and people worry about minis

[Loren&Rocky]

I know for a fact my big horses would love to stomp the little guys. They are ALWAYS kept seperate here at my humble farm. I would rather not take chances with my guys.

Your little guy is VERY confidente he can take the big ones. Very brave!!

 

[stormo41]

hey, i think it's cute how your minis play with your big horses. i know that some people that keep there minis with their big horses. big horses can kill other big horses with a playful kick too, i've seen it happen. they are your horses, do what you want to do.

 

[shminifancier]

I see minis in with not only full sized horses but Drafts at that..Just down the road from me...I have turned mine out many times with a full sized Arabian...And when moving to AZ. my small guy traveled in the same stall as the Arabian mare so we could split the cost of using only one stall on the trailer..And that was a 5 day ride with a coast to coast hauling.. No biggy... They called it a mare/foal...So my friend that owned the Arabian mare and I were lucky to be able to do that on the long trip from Wisc. to AZ.

So here my little guy was in with a Arabian mare for that trip.

 

[MyLittleMini]

I had thought about putting my mini in with my full size paint gelding when i first got him, that was untill the mini jumped out of my round pen and in with my gelding. I got to watch my gelding run down the mini grab him by the mane with his teeth and slam him on the ground all before i was able to get some feed to catch the gelding. Horses are animals and as nice and gentle as they may be they can be dangerous as well. They don't have the same emotions as we do and don't care how "fragile" something is. Luckly my mini was unharmed but it could have turned out SOOOO much worse. I will NEVER put my mini in with my gelding or any other big horse.

Amanda

 

[aBreeze]

You can't bring up a controversial and potentially volatile subject and then to have everyone gleefully agree with you.
Even your topic's title is "challenging" to those who have different opinions.

How old are you if I may ask

Since when do I want everyone to gleefully agree with me? Im not going to agree with everyone else, and everyone else isnt going to agree with me. Thats the way of the world, different ideas, opinions, experiences, etc... its the only way to advance. I know what can happen, that can happen with any of the horses. Our old mare ripped her eye open while in the pasture 4 years ago. We dont know what happened, or how but it did. She had to have it amputated. The people who owned our property before us had a Shetland filly whom ran into the gate and broke her neck. Bucky ripped his eyelid while at the state fair 2 years ago. My horse Dollie got a piece of loose twine wrapped around her pastern 2 years ago which resulted in serious rope burns. I dont know how, since Im neurotic about loose twine in the pasture but theyr horses and theyr going to find trouble wherever they go. Mares accidently trample their own foals, horses colic, get tangled in fences, etc. Next year Buck will be seperated from the big herd, right now hes seperated because hes egging everyone on and we dont want him to get hurt. But keeping him in the paddock hes in now isnt possible for long term. If something happens Ill be sure not to come crying here, since I brought it on myself.

BTW Im 16.

 

[KrazyHorses]

My yearling mini filly is fine with my older TWH gelding. I have an Appendix filly going to a new home real soon so I'm not worried about her. BUT, I have a Clyde colt who I do not think is going to be co-habitable with the mini. The limited times they've been together all he does is chase her. Even after gelding I'm not sure I will trust them together. He's too young and too big.

After the Appendix filly goes, I'm faced with a threesome and I'm not liking the mini left out. I hate the thought of adding to the herd again, but I have been thinking about another mini to pair her up with.

It's a hard thing about getting new horses and knowing how they are all going to get along. Then, when you think you are cutting back...you end up looking for another one

 

[susanne]

You need to keep in mind that the problem is not with a mini NOT getting along with the big horse -- the bigger danger seems to be when they DO get along great and play and romp together. I see some of the kicks delivered between my three ministo one another, and would never want to see that delivered by a big horse to a mini even in fun.

 

[mountain_waif]

....

 

[Shari]

Ok,, well... I have kept my mini's in with my Icelandic mare off and on for years.

Icelandic's don't tend to kick like other horses.. they will back up to each other butt to butt push at each other and squeel very loudly. Only breed I have seen do this.

All the years of being around Icelandic's,, only known of one that kicked and it was a gelding.

Now my Fjord mare,, first non Icelandic riding horse in a long time. She will kick... just like other breed of horses.

So my mini's are in another pasture.

However.. Ella the Jenny is in with her buddy Dyfra and the Fjord mare.

Ella helps keep Dyfra calm, in fact both can get really upset if they are not in together. So short of putting the Fjord out by herself she will be in the pasture with them.

Accidents happen no matter how careful one is. It is up to each person to decide what is best for their animals. I have seen big horses break each others legs and worse. I have seen mini horses fight to the point one had to be put down, these were stallions, the owner was always very careful to keep them on the other side of the property from each other. But some how they got out and went after each other. Nothing in life is a sure thing.

 

[littlearab]

I have put a minie gelding in with 2 arab geldings, they seemed to get along fine. But I do think it was because they were all geldings. But they are not together now, he is in with my mini mares. The mini came to me from a place where he was with big horses for 7 years. I do have a minie stallion in with a weanling arab right now. They also get along great, the stallion is the boss and the weanling does not ? the mini being boss.

I think the minis do not know they are only 30 -38 inches tall, they see another horse not a BIGGER horses and act like that way. Also the other horses do not see a smaller horse only another horse. So they do what horses do fight for food, picking order, or flirt

what ever.

Best to keep them apart....

Next winter I well not have any young fillies so can just winter the stallion with the mares. But for this year, I have to keep the stallon out. And being I do not have pens in the winter(the cattle are home),to keep the stallion alone, he must be with the weanling.Better then putting him in with the cattle or worst yet the bulls.

Putting him in with a big weanling is NOT perfect, but is the better then a bred yearling filly.

 

[Marty]

My quarter horse can visit by the fence with the minis and they do aggatate the heck outta him. He can also just reach over and grab one easily and kill one or rip an ear off if I didn't have a hot wire running along the top of the fence and knee high to both sides to keep them both away from contact.

but our situation doesnt allow for a whole lot of seperation.

This is just another example of people that buy animals that are not prepared to fence and cross fence and separate for whatever reason be it too much time or trouble or money so let's just shove them all together and let the chips fall where they may.

Why is it that people think that since minis are little, they can just fit them in anywhere they darn well please?

Its also worked for 4 years so far

Lucky you, but there's always a first time. Please cross fence and separate and do not take this lightly.

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

My gosh....sounds like you know better...but you just don't get it. 

I will keep your little guy in my prayers.

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You took the words right outta my mouth

 

[Lauralee]

My gosh....sounds like you know better...but you just don't get it.  

I will keep your little guy in my prayers.

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You took the words right outta my mouth

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I'll second that.

 

[chandab]

But for this year, I have to keep the stallon out. And being I do not have pens in the winter(the cattle are home),to keep the stallion alone, he must be with the weanling.Better then putting him in with the cattle or worst yet the bulls.

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I know what you mean, we raise cattle, too. Although, I got lucky, we have one working pen without water, so we don't use it for cattle in the winter. I was able to snatch it up for the minis, but I do have to haul water to them [not too bad to haul two 5 gal buckets a day for the minis - it would be much, much more for cattle].

 

[HGFarm]

aBreeze, it is apparent in your other post that you are well aware of the injuries that horses can sustain just in 'every day life'..... I would not want to add to that percentage of allowing a 'possible accidental situation' to happen.

You would worry over baling string, but not a 1250 pound horse in with a 200 pound one just because something has never happened? Had the incident with the leg becoming entangled not happened, would you never pick up twine or wire then?

Just like toddlers, if there is ANYthing they can get into, they will- even when you try to have them in 'fool proof' fencing etc.. If your little horse keeps challenging the big one, the big one may get sick of it someday and let him have it. We have had full sized horses do that and I had a QH mare kicked clean OUT through a fence by a full sized gelding that she had picked on for months. She got him in a corner and he had had enough.

I would never want to increase the percentage of an accident or death happening. I love my horses too much. Ditto what mountain_waif said!!

 

[billiethekid40]

Those video's make me cringe when I see them. I for one am CONSTANTLY researching new ways to keep my horse safe, from improved fencing, to improved tack, improved vaccination and worming schedules, new ways to train and feed. Why oh why oh why would someone put soooo much time and energy into looking for ways to keep their horse safe, and then just shake their head and say "nah, even if I DID do what I know would improve his chances of staying healthy and safe, he could still get hurt, so why bother?" Unsound reasoning if you ask me.

 

[rhea]

Can't see the videos, but wanted to add I have never -intentionally- had minis in with big horses ( except when we bought a pony foal, but she was just a little bigger then the minis anyways) But although some horses and minis get along fine (We had one colt who would get out of 6 strand hot-wire fence - he had such thick hair and was so quiet the he didn't mind crawling through the strands, so he would get out with the big horses every once in a while - our 16hh WB mare would let NO ONE near him - she was alpha and she would spend hours grooming him until we once more got him back into the paddock only to have him get out again) But sometimes it doesn't work out very well, our stud colt has gotten out a few times (went straight through the hotwire) and the big horses were absolutely terrified of him, wouldn't go anywhere near him. Personally, I'd never want to put big/little horses together as I've heard of SO many cases of injuries, but I do know what it's like to have no choice! We even got a sheep fencer for our escape-artist colt and there was nothing that would keep him in. Hope your mini stays safe, good luck.

 

[capall beag]

I just watched the videos WOW he is a JERK

Looks like you care well for your horses and I assume you love them greatly and I guess you are doing what you think is right for them.

Personally, I would be hyperventilating watching that video in real life. That mini reminds me of my old Chihuahua, all 4 lbs of him. He would take on any dog and he was so cocky about it. I had to keep him under lock and key because a big dog could kill him in a second. But as a dog he didn't know that as a human I did! I saw it as my job to protect him from himself

I would feel the same way about your little mini, if he were mine BUT of course he is not and I am only seeing what you have chosen to show on video.

I just turned a 44" pony out with my mini's and I am VERY anxious about it! So far all is well BUT I hope I have made the right choice in doing it.

I guess we all do what we think is best?

 

[qtrrae]

I just watched the videos and you are right, Buck is so full of himself, he is really a little stinker.

What an adorable little horse but please do not put him back in with the big horses, he is just out there looking for an accident to happen.

I think you really care about him and I'm sure you would be heartbroken if he were kicked and hurt.

 

[Crossbuck Farms]

I keep my minis with my ponies and have kept them with my big guys in the past. But I prefer mini to mini, pony to pony, horse to horse, because my 16 hand TB hurt my one hackney pony of 48" pretty good. She healed up fine.