House pets? Or almost house pets?

[Sam]

After finding this forum yesterday I was looking around the internet about miniature horses and on one forum I saw someone having a miniature horse as a house pet or in the house a lot. This seemed very strange to me and a potential mess inside.

And that same person had transported him miniature via automobile some time. Is this just plain strange? Would it hurt the horse?

Tell me if I’m crazy to think that the horse in the house and car is pure strangeness.

 

[Zarah]

A horse in the house!? You must have seen someone kidding around. That is very strange to me.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

No, folks do transport their miniature horses in cars and vans. I take mine to schools and nursing homes, and they have come into the house, but just as a novelty. Some people are using miniature horses as therapy animals. I'm sure those stay in the house. You can find quite a lot of information about that.

 

[Cayuse]

I always get nervous when I see people transport minis in cars and vans. I know a couple of people who have made stall type boxes for their vans and that works out well as the animals are restrained and contained, but I saw two minis loose in the back of a station wagon once at a show and it kind of freaked me out, to be honest. What if one panics? I suppose it all depends on the mini and its particular disposition. I would never try it with mine, they would not tolerate it at all.

 

[Sam]

I just cannot imagine a small horse in a car, but then I don’t drive a big car.
I can understand coming in and out for prepping for nursing home visits. I think I would have a long learning and trusting curve before I would allow a horse in the house or car. I keep thinking their bodily messes can be larger than a cat or dogs.

@Marsha Cassada do you have any photos of your mini in a car or van?

 

[goatkisses]

I brought a mini home in a Honda CRV once. I will never do any such thing again. The potential for disaster is incredibly high. The little horse was a perfect angel, but there would have been no way to control him if he'd decided to either kick out the windows or leap into the front of the car.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

No, I do not transport my horses in a people vehicle. But I have seen it done. It certainly has the potential to be a disaster. Actually, horse manure is not a big deal. I carry a plastic grocery bag and it works like a glove+litter bag to pick up, just like cleaning up after a dog. If the manure is loose, because the horse is nervous, then that is more difficult. Mine have never "had an accident" indoors but I did have one get nervous at a school event; it was outdoors. One would just need to know his horse. As for urinating--mine have never done that indoors and I cannot imagine how I would deal with it. I do know someone whose horse urinated on a resident's blanket that was on the floor in a nursing home. NOT good, but the staff dealt with it.

 

[Sam]

I brought a mini home in a Honda CRV once. I will never do any such thing again. The potential for disaster is incredibly high. The little horse was a perfect angel, but there would have been no way to control him if he'd decided to either kick out the windows or leap into the front of the car.

Those things are what I would think could happen to make a car a bad vehicle to use to transport them. BUT, if I had an old enough car and a mini that really needed taken to vet or something, I MIGHT consider doing that.