Anything I should know about "downsizing"?

[Aficat]

Hey everybody! Yep, I'm thinking about my first mini. Technically it would be my mother's, but I'm the horseperson in my family :lol: ... My mom does a lot of after-school classes and community events, and she wants to start up a class about horses. The mini would come in on the "party day" and get petted and groomed by the kids, no riding or anything. I'd teach him a couple of tricks, he'd stand there and look cute, easiest life a mini ever had.

Well, I've been looking around on the internet and visiting a few prospective candidates (requirements: great disposition, cute, 2hrs or less from my house, *cheap*). I was hoping to find a nice sound gelding or mare, or maybe a retired show horse who needs a summer job, but all the adult minis around me for under a grand are all stallions. Not a big deal, a few snips and that can be fixed if needed

: but I found that rather odd, considering in the horse world geldings are usually the cheapest.

Anyway, last weekend we visited a mini south of us. This lady is moving into town, and wants a good home for her mini, somewhere that he'll be used. This mini sounds like a great fit for what we want. His name is Stuart Little's Silver Lining. He's a 30" tall 3yo (5-25-03) silver dapple tobiano stallion, registered AMHR, by Misty Creeks Little Magic (black & white pinto, 31") and out of Pee Wee's Patch's (Grey & White, 32.75"). I haven't seen his papers, this is just the info she sent me. She's had him for a few years, he's been raised around "big" horse mares and electric fencing, which is good since that's my situation at home, her kids have played with him, he's not afraid of dogs, he's relaxed around strange people, rather laid back all around... We're really thinking of getting him.

Is there anything I should know about having a mini that I wouldn't think of as a "big" horse person? I have 4 mares at home, a Foundation Quarter Horse and 3 rescue ponies (I think everyone's tall enough that there shouldn't be any "accidents", though I did see a Mini x MS Fox Trotter for sale online...) and 5+ acres they run around in all day. For introductions, I was thinking of seperating the mini for a few days, then adding whatever mare seems to be the most ok with him, then letting those two out with the others. I've never seen my mares be very aggressive to any other horse, so I think it would be fine to run him with them. Are minis alright on just pasture, or should I count on graining him too? My mares are keeping weight up well with an evening scoop of grain after a day at pasture, I don't know that a mini would need it. Could someone look up his papers online? Hopefully the AMHR doesn't charge you like the AQHA does, but I'd be grateful to have a look at them, especially since he's still a stud (not that I'd breed him anytime in the near future). I only know two famous minis, that cute pintaloosa, Orion something, and the Buckaroo buckskin. Now I can learn more bloodlines :bgrin. Anyone know his sire, dam, or dam's sire? I visited both of my QH's parents when I got her, and I like knowing more about where they came from. Would Stuart be AMHA eligible? Is there a huge difference between the two registries? Anyone here a member of the MN mini club? I saw something about a clinic in Shakopee, wondering if that might be good for the novice mini owner.

Sorry about the post length, when it comes to horses I can't shut up

: !

-Aficat

 

[Pandora]

It's dangerous to have big horses and minis run together. Several trajedies have occured where the big horse has stomped the little horse. But saying that, there have been succesful stories, it's just ill advised t do so. edit: I saw the pony part and that may be OK

Minis don't really need to be on pasture 24/7. They are like goats and don't know when to stop eating. All ours are on dry lot and allowed grass a few hours a week. They get hay and various grain and supplements. (I dont' feed, so don't know offhand what they get). people do keep theirs on pasture all the time. It just depends I guess. (there's so many ways to keep a horse )

And oh yes, once you buy one, you can't stop :new_shocked:

Good luck on your new acquisition. :aktion033:

 

[HGFarm]

This can be a touchy subject with some, but I have both large and small horses, and they are NEVER allowed to run together. I would make the Mini it's own section, where they can visit through the fence, but not together!

Also, be careful over feeding the mini, and keep its feet trimmed the same as you would with the big ones and the correct angles as well.

Also, annual shots, dental care and regular worming are necessary.

 

[chandab]

Welcome to the wonderful world of minis. :bgrin

FYI - Do NOT use Quest on minis, it can be fatal (it has too small of a dosage safety margin to be used with these little guys). Also, bute tends to be more toxic to the minis than full-size horses; so most use banamine instead (consult your vet, but remember many vets don't know these little bits of information about minis that makes them different from full-size).

 

[Jacquee']

I've got minis and "biggies" and I don't let them run together...... I have seen this work out OK, but I would be worried about a stallion. Even the gentlest, kindest mare in the world will squeal and kick while in season, and if she should happen to hit him in the head...... it would be a bad thing for the little stallion. Perhaps if you geld him, you could try him with one mare....... I have to say I would personally not sleep at night, but you know, I have seen an awful lot of people do this successfully. I think it depends on the individual horses.

When I first got minis, I was amazed at how far one tube of wormer would go! Also, I learned from my farrier how to trim feet, and I do most of the trimming now. If I get one that has grown a lot, or is growing funny (like on a young horse) I let the farrier do it because he is better than me, but for most of them I can do it myself.

You'll find you need to shut your gates tighter...... the fences don't need to be as high, but minis can sometimes slip through or under panels or fences that would hold in the big guys. We are thinking of installing a hot wire about 2 feet off the ground on the inside of the fences, to keep the minis from rubbing their butts on the fences! They are stretching out the field fencing!!

With only one (and don't even THINK you'll get away with only one - you will soon have more!) it may not bother your fences too much.

I also found I liked a shorter lead with a mini. I make my own leads and like 10' ones for the biggies..... but for the minis that is a little bit too much, so I make 6' ones for the minis.

For the most part though minis are exactly like biggies (except for the noted drugs that can cause problems, in Chandab's post) and you will probably find yourself laughing all the time at their antics.

 

[Aficat]

If he can find the holes our mares haven't yet, more power to him :lol: ! Kidding, but he's got some competition with my girls. If you can pick it up, unlock it, stick your head through it, jump over it, put it in your mouth, or get hurt on it, they've tried it. I'm going to bring my dog out to the barn. Anything he can get in gets boarded up before the mini goes in.

We have 4 strands of electric tape fencing, so as long as he'll stay in that he should be ok. Our pasture isn't really lush, it's just clover and grass right now, the pasture he's in looks a lot greener. I'll make a note of the bute and Quest thing so I'll remember. I think this is the only mini I'll have for a while (at least as long as my mom is paying for it

: ), though you never know...

Don't keep minis and biggies together? I wasn't expecting that. I've only known a few people with minis, nobody with more than one, and they've all kept them with big horses without any problems that I know of. They were teasers and family pets. The first couple of times was what I was worried about. I actually don't know when my mares are in heat, they don't really change demeanor on me. I took two of them up to MHTA, and they never even batted an eye at the studs up there for 3 weeks. I can keep him seperated, but I don't know how much he'll want to be in with the other horses, or the other horses will want in with him. My 14.2hh mare jumped a 5'5" round pen 'cause she was done (hasn't done it since, snotty little...

: It was her first time in there, she went around twice and went out), so if she really wanted to... I don't think she would, though.

Can somebody look up his pedigree for me?

 

[Sandee]

Can't help on the pedigree but you want to watch if all you have is electric fencing. Mini's, especially stallions, like to rub and roll and he might go over, under, or through depending on the moment and the space.

Also I have to tell you that when I got my stallion I had a QH mare. She put up with my older 35" gleding becasue she was desperate for company. I had seen her try to "put out the lights of a big stallion" and she was a bit of an alpha mare. My little 31" guy was only 1 1/2 yr old and that old mare ran around and around the outside of his pen with her tail so high you'd have thought she was part Arab! If he had been the least bit inclined, I think she'd have layed down and rolled over for him. He's 3 now and she's gone or he'd probably be out there trying. He has to re-sniff our little mini yearling's pen every morning.

So you never know when mixing mares and stallions - those hormones sometimes know no boundaries!

 

[Jill]

A lot of us, including me, were strictly big horse people, too, until we got our first minis

The rest is history...

For me, I would not run my minis with a big horse. I have heard too many sad stories about what can happen even with the most laid back biggies.

Also, would you consider gelding him if you got him? I'm thinking he probably couldn't navigate the logistics of getting the big girls in foal (but some mares will lay down!), but think how terribly frustrated he would be!

I've gelded some nice, successful show stallions and never regretted it. Only thing it did was make them easier to enjoy and able to be out with other horses.

Good luck!

PS Just a thought, I have a friend offering two geldings for sale as a pair very inexpensively. I do not think she'd want them in with a big horse but if you'd consider keeping them together separate from your big girls, they might be just what you all are looking for. You can see them on my website -- www.whinny4me.com

 

[Cimarron]

The one thing I wished I had known about minis that I learned the hard way was the bute thing. Do not use it or allow your vet to use it on your minis. I lost my first horse, Quinton from it. Good luck. Sheila

Ps. Don't count on just having one mini tho, more than likely it won't happen!!!! LOL

 

[Aficat]

Gelding is definitely a possiblity. I'm of the opinion that stallions should be stallions only if they're worth breeding, and a breeding horse should be the very best example you can find. I don't know that we'd ever breed him, or if he's better than "cute". I like my QH and her build, and many "show" mini pictures I look at seem more like mini Morgans or Arab x's than stock horses. I'll have to find the breed standard, or put some pictures on this forum...

I'd love the two geldings, but the drive from MN to VA and back for a pet or two isn't going to happen. $800 is also more than we'd like to pay (again with the *cheap* :bgrin , my pets are all good deals for one reason or another, mostly the "we're not rich" reason), though it might be worth it for two. Another mini we were looking at was $500, and he came with a cart and harness. A little too spirited for what we want, unfortunately. I'd love to find a gelding or mare, but all the ads I've looked through and the wanted ads I've placed have only studs as adult minis near us for under $500. Someone did offer an older show gelding, who might be perfect (a situation I was looking for, actually) but he has founder, and I'm not prepared to deal with that.

My mares have rolled too close to the fence before, and we've actually had a car crash into part of our fencing, you just retighten the part they broke and put a connector on it. It's the tape stuff, not wire. All the partitions inside should keep him from getting too far out if he does try to tear down the fence. I don't think he'd want to run with the cows next door. We'll cover the bottom part of the scratcher outside with carpet so he can itch too

: .

Edit:

Forqot my question... Do vets usually have the banamine on hand, or should I call and ask? It would be a bad thing if I couldn't find this stuff if he gets hurt. Are other wormers safe to use on minis then? Should I take him to a weight scale to get him weighed, or do weight tapes work on minis? I'm thinking thier stature would mess with the equasions, but I haven't tried it.

 

[Matt73]

I just got my mini's three weeks ago. I was frantic trying to figure out a really good feed program; I talked to breeders, people that showed mini's, and those that had them as backyard pets. Here is my advice about feeding:

There are so many factors in determining what is a proper feed program for your minis including: size, quality of hay, exercise (if any), region, etc. Don't let any one person tell you what is the right feed program for your horses. What works for some horses may not work for yours. One can't even synchronize feed programs for horses in the same barn. So...observe, talk to a feed rep and slowly build a feed program based on your "gut", education, and experience.

 

[outlawridge]

First, congratulations on deciding to enter the wonderful world of miniature horses! I also was a big horse person for most my life and waited ten years to get my first mini and that was in 1998. And yes, as others have posted, you simply cannot, will not and won't want to, have only one once you get to share in the "mini life". You've been getting good advice from others already but here's just a few tidbits from my experience....

I have horses ranging from 17 hands down to 26 inches and would never even consider putting my minis in with the biggies no matter how sweet, mellow, or begging they are. Even a tiny play kick on the part of a biggie has resulted in a lost eye (or worse) for a mini. And there seem to be a fair percentage of minis in the world running around with only one eye...of those I have personally known, all were the result of an accident with a biggie. I know there are people who have had no problems mixing them, but I simply could not do it. Practicing preventative care is way too important to me for these little ones.....well, for all of them for that matter.

One thing I have noticed is that my minis really enjoy toys, much more so than my biggies. Each of mine have a ball hanging in their stalls and there are basketballs in all the pastures and paddocks. I even taught one of my mares to play kick ball with me when she was six months old. To this day she knows just what I mean when I throw or kick a ball in her direction and start running! She also has made a game of fetch-tug-of-war-release and roll - fetch again with a roll of duct tape. But all of my minis seem to enjoy their play time with toys. Perhaps if you have your mini in his own area you could provide something for him to play with that will help occupy his mind and won't end up under the fence.

I love on my biggies very much and they enjoy it but the minis crave it. They seem to expect and need a bit more interaction with their humans than most of the biggies.

If you stall at night, be sure the walls and door of his stall is to the ground or very close and the door is tight fitting. There have been minis who have been stuck underneath a door with disastrous results, and my 35" rescue mini, who is no light weight as he is a draft type, squeezed through his door near the bottom in a space I couldn't force open anymore than 8 inches. I lowered the latch and that stopped that.

Good luck with your quest and the program you and your Mom are starting. It sounds like some kids will be having some new and good experiences!