Intro to new mini?

[Mini Cooper Mom]

I just bought a mini weanling as a pal for my QH mare who is due to foal in May. We have quarantined him for two weeks. We introduced them today and he made baby sucky sounds and faces at her and all she wanted to do was attack him. Every time we got them close to each other she tried to bite him. We plan on working on this every day but would love some ideas.

 

[LostandFound]

I would pen off a separate area for him where they can touch through the fence but he can't get hurt.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Is she expecting her first foal?

 

[Mini Cooper Mom]

I would pen off a separate area for him where they can touch through the fence but he can't get hurt.

That sounds like a good plan. Yesterday she nosed him nicely a couple of time which was rewarded with pats a praise. I just pulled her back when she tried to bite.

 

[Mini Cooper Mom]

Is she expecting her first foal?

No, this is number 4 for her, I believe. She’s a good mama

 

[Dragon Hill]

I don't have any of my minis in with my biggie. I just don't want to risk it. I've been around horses a long time and have seen crippling injuries. I know a lot of people have mixed herds and each situation/horse is different. Not trying to be totally negative, just pointing out that even if your big horse is the sweetest horse ever, there is always a risk.

 

[Standards Equine]

I agree with @Dragon Hill, my minis live with minis and my 11 hh pony. That's it. Phillippe used to roll under the fence and would run around with the gelding pasture occasionally but when we switched geldings for mares, it got REALLY DANGEROUS for him to wander in there and he ended up going through a wire fence and getting pretty roughed up. Thus happened donkey jail and a donkey board on the fence. No more wandering *** problem. Across the fence is fine, but sharing the same space, not safe for my littles.

 

[chandab]

I also do no advocate mixing sizes. I was given a mini gelding, after his mini brother was killed in a mixed size herd incident. I call it an incident, because it could have been prevented by not mixing; whereas accidents happen despite all you do to keep them safe. [I liken mixing sizes to a football game between pee-wees and high schoolers.]

 

[MaryFlora]

Our remaining big horse, Cochise, is close to 40, but age hasn’t totally slowed him down. The minis are not allowed in with him.

They visit through the fence, and at night in the barn they will often stand side by side with the interior fence between them.

 

[MartysMom]

I will be one to say we do have our pretty robust, 34"/250 lb mini Marty in with a 14ish hand gelding, Oz.

As a back story, we have 2 other mares, Sara - a warmblood who kicked and killed a big horse in turnout many years ago before we owned her - and Josie - a small draft who was born on a Premarin farm and poorly socialized, I think, and basically hates all other horses, so both of those gals have separate turnouts.

Oz and Marty are both 30 and I have never seen Oz really kick at anything. When we brought Marty home we made a separate small pen of stock panels within one of our turnouts, first with an alley of electric fence around it for a few days. We graduated to turning Marty out in a round pen in the middle of Oz's turnout, which worked really well. The other horses would come over to Marty and try to touch noses and he would go absolutely insane, squealing and striking like the black stallion, and they would just look confused and walk away. After about two months of this and never seeing Oz retaliate once I let those two out together and they are fine - I know there isn't zero risk but it feels reasonable. I wouldn't chance it with the two mares just knowing their history and marish-ness. Both the boys need soaked diets, so we separate 3 times a day for feedings and overnight.

Our horses seemed genuinely confused by what the mini horse even was, their faces said "Is that a horse?" so being able to just see him for a few days was helpful.

 

[MartysMom]

I agree with @Dragon Hill, my minis live with minis and my 11 hh pony. That's it. Phillippe used to roll under the fence and would run around with the gelding pasture occasionally but when we switched geldings for mares, it got REALLY DANGEROUS for him to wander in there and he ended up going through a wire fence and getting pretty roughed up. Thus happened donkey jail and a donkey board on the fence. No more wandering *** problem. Across the fence is fine, but sharing the same space, not safe for my littles.

wandering *** problem really made me giggle!

 

[Standards Equine]

@MartysMom it wasn't funny at the time! Worried me sick when he wasn't on the property. But he absolutely makes me laugh daily!

 

[chandab]

I will be one to say we do have our pretty robust, 34"/250 lb mini Marty in with a 14ish hand gelding, Oz.

As a back story, we have 2 other mares, Sara - a warmblood who kicked and killed a big horse in turnout many years ago before we owned her - and Josie - a small draft who was born on a Premarin farm and poorly socialized, I think, and basically hates all other horses, so both of those gals have separate turnouts.

Oz and Marty are both 30 and I have never seen Oz really kick at anything. When we brought Marty home we made a separate small pen of stock panels within one of our turnouts, first with an alley of electric fence around it for a few days. We graduated to turning Marty out in a round pen in the middle of Oz's turnout, which worked really well. The other horses would come over to Marty and try to touch noses and he would go absolutely insane, squealing and striking like the black stallion, and they would just look confused and walk away. After about two months of this and never seeing Oz retaliate once I let those two out together and they are fine - I know there isn't zero risk but it feels reasonable. I wouldn't chance it with the two mares just knowing their history and marish-ness. Both the boys need soaked diets, so we separate 3 times a day for feedings and overnight.

Our horses seemed genuinely confused by what the mini horse even was, their faces said "Is that a horse?" so being able to just see him for a few days was helpful.

I might mix two seniors such as yours as there would be less chance of shenanigans, but won't risk it with younger horses that still have enough zip to be silly.
My half-Arab gelding was fast friends with my first mini, they never shared a space, except when the mini escaped his enclosure; but the half-Arab had free roam of the property every nice day, and I could usually find him next to the mini's paddock fence and they'd be "talking" over the fence. [The half-Arab was my first horse, and I had him 24 of his 27 years. The mini gelding was my first mini, and so far I've had him 18 of his 19 years, and hope to have him at least another decade.]

 

[MartysMom]

I might mix two seniors such as yours as there would be less chance of shenanigans, but won't risk it with younger horses that still have enough zip to be silly.
My half-Arab gelding was fast friends with my first mini, they never shared a space, except when the mini escaped his enclosure; but the half-Arab had free roam of the property every nice day, and I could usually find him next to the mini's paddock fence and they'd be "talking" over the fence. [The half-Arab was my first horse, and I had him 24 of his 27 years. The mini gelding was my first mini, and so far I've had him 18 of his 19 years, and hope to have him at least another decade.]

Agreed - these guys don't really do much running and playing, mostly nibbling grass in the same general vicinity.

Our Oz is a half-Arab also, and just the best. We adopted him for my daughter when he was 24 and now he is 30 and I hope we have 10 more good years with him. I joke I'll still be riding him at home when she goes off to college.

 

[MartysMom]

@MartysMom it wasn't funny at the time! Worried me sick when he wasn't on the property. But he absolutely makes me laugh daily!

I can only imagine! Sometimes I lose sight of little Marty in the tall grass out back and even that gives me palpitations.