For those of you that own just one mini .....

[Marty]

CMHR has a policy not to adopt to one horse homes. However, we have an older mare with issues and she prefers to go off by herself. In lew of this, we are going to consider adopting her out where it may be ok not to have another mini. Another across the fencline big horse friend would do.

 

[2minis4us]

I totally agree. I think that is good policy ! When I made this post I knew deep down that my filly should not be alone, and she isn't. I did have my mare alone for awhile and she was fine so I know SOME minis probably can do ok.

They are herd and animals of prey so need at least one buddy.

 

[Pippin']

.I have just the one Min but he isn't alone. He shares his paddock with our two goats (a Pygmy & a Nigerian) and one side of his paddock butts against the big horse area so he's not totally alone. He also gets out multiple times a week and I spend as much time as I can with him so I don't think he's lacking in socialization.

I would love to get another Mini and some day I will but right now we are saving up for college and to purchase a nice AQHA show horse for my sister so it's not gonna happen for a while. Right now I'm just focusing on working with my Mini and learning all I can so that when I get another I will know what I'm doing and can maybe get a rescue because I love helping the rescues get better.

Anyways, I think if you have just one Mini and some other animal like a goat, large horse, etc that can either share a pasture or fence line with it then they still get the socialization but I definitely think two Minis\Shetlands together is the best. My friend that got me started on Minis used to have just one so he adopted two very small Alpaca babies and the Mini fell in love with them and raised them like horses and they get along fine. I guess it depends on the horse because I know my pinto would HATE being an only horse but the Arab we are boarding here and my sister's pony would love to be only horses.

 

[misty'smom]

About this time last year I put a deposit on my Misty, she was 10 days old the first time I saw her. In the same paddock was a little dwarf 1 month older than Misty. Over the summer we visited 2x a week. I did some research on dwarfs because I was considering getting Josie too, she did not have any health issues other than being a dwarf. Misty and Josie were best buddies and were meant to be together!! Josie may need a little extra attention and watching closely but I am so HAPPY we brought her home with Misty too. They are great companions and I can not even imagine only having Misty, she would be so lonely!! They both just turned a year old and I love them both!!!

Most of the pictures I have of them together I could not post.....file to big. But here are a few!

 

[Helicopter]

Once upon a time I had just one mini.

Life was so simple then.