feeding a miniature
- Thread starter randy
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The lady I got him from said to feed him
a small handfull of feed twice a day and half
a flake twice a day! It just doesnt seem to be enough?? i dont know??
he is my first mini well actually my first horse!!!!
So I need all the advice I can get!!!
a small handfull of feed twice a day and half
a flake twice a day! It just doesnt seem to be enough?? i dont know??
he is my first mini well actually my first horse!!!!
So I need all the advice I can get!!!
Leeana
Well-Known Member
I cant help much, but here is my feeding schedule currently.
Mine have hay available almost all day, Normally they get 1 block AM which since they pick through it for the good parts before actually eating anything, lasts them a good amount of time. Then when i get home, they get more hay around 3pm, which lasts them pretty long still.
~Grain~
AM: along with there hay they get 1 scoop of a type on Equine feed (Either Junior, or Adult. Depends on the age).
PM: 2 scoops of grain.
Then around 7pm at night, i'll give them just a bit of Alphalfa cubes (soaked for about 10-15 minutes, served hot :bgrin) just as a nightly treat. Its feezing around here, so i think they enjoy there nice warm snack before bed.
Then when there sick i add Beet Pulp (pelleted, soaked for hours) in, but thats only when there sick.
That might be able to give you an idea, i got my feeding schedule from some people on here.
Leeana
Mine have hay available almost all day, Normally they get 1 block AM which since they pick through it for the good parts before actually eating anything, lasts them a good amount of time. Then when i get home, they get more hay around 3pm, which lasts them pretty long still.
~Grain~
AM: along with there hay they get 1 scoop of a type on Equine feed (Either Junior, or Adult. Depends on the age).
PM: 2 scoops of grain.
Then around 7pm at night, i'll give them just a bit of Alphalfa cubes (soaked for about 10-15 minutes, served hot :bgrin) just as a nightly treat. Its feezing around here, so i think they enjoy there nice warm snack before bed.
Then when there sick i add Beet Pulp (pelleted, soaked for hours) in, but thats only when there sick.
That might be able to give you an idea, i got my feeding schedule from some people on here.
Leeana
ChrystalPaths
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You will get a different answer from each person. How old is you mini, how big, where are you located?
All important things. Young and old need more. Also depends on the type of feed you use. Complete feed or sweet feed. Mine get about 3 cups (I use a kid's sippy cup so it's a bit more than a measuring cup) morning and night in winter and all the grass hay they want. Hay makes heat so they can be warm.
All important things. Young and old need more. Also depends on the type of feed you use. Complete feed or sweet feed. Mine get about 3 cups (I use a kid's sippy cup so it's a bit more than a measuring cup) morning and night in winter and all the grass hay they want. Hay makes heat so they can be warm.
ChrystalPaths
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I'd would be giving him just about what I feed him. Got any pics? Remember to watch the fat on his body if he's getting puffy cut back if you feel bone increase. Got a picture?
There are a lot of books on miniatures but one good one is "Miniature Horses" by Barbara Naviaux. In it she recommends "feed 1.5% of body weight (50% should be hay type)". I weigh everything including the grain or complete feed. If you don't know the weight of the mini she suggests this formula "Pounds = 9.36 x (girth inches) + 5.01 x (body length inches) - 348.53"
This would be to "maintain" their weight. If you need to build them up or slim them down, it would change.
A 1/2 flake of grass hay weighs less than a 1/2 flake of alfalfa even though they might "look" like the same size.
That one is the only one i have at the moment! Thanks for your help!
Becky
Well-Known Member
Hi Randy,
I think the general rule of thumb here is feed him according to his needs. How is his weight? Fat? Thin? Just right?. Is he on pasture or is he dry lotted? That will make a big difference in the amount he needs to be fed. What you are feeding makes a big difference too. Where in OK are you?
I think the general rule of thumb here is feed him according to his needs. How is his weight? Fat? Thin? Just right?. Is he on pasture or is he dry lotted? That will make a big difference in the amount he needs to be fed. What you are feeding makes a big difference too. Where in OK are you?
in a small tow right by Muskogee. it is about 45 min from Tulsa.
There really is no pasture right now cause everyhing is dead. It is so dead we were having fires
evrywhere!
lyn_j
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[SIZE=14pt]Randy I am one that feeds a complete feed and little or no hay. I have dry lots. Some of my minis are show horses the rest are broodmares. My mares get 6-8 cups of the complete pelleted feed twice a day and they stay in excellent wt. They only get alfalfa when they are a month away from foaling and then they get a handful. I have a gelding who weighs about what yours does. He is a show horse but on leave for the year due to an injury.... he gets 4 cups of 10% fat 10% protein sweet feed, 1 cup dry beet pulp shreds, 1/2 cup flax and 1/4 c Black oil sunflower seeds in the morning and everything but the sun flower seeds in the evening and he also gets about a pound of alfalfa forrage which is a dry chopped alfalfa twice a day. That gives you two different perspectives and ideas on what can be fed with good results. your can see my horses on my web page at www.landkminiatures.com and judge for yourself their condition.[/SIZE]
Lyn
Lyn
slaneyrose
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Lyn, do any of your horses develop bad habits because of only eating for a short time every day?? i always thought that boredom is what led to crib biting etc????
lyn_j
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[SIZE=14pt]I have not had any problems.... once they are used to having the pellets in their bowls...they pick at it throughout the day.... I can go out at different times and find some in the bowls.... I add more at the evening feed and by morning it is empty again..... They self regulate. sort of like grazing only they graze their feed pans.[/SIZE]
I only had one that chewed on their shed and she came with that habit and would do it even when I fed hay. I have only been feeding this way for the last 5 years . Before that I free fed hay in the lots and the chewer did her thing then too.
Lyn
I only had one that chewed on their shed and she came with that habit and would do it even when I fed hay. I have only been feeding this way for the last 5 years . Before that I free fed hay in the lots and the chewer did her thing then too.
Lyn
slaneyrose
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Do you mind me asking why you changed Lyn??
Magic
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Randy, to know if your horse has been getting enough feed, feel his back, his ribs, and his hip bones through his hair. You should be able to feel his ribs, but there should be a covering of flesh over them.
You don't want to overfeed a horse, as that is unhealthy for them, so if he feels like he is in good shape (feeling instead of just looking is vital in the cold weather months when a mini's heavy winter coat can effectively hide what his body really looks like) then he is getting plenty of food. His previous owner surely knows how much feed he needs, if he came to you in good physical shape.
:
I had only had big horses when I first started with minis, and it was a huge adjustment for me to give the minis just the amount of feed they needed; I overfed. I do a "body check" on my minis several times a week to make sure that they aren't getting too fat or too thin; that way I can adjust their feed immediately.
Good luck, and your mini is cute, please get more pics to share with us if you can!
You don't want to overfeed a horse, as that is unhealthy for them, so if he feels like he is in good shape (feeling instead of just looking is vital in the cold weather months when a mini's heavy winter coat can effectively hide what his body really looks like) then he is getting plenty of food. His previous owner surely knows how much feed he needs, if he came to you in good physical shape.
I had only had big horses when I first started with minis, and it was a huge adjustment for me to give the minis just the amount of feed they needed; I overfed. I do a "body check" on my minis several times a week to make sure that they aren't getting too fat or too thin; that way I can adjust their feed immediately.
Good luck, and your mini is cute, please get more pics to share with us if you can!
