death of a great little mini

[RJRMINIS]

Danielle you beat me to it!! Why ON EARTH would people keep putting up the defence "It depends on the horse"??? Do you think we are saying your horses have bad temperaments, and you have to defend them??  It's YOU we think are nuts, not the horse.  We NEVER blame the horse!!

Rabbit has a perfect temperament.  He is 26 years old and was born a gentleman.  When handles by a child (which he has only ever been for fun, at home, with me also holding the rein) he will walk past a mare in full season and NEVER say a word.  Not even look.  NOW....exactly WHAT would you think of me if I shoved him in a Youth class (ignoring the rules) with a four year old leading him???  I could point out that he just won the class, I could point out that his manners were perfect form start to finish, I could point out that no-one had even sussed he was a stallion.  Would you say"Oh that's alright then??"  NO WAY.  You would, quite rightly, having a screaming fit about how I had, potentially, put your children at risk by putting them in a potentiallydangerous position.  "But nothing happened" I would wail.  "Nothing has ever  happened" I would defend.  "He has been in Youth classes for sixteen years and nothing has ever happened" Not unreasonably you would point out that I had got away with breaking the rules for sixteen years. 

That is all.

That is all you ever do.

You get away with it.

It does NOT depend on the horse.  It is SO unfair for ANYTHING to depend on the horse.

This little horse did not get away with it.

He paid for his owners stupidity with his life.

I am absolutely CERTAIN she would tell you "They have never done anything like that before"!!!!!

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I just want to make a statement on the full size horse issue. as stated before that I keep my gelding in with miniatures. YES i realize accidents can happen, as with any horses big or little in together accidents can happen.

I think if you have animals in together there is always potential for accidents, big or little......I lost a Miniature stallion due to a kick from a miniature mare, just the right kick is all it takes! (BIG or LITTLE) The mare hit him just right and broke a rib that punctured a lung, after all night at the vet with IV's trying steroids, etc. We lost him, The vet said it is one of those "freak" accidents, it just takes the "right kick" or accident sometimes.

Now it didn't matter that she was another miniature. One thing I have learned, accidents happen, Owning animals of any kind proves this. Now I understand many of you think it is CRAZY to have a big horse in with miniatures, but in my case my gelding has been with miniatures for over 8 years, never has even offered to kick at one, they get along wonderful, and he would be lost and upset without them. Now I wouldn't bring a new full-size horse home and stick it in with the mini's.

I don't think anyone would keep there miniature with big horses if there where any signs of danger. And yes, accidents can happen, but they can with other miniatures too. So unless you are going to stall your horse by itself then there is always a chance for an accident Big or little.

Only my opinion, but I do stand by it in my case!

 

[tracerace]

I'm so, so sorry. I know you must be heart broken...

I can't for the life of me understand why people don't hear this message. If it never happens, they translate it as "safe", instead of "lucky". It's LUCK that keeps a mini safe when pastured with the big horses, nothing else.

Accidents happen with horses but some can be avoided.

 

[RENMACMINIS]

KsCowgirl.. I am with you... I keep my big horses with my minis... and if you all think its luck.. well then so be it.... If you think big horses shouldnt be put out with minis.. then i guess you better not put foals out with your herd.. isnt that the same??? little in with big??? I am so sick of this topic... nothing is going to change my mind on how i pasture my horses.. oo and while we are at it.. My dry lot is electric fence..3 strands. they do not even go near it!! MY HORSES RESPECT FENCE.. YES EVEN MY STALLIONS! Maybe that was the problem in this case? Maybe the fence was grounded out and the owners didnt realize it? I am sorry for the loss of this horse. But there are circumstances where this type of fencing does work.. The same way with there are circumstances where big horses and small horses do get along. Flame me if you wish.. frankly I dont care. I am so sick of people on this forum thinking there way is the only way and everyone elses way is WRONG... Mary Lou im sorry.. but this forum has gotten down right nasty anymore. People wonder why alot of the old people dont post anymore.. I CAN SEE WHY NOW!! And I think I am going to do the same from now on...

 

[shminifancier]

I agree with you minis: This is a tragedy for sure..But it was a pure accident..Those horses were never going to be turned out together, But by the fact of a very poor fencing system the little one got in with the big one..Never had been introduced together never even had been tried in with each other .This was a pure unfortunate accident plain and simple...Never had grown up together never even tried to be with each other..Any horse in this circumstances might have come out on the short end of things.

 

[Ashley]

YOu cant blame the person. They didnt purposely put the horses together, the stud got out and did what any stud would do..................find his herd. So dont be so quick to jump on the owner. And electrice fence isnt bad. NOt everybody can afford top of the line fence, nor do they all want that.

We also dont have big horses but we did raise a zebra up with our horses. NEver a problem.

We also have a camel liveing with all the horses now, stallion, mares and foals. Never has hurt them.

I also do know people that put there minis with the bigs...... again not a problem. And I do beleive it depends on the horse.

JMO shoot me if you have to.

 

[wpsellwood]

Amen Rabbits Fizz!!! People just dont get it until it happens to them, and hopefully it wont.

 

[Mnmini]

Certainly a tragedy, preventable? Maybe.

For every positive in any particular fencing system, there are also cons. Electric fencing CAN most certainly be one of the BEST fencing choicing for many. If you are using the right fencer, and have it grounded, and make it VISIBLE, you won't be having horses get out, stallions, or otherwise.

For those that go with wood only..have seen horses impaled after crashing through the wooden fence. Have seen horses fail to come to a complete stop, slide partially under the fence, scramble to get up, breaking leg. Have seen hooves pulled off when animal stuck their foot through a wire mesh fence. Have seen horses nearly decapitated from high tensil fencing, have seen horses "hung" on pipe fencing (both from turning head sideways between rail, panick, then "hang," plus nearly jumping fence, getting hung up at the flank, with hind legs dangling on the other side.) Took 2 large men to try to get the panel out from under the latter animal without further injury. So, I would be more than a little hesitant to be quite so critical of another owner's fencing choices, as they say people in glass houses....

 

[runamuk]

I am sorry for your loss.....accidents happen.....

I also will never learn as I am one of the few who has kept mini's in with my big's HORROR'S

The way I see it in order to be perfectly safe we best keep all horses seprated into individual paddocks that way nothing will be injuring something else......oh and anyone who has cats and dog's better seperate them as the size is too different.....lets see also probably ought not let our elementary aged kids play with their high school age sibs......

I wish we in this country could go back to accepting ACCIDENTS HAPPEN and quit trying to find someone to blame.....but gee if we went back to the concept of accidents where would that leave all the high priced lawyers and insurance companies........

it's called sarcasm

 

[tracerace]

I wish we in this country could go back to accepting ACCIDENTS HAPPEN and quit trying to find someone to blame.....but gee if we went back to the concept of accidents where would that leave all the high priced lawyers and insurance companies........
it's called sarcasm

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So, you let your kids play in the road? You drive 70 miles an hour in a school zone? You never wash your food off or your hands after using the bathroom?

This isn't about ACCIDENTS. It's about preventing a bad situation. Simplifying it into sarcasm won't change the fact that all too often this message is ignored for the easier or more convenient route.

 

[nootka]

I fully agree that full sized horses and minis should be kept separately.

I DID run my Arabian mare w/my big Bs, but I probably wouldn't even do that again, now that I know better.

All in all, this was a terribly sad situation, and no, the horse was not meant to be in with those full sized horses, but the fencing situation should have been better, and so they acknowledge their mistake. They are stating their experience so others can learn.

NO, not everyone can afford new, wonderful fencing, but then, maybe they should think twice before adding another horse, or a stallion, or a full sized, horses that can't be in together.

I know MY fencing is not adequate to leave a stallion separate from the herd I don't want him in with, so my stallion was not allowed to be out and share the fenceline w/the horses he could not be with. It was a major pain for me, and ultimately part of the reason I decided to sell him until I can rectify my fencing.

The issue on the big w/minis is like this to me:

If someone were to say, for example, that they free ranged their minis in a place where there was a road running through it, wouldn't you ALL be horrified, and yet, they have never had an accident, might give the exuse, "But noone ever drives that road, or they don't drive fast if they do, and we've never had an accident."

You would say it's an accident waiting to happen. It is the same to me.

You can quote all the accidents you want that happened even w/out bigs being involved, but it's not the same.

You KNOW there is an increased risk yet you do it anyway, that is your choice, it's just too bad that you can't see that you are being lucky rather than smart to know your horse's temperaments. It's not about that, it's about the fact that a full sized horse play-kicks with enough force to kill a mini instantly and easily, and 99 out of a hundred times, that would be fine w/mini vs. mini.

And so you take your risk, but I would not let my minis run loose in the road, even on an abandoned one.

We all have to agree to disagree. We will continue to defend our choices even though we know it's risky. Duly warned, I guess!

Liz M.

 

[Crossbuck Farms]

Sorry for your loss. I keep my bigs with my minis not as much as I used too. Certain horses keep well some don't. Accidents are just part of life.

 

[shminifancier]

I agree and this one was a pure accident because of getting out of a fence pure and simple.. Nothing about putting minis with big ones...This post was an unfortunate accident nothing more nothing less.