Does anyone have a dwarf?

[Flyte200]

Does anyone have a dwarf????

I have just got into mini's i have one already and he's in my field with a friends mini for company.

One of my best friends mares had a dwarf this year and i love him. He is not a really bad dwarf but his legs are off, it doesnt bother him one bit.

Apart from his legs he is perfect.

Just wondering if anyone has had this problem and what supplements they have given the dwarf for his joints.

Any info i would love to hear.

From Sarah S.

 

[shoeboxstables]

We have a dwarf mare who was rescued from an auction this past december. She is severly cow-hocked, and therefore waddles when she walks. However, we have had multiple vets look at her, and they have all confirmed that she is in no pain. She is the sweetest, and most loveable horse I have ever met. I would be interested to hear what people have to say about this topic. We do not use anything in the way of suppliments right now, and she's doing fine so far. Granted, she is somewhere between one and two.

If you are going to take on a dwarf mini, be sure that you are ready to deal with any health problems they may encounter. Keep in mind that he may worsen with age. Also, you need to be able to know when it's time to let them go and be out of their pain. With our Jazzy, we all knew when we got her that it is very likely that we will have to put her down when she's 6-10 years old, when the artheritis will get the best of her. Right now it's hard to imagine, seeing her runing around the paddock playing with the others, but the day will come.

Also, you'll have to take into consideration how the dwarf will adapt to your other horses. Our minis used to be kept with my morgan mare, but when Jazzy moved in, that had to change. Although she is 30, that mare would kill my little dwarf if she was in a bad mood. Even a normal, small mini that is normally unagressive can hurt a dwarf that may have problems getting away. So you should be ready to separate them if need be.

Well sorry for rambling, since I really didn't answer your question!

: Having a dwarf can be great, but there is a special side to them you need to be aware of. If you'd like to see our little girl, you can go to her page on our website: www.shoeboxstables.com/horses/jazzy.html. Once again, sorry for rambling, and I really hope things work out for your and your little guy!

 

[Robin_C]

Our dwarf was adopted through Chance's Mini Horse Rescue (CMHR) and we couldn't love him more if he was absolutely perfect. He has lots of joint problems, so in addition to his specialized farrier care, we top dress his feed with Corta-Flx liquid with HA (hyaluronic acid). He seems to do very well on this. The liquid is absorbed into the system very rapidly, so if it is going to help, you will notice the difference very quickly. The product is expensive, but you only have to give 0.5 cc so a $40 bottle will last a long time for one dwarf miniature. It apparently is tasty, as none of my horses have ever refused it, though I have been told my friend's dwarf wouldn't eat it. No accounting for taste, I suppose. The good news is, it won't hurt any of your other horses if your dwarf decides it's not to his liking. We give it to all of our working show horses, too.

Robin C

 

[starleemay]

There is a website for dwarves. www.groups.yahoo.com/group/dwarfminiaturehorses/. I have 2 dwarves. They are given 2 supplements. They get Vita Flex MSM & Glucosamine 99S. :saludando:

 

[Flyte200]

I'll have a look at the website

Thanks.

Robin can you buy Corta-flx and hyaluronic acid over in Ireland???/

I will look at your mare on the website.

Thanks for the information...

Sarahxx

 

[Robin_C]

Robin can you buy Corta-flx and hyaluronic acid over in Ireland???/

I'm really unsure about overseas availability. Might check with the manufacturer as the product may be available there but under a different name.

Here is the contact information for the manufacturer:

Corta-Flx contact page

Corta-Flx is a proprietary formula, but there are similar products that should be available in your area. If Corta-Flx is unavailable, look for oral supplement products containing glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin and particularly hyaluronic acid (HA) available in either liquid, pelletized or powder form.

Robin C

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Yes, you can, no problem. Off the shelves.

 

[Flyte200]

Is there anything else you would recommend or is that the best?????????///

Sarah S

 

[Robin_C]

Each horse is an individual and will respond differently to products tried. When one doesn't seem to provide the results you're looking for, you can always try another. That being said, I personally have had the best results with liquid Corta-Flx, either with or without added HA (the regular Corta-Flx liquid has 40 mg of HA per serving while the Corta-Flx w/HA has 100 mg of HA per serving). I have noted an immediate response within 48 hours in the horses I have used it on and more improvement over the first 7 days.

The other product I personally would rate second to Corta-Flx is Equinyl CM, either the pellets or the liquid. I'm sure others may have recommendations for products they have used. For some of my horses that are getting along in years but are not overtly arthritic or in hard use, I simply use MSM. That product is quite economical and they do seem to move more freely on it.

Robin C

 

[Little Bit]

[SIZE=12pt] :saludando: Hello Sarah~[/SIZE]

I wasn't sure if you were telling us that you own the dwarf, or if your friend still has it.

Well, anyway, perhaps I could be of some help with the little one's legs, I am the lady who designs and makes Little Bit's *Magic Shoes*, they are corrective shoes for horses, and depending on what kind of leg problems this little fella is having, they might be just what he needs!

Also I would like to invite you to join us on a forum that I started up about a year and a half ago for all kinds of special animals, plus dwarf minis, and the *Magic Shoes* horses and their owners. I think you will find it VERY helpful in learning more about these very special little horses, every one is willing to share their experiences.

Here's the address for Little Bit's Forum:

http://www.sunshineforums.com/forum/?mforum=littlebit

You have gotten some very good advice already from the folks on this forum, and I am sure more dwarf owners will chime in with their thoughts as well.

:

I have adpted 7 dwarf minis over the last 10 years, and I still have 6, I lost my beloved Little Bit almost 3 years ago, on June 2nd.

I still have my Tessa, the first little one, she turned 10 in Jan.

All my dwarves are on a human joint supplement called "Joint Care", I swear by it, and recommend that all dwarves be put on some kind of a joint supplement, as soon as possible, as arthritis settles into their joints at a very early age.

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions you may have reguarding dwarf minis.

[email protected]

If you look in my signature below, you will also see the address for an article I wrote on "Dwarfism In The Miniature Horse", as well as an article John Eberth wrote.

 

[TinyMiteVillage]

Be prepared for when the time comes to put them down. I lost my little girl Hershey last October and then her half brother who was also a dwarf, grieved hisself to death and passed away in December. THis past Sunday I lost my third baby boy. Prince was a sweetheart. He would have been a yr old this summer. But the good Lord called him home. But he was loved and well cared for while he was alive. Now he can run and play with no deformities.

:

I still have one dwarf left, :aktion033: Pippa, we call her PippaRooney because she is so comical

: . These little ones have a way of stealing your heart

: . And you get the satisfaction of knowing your gave one of God's precious creatures a chance to grown and flourish with all the love you have to give

: .

Just be prepared to know they normally don't have a long life span but while they are here they can steal your heart...............

:

 

[Flyte200]

I know you just get to like them so much.........

Sorry to hear about your's.

Thank you for the info tho...

 

[Little Bit]

I'm so sorry to hear this news of little Prince Susan.

I didn't know you had lost him, too!

Every dwarf is unique, I don't think there are ever any two exactly alike. They may be the same type of dwarf, but have different problems all together.

I have found that the Achondroplasia type dwarves seem to live a pretty normal life with few health problems. They are almost always severely cow hocked, and may have some contracted tendons in the front. I knoiw of one little mare that is 16 years old and doing great. Tessa, although she is not what I would call a Brachycephalic dwarf, but most definetly a true dwarf, turned 10 years old in January. Bless her little heart, I hope I am blessed with having her for MANY more years to come. As well as the rest of my sweet babies.

: