My new Miniature Horse

[spindleberry]

I got my new Miniature Horse yesterday. Her name is Sugar. She is a bit skittish right now. She's been in with the herd and just running the pasture 24/7. She is so cute though. I saw her when she was a baby. And messed with her last year before winter. She has a sweet personality and seems to catch onto things pretty quickly. She has already started to calm down quite a bit. She is just a yearling. She was born April or May of 2008.

Here are some photos of her. Her coat is extremely dirty. The pasture they had her in has black dirt and EVERY horse back there likes to roll in it. Ugh. Lol. My hands were black yesterday when I was petting her. She needs a bath but I don't think I'll attempt that quite yet. She needs worked with on leading and haltering and just getting use to having my hands run over her body. She's still touchy in areas but she's getting much better.

Oh, and yes, I am well aware of her large belly. She is getting checked for pregnancy. I am really hoping she is just full of worms. She's too young and little. I don't want her to have a baby yet. There are several people that thinks she looks bred. Even my mother asked me when I brought her home.

 

[lildrummer]

enjoy she is cute.

lildrummer

 

[MindyLee]

Very pretty! Looks like she needed you and hopefully she's not pregnet and just is wormy. It looks like she could use a lot of tlc and sounds like your the one to give it! congats!

 

[stormy]

Very cute little girl, she should settle in nice with your loving care! That belly is scarey though, if it is parasites I would be very careful worming her...give 1/2 dose of strongid then 2 weeks later a full dose, then 2 weeks after that a dose of ivermectin....then I would put her on daily dewormer for a while.

She sure does look preggers though!! There is a stallion out with the mares and babies?

 

[Allure Ranch]

[SIZE=12pt]Congratulations....[/SIZE]

 

[spindleberry]

Thanks!

She was exposed to two stallions last year.

Everyone who sees her thinks it's a preggers belly.

 

[Sunny]

She looks like a real sweetie! I love her colour and her huge eyes!

It's highly unlikely, though not impossible, that she would be in foal so far along that she's "showing" that much already at only 14 or 15 months of age. I trust you're getting her checked for parasites as well as preg checked. I'll bet she needs little else than a good worming program and good feed in addititon to the love you obviously have for her. I wish you all the best with her!

 

[miniwhinny]

With some TLC she's going to look great. Get her feet done by a farrier that knows how to correct the angles of the hooves. I'd worm her too...and please get her preg checked. I've seen many a 2 year old mustang mare come in during round-ups with a baby at her side and another in the oven...yearlings can easily be bred. If she is preggy she needs a good feeding program to help her and her baby with good nutrition so I'd try to find that out sooner rather than later.

Good luck - she's a cutie - and keep us posted as to ...worms or baby

 

[spindleberry]

Thankyou. I am waiting for the lady at the vet's office to call back. She was suppose to find out some information for me.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

She is a sweet filly....I am afraid she looks very much to me as if she is in foal, and far too late to do anything about it.

Thank heavens she has you....

 

[Marty]

That worm is going to need a name!

Sounds to me like you rescued her from a not nice place where someone has exposed stallions running with yearling little girls. I am so glad you took her home.

She most definately looks like she is pregnant to me and also close to foaling as well. If that's the case, don't worry, a ton of people are here ready to help you out.

Good luck with her, she's adorable.

 

[maplegum]

That's quite the tummy on her. She looks like she could do with some TLC. Be sure to speak to your vet regarding a gentle worming program for her.

 

[spindleberry]

Thanks. She is a sweetie. She is so lost and confused though. I can see it in her eyes but she's warming up to me slowly. I washed her tail today and gave her another brushing.

Going through the vet for the blood test will cost me a pretty penny. There is a lab that I use for my goats (CAE testing & Pregnancy Testing) I checked with them on testing a mare and they said they could! So I'm going to draw blood on Wednesday and get it shipped out to them. I'll call my vet once I get the results and go from there on her feed/worming ect ect.

Almost everyone I show these photos to agrees, she looks pregnant...not full of worms.

 

[Bess Kelly]

She looks lost and confused because she is.........though in a better place and situation, still lost. TALK to her

Explain that you want to love and help her, she won't be hurt and you will keep her safe as you can. Always explain things, they understand more than you can imagine. Let her know ahead about getting a bath and if you haven't ever washed a scared horse, be sure to begin gently. I find the front legs from bottom up to shoulder, withers, back is usually most reassuring for them.

Just love on her a lot.

She's a cutie and soon you will have two, IMO.

 

[shelly]

OMGoodness...she does look pregnant to me!!!! POOR BABY is going to have a baby herself and not too far in the future either. Does she have any udder development? Can you see any movement while brushing her? I hope she is NOT but at least she will be with you..someone that loves and cares about her to help her through this!!! Please keep us posted on her...

 

[Dona]

MY GOD....that girl is only 15 months old! How could she possibly be that far along in a pregnancy at that age!

I am opting for "worms".......at least I sincerely PRAY that's all it is, for her sake!

 

[End Level Farms]

I also am hoping for worms. But have seen a filly that young carry to term and deliver.

She looks very sweet and like she needs a friend.

 

[spindleberry]

She would have had to be bred around 6ish months. I talked to someone who deals with the whole equine reproduction and it's possible she was bred at such a young age. I hope it's a belly full of worms. We'll know for sure though.

As for feeling movement. No, I haven't felt any but she doesn't like me having my hand on her belly. I can brush her. But if I start feeling her belly or udder she wants to get ansy. So I don't try to feel her belly too much. I just run my hands over her and that's it. I don't want to stress her out too much. And no there's no udder development yet.

 

[Marty]

You're being so kind to her. She really is going to love you so much for everything you are doing. I can't see the picture too good but if that is her tail already clear to the ground, she just might not be a yearling although she still does appear young in the face. I don't think a blood test is going to be that expensive. Last time I had a blood test run for pregnancy it was only about $20. so hopefully you can get the vet out to look her over in person. I feel sorry for the rest of those horses in that herd. Keep up the good work, you've already made great strides with her.

 

[spindleberry]

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.