Hello from south Texas!

[Saltgrass82]

Hello everyone!

New to this forum! I am from south Texas, in a town south of Houston. I am an avid miniature horse lover, just only owned 2 in my lifetime. Always had big horses, but after a life changing horse accident, I have bought my second mini. I do work a lot with rescues, and my current new baby is from a rescue!

This is Secret, a silver dapple 5 year old 34 inch miniature I saved. She comes home next week! She is a little rough looking, but I’ll fix that shortly!

What is some if the feeds you use?

 

[Zergling]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Secret has a very pretty color. I wish you the best of luck with her.

I don't give mine any feed except Equalizer and just a handful once a day. Just good quality hay and forage. As you are probably aware, minis can get fat on air so I'd be very wary of over feeding them. They can easily get fat on too much forage or hay. I have my pastures sectioned off so I can control how much forage they get.

 

[Cayuse]

Hi and Welcome!
I don't use any grain or ration balancers on my minis as they gained weight on even a small amount so I feed a half cup of timothy pellets and a vitamin supplement (sho-glo by manna pro) mixed in with it. For hay, right now they are!getting first cut timothy mix. I try to weigh their hay occasionally and keep it to the 1.5 to 2 pounds of hay per 100 pounds of weight guideline. For my guys that works out to about 5-6 pounds a day. If its very cold, I toss them a little extra.
Good luck with Secret!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I highly recommend alfalfa for rescues. It is a good protein and has calcium for the gut. You might consider a good probiotic and prebiotic supplement. Do have the teeth checked; that is one of my soapboxes.
My horses are on native pasture. When I have to regulate it due to weight, I keep a free choice hay bag available. I use a supplement designed for pasture horses from Dynamite.
Good luck, and keep us posted on her progress.

 

[goatkisses]

Welcome!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Welcome from Australia

 

[Crimson Rose]

Welcome! I am from South East Texas, and I am hoping to get into miniatures again once we move into our new home this next year. I will be praying for you and your new girl as she recovers!

 

[Megan Elizabeth]

Hi, where are you? We are in Needville.

 

[nonobadgirl]

I am in East Texas. My minis stay on pasture with no issue

 

[Megan Elizabeth]

O wow- they are fat! No laminitis or insulin resistance????

 

[Katherine Skirbst]

I am glad you are bringing up how to safely feed a mini. I have owned a few horses over the years but when I got the mini a year ago I was very concerned about him foundering. I have asked the vet, farrier and other owners but no one has given me a straight answer as to how much to feed or graze a mini here in north Florida. They say that Bahia is not that nutritious but it is all my Appendix lives on for 8 months of the year so it must be pretty good. I tried a muzzle on the mini but he takes it off immediately. I know a lady who keeps 5 minis on huge expanses of Bahia and she has not had anyone founder. It scares me to death that I don't know exactly how long to put him out on the pasture when it is in it's full glory. From what you are saying to feed I am over feeding. I give him a cup of 14% senior am and pm plus alfalfa pellets since our pasture is dormant right now.

 

[Megan Elizabeth]

we put our minis on grass later in the day since the early morning grass has more sugar. Some are turned out overnight. Chopped alfalfa and some senior pellets. No dry lots-they will eat the dirt! When you experience founder, you learn to exquistly manage the diet. I appreciate your concern for your pony!

 

[Willow Flats]

Sugar content in grass is lower in the mornings and increases in the afternoons according to my vet. You can research this and find many articles explaining why.

For me, I feed hay in the winter. 1- 1&1/2× their body weight.
Whatever amount of time it takes them to eat their daily portion is the amount of time I turn them out for grazing when it's time to switch to pasture. However, they start on Spring grass for 15 mins their first turnout on pasture and I gradually increase the time each day because of the sugar content.

Also feed a supplement. Purina Enrich Plus works for us.

Beautiful photo!

 

[Megan Elizabeth]

Ahh, I had it switched! Thx for the clarification!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Welcome to the forum.

The sugar in the grass can actually stay at the same levels throughout day and night if temperatures are consistent. Having a laminitic mare, this is something you try to prevent. Once a horse becomes Laminitic, they are prone to repeats.

Good luck with your new horse.