My new Miniature Horse

[debbiesshelties]

A blood test from the vet is $50 and $100. (There's 2 tests to choose from.) That is excluding the farm call fee.The blood test from biotracking is $25.

I am very positive on her birth date. I went and saw her when she was only a week or so old. I picked her up and cuddled her. Them being so little, I couldn't resist. Lol.

Would a Wee-foal test work?

Best of luck with your little sweetie.

Debbie

 

[miniwhinny]

I had a yearling filly that I purchased who came with a belly like Sugars...she looked just the same. I wormed her with a half dose wormer. When I went out in the morning her pen was literally covered in piles of WHITE poop...she had so many roundworms that her poop was just piles of worms. I can remember it to this day. This was a full size horse who lke your girl had been "running with the herd" and never handled. It was horrible.

But, just incase....I'm not sure of your experience with a pregnant mare. If you have any experienced friends I suggest linking up with them, that way if she should need help during the birth process you'll be ready. She looks like she has a youngsters narrow hips - not trying to worry you...just trying to get you ready if you're needed.

Good luck and keep us updated...this little girl, and you, will have a lot of people wishing the best.

Edited to add...if she's never been wormed for a year and a half ...I'd worm her anyway.

 

[wildoak]

Congratulations and good luck with your new girl, she's very cute! She will warm to you in no time I imagine

While it's certainly possible that she's in foal, I'm betting on worms and a pasture belly at her age. Keep us posted on her progress, either way.

Jan

 

[spindleberry]

Thanks.

I have never seen a horse foal before but have friends that have and have the vets number in case I need it.

For those of you who think she look/is bred, do you think she has atleast 2 wks? The blood test at biotracking can be done any time past 70 days after breeding but it wont work with in 2 weeks of foaling.

 

[Sunny]

If she was born last April, she'd be 15 months old now. Even IF she got bred at even six months of age, she'd only be nine months along, so you have plenty of time to do that preg check. Based on my experience with pregnant mares, IF she were 8 or 9 months along, her belly would be a lot bigger than it is.

Oftentimes, when a horse has not received the best nutrition and little or now de-worming, the belly gets large and distended and can easily be mistaken for a pregnant belly. I think the chances are absolutely minimal that she is in foal, although not impossible as I said earlier. I wish you would start worming her now and start getting her insides cleaned up. You'll be amazed at how quickly she'll start to feel better.

She certainly is a lucky little lady to have found you!!!

 

[spindleberry]

Thanks I'm definately going to have the pregnancy check done.

I talked to a friend of mine who breeds paints...their horses were cycling up into November. (They didn't breed at that time) But they were cycling and they and the stallion were interested in each other. They aren't too far from us so I'm sure unless Minis are different, the minis where I got Sugar from would have been cycling also. AND She might have been running with a stud this year so if she didn't get bred last year, she may have been bred this year of course I know she wouldn't be showing this much now had she gotten bred this year.

Ugh.

I'm going to get some wormer tomorrow b/c it'll be next Friday by the time I get the results and I am not going to wait that long for results before worming her.

 

[~Lisa~]

She is very young so hopefully she is not bred. Horses do cycle during the winter and are fertile during the winter. We had a foal born here in Nov last year so obviously his dam was cycling well into Dec thru the snow and cold LOL

 

[spindleberry]

Here are photos of her that I took yesterday after I brushed her.

 

[LAZY J MINIS]

HI! SPINDELBERRY, I HATE TO SAY IT BUT SHE LOOKS PREGGERS, YOU CAN USE PANACUR TO WORM HER. DO A 5 DAY POWER PACK. IT WILL KILL WORMS BUT NOT SO FAST THAT THEY WILL CAUSE HER TO COLIC, AND YOU CAN USE IT ON PREGNANT MARES. WISHING YOU THE BEST AND ESPECIALLY HER SHE NEEDS A LOT OF LOVE AND ATTENTION. KEEP US UPDATED.

 

[spindleberry]

Thankyou! I got new photos. We took her and Bandit out to graze together for a bit.

 

[Sabrina]

my two year old mare looked very similar to her when i brought her home, she had very poor nutrition and so i wormed her and put her on a good supplement and feed and she is losing that preggers belly look but slowly, i have had her since April 4, of this year and it just takes time. i hope for her sake that it is just a matter of poor nutrition and worms and that the sweet little thing doesn't have to be a momma while she is still a baby herself.

 

[Charlotte]

I have been reading your first thread and I just want to say bless you for taking this little mare into your home and your heart. You are doing wonderfully with her! She reminds me SO much of our beloved De De Dinah who came to us at just about the same age and is 18 years old now. She is a treasure and I know your little one will be for you also...what a lovely soft eye she has.

I ditto Sunny.

Your girl is just like our Dinah was when we got her. Very malnourished. Your girl needs to gain weight. She needs easily digestible protein in her diet. That big belly may very well be from bunches of long fiber (coarse hay) which she isn't digesting well..she's really still immature as far as her digestive system goes. At least I sure hope that is the belly and not a baby.

One of the best feeds for a horse her age and in her condition is good quality alfalfa. It has the protein she needs and the vitamins and minerals in a balanced form and is easily digestible. You would start her off slowly with small feedings many times per day if you can and eventually get her up to pretty much free choice if using baled hay. Alfalfa cubes or pellets work just as well as baled hay if you can't get good baled alfalfa. You just wouldn't be able to give them free choice without paying a lot of attention to how she was getting along and how quickly she was eating them....they would also require some other kind of grass hay to just give her chewing time.

You may have people tell you that you should give her this supplement or mix these kinds of feeds, etc, but in truth, alfalfa does the job well, is much easier and you don't run the risk of getting her minerals all out of balance. If you aren't an equine nutritionist simple works best!

Sure does for me.

Congratulations on your beautiful filly and please keep us updated!

Charlotte

p.s. forgot to say, your second set of pictures......she looks better already! A little love goes a long way.

 

[Riverdance]

You say she was born in 2008? I would doubt very much that she is pregnant for this year. Chances are, she is not pregnant for next year either, but if she is, not that far along.

My guess is that she is malnourished and full of worms. Think Biafra, malnourished children with huge bellys but skin and bones elsewhere. She looks just like one of them. Good food is all she needs as well as worming.

She is lucky to have you and she should come aruond nicely. What do the other horses look like in the herd that she came from? Perhaps they should not be breeding!!