses deserve to have their teeth floated once a year. Lots of people don't, because "out of sight, out of mind" but a lot of horses I've seen have ulcers all along the insides of their cheeks from sharp points. My vet and dentist always invite me to look in their mouths, and I'm always surprised to see how sharp those waves can get sometimes.

Here, a dentist is about $200, my vet is $380.

Andrea

 

[chandab]

On the dental...

Here's what my little stallion had removed from his mouth this summer (well she cut them off and then floated):



One is a severe ramp from the back, and the other a slab fractured piece of a different tooth on the same side. No wonder he couldn't eat long-stem hay; he was on soaked senior and chopped hay for several months (most of the time was while I was snowed in and no one could get out here).

 

[Chelley]

I was going to suggest a goat "buddy" too if you don't get 2 horses...they don't like to be by themselves. Also, minis can founder easily, so be careful not to leave them out constantly on pasture, especially in the spring when the grass is rich and wet. Have a place where you can rotate to a "dry lot" so they don't graze too much. You will have to purchase a stock tank and a stock tank heater for winter if you live where you have a cold winter (unless maybe you have a nice pond). Other than that, I think you have taken into account most expenses...some you estimated a little high and some a little low, but would probably all balance out. Excited for you!!! They are so sweet and a lot of enjoyment!

 

[Nancy]

I don't post on here very often but, grain is one thing that I am very adamant about, I am not commenting on the amount you will use per year as you already have gotten good ideas on that BUT, I would like to address a very important issue and that is safety of that grain, it is difficult to keep grain safe when feeding only one miniature horse due to the length of time it would need to be stored, it is difficult to store it safely for the length of time it would take for 1 miniature horse to consume a 50lb bag of grain. I would not feel safe using the same bag of grain for 4 or even 3 months. We buy a ton a week but, that is only enough grain to last a week to 10 days,summer is especially important as you would probably be using less grain per day and it is imperative that grain be stored cool and dry even with pellet grain and feed suppliments.

 

[heartkranch]

Some minis stay so fat I wouldn't worry about grain, so I would wait on that. Hay here is 12.50 a bale, so really depends on your area. Get really good hay and that'll be even less worry with grain. Feed as you good.

Wormers you can by a years worth on horse.com, it'll even tell you what month to give what to.

Fencing and barn stuff, I would do before you get the horse, I bet you were already planing that. Always double on price of barn and fencing repair, something always comes up.

Shaving.... I use 2 bags after I strip a stall and a half a bag once a week after cleaning all week, a whole bag if its a 10x10..

It's better to have two horses together. Plus it'll be easier on them, and the wormer can be used.. hahah thats what I tell myself when I get another.

 

[targetsmom]

I think it is great that you are doing your homework FIRST, before you fall in love with a mini. But here is something else to consider. I think by now you have figured out that the cost of KEEPING the mini is going to be more than the cost you budgeted for the mini himself (or better yet, 2 of them). It will cost NO MORE to feed and keep a $1,000 mini as it will a $500 one, and perhaps less if the more expensive one has fewer health problems. In the long run you may be a lot happier with your mini experience if you wait until you can spring for a slightly more expensive mini (or 2).

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I want to add if a mini doesn't get grain its very important that they get their vitamins and minerals so you will need a mineral block if not fed grain.