Need suggestions

[HavingFun]

We currently have 2 mini horses. Right now we take them for walks in the woods for fun.

My 10 year old son loves horses and he would like to join 4H and show. We have had large horses in the past and I must say he is a good rider. He's definetly a beginner but he's very confident and doesn't get nervous.

My problem is that even though I have always been horse crazy...I am not excited about the idea of having big horses again. I adore my minis, we have a lot of space but not a lot of edible pasture if that makes sense. For the minis..it's perfect. For a big horse not so much, we have to feed hay all year and we have no place to store more then 60 bales so it's a pain when your going through it like crazy.

My son does enjoy the minis but he wants to "do" something with a horse. I have thought of driving but can you drive off of the road? We live on a dirt road that's very narrow, it's starting to get more and more traffic so being in a cart makes me nervous.

I have suggested some sort of pack and hiking but that doesn't sound fun to him either.

Maybe I'm just out of luck and we will have another big horse out there. I don't want to hold my son back from something he loves. This Mom would just be really happy if he found something he loved to do with the minis instead. I would rather go buy 2 more minis then one big horse even though it doubles the farrier bill.

Any suggestions or should I just give up?

 

[candycar]

Your son and you can teach them tricks! It's lots of fun and you get to show off to all the friends. Since you have room and not too much grass, an in hand obstical course and some jumps would be fun.

You can drive off road just fine with a sturdy cart and lots of training. I have trails through the woods and fields. We hardly drive on the road at all, only to cross it.

Is your lot big enough to drive in? Can you make trails through the woods?

Since he may want to show 4H, find out what kinds of classes they have for minis and go from there.

Good luck

 

[HavingFun]

Great ideas, thank you!

He can drive in 4H and also show in-hand trail. Oh..there was also showmanship. His main problem is having things to do with them at home. Even my daughter who is a mini fanatic gets kind of board with just brushing them all of time. They are well groomed horses for sure!

I think an obstacle course and some jumps are a great idea! We have plenty of room for that, he can try it out with my mare first and see what he thinks. Working on this is tomorrows agenda.

I also like the thought of maybe having 2 more minis because I have 4 kids. They could all participate together this way instead of taking turns riding. I definetly do not have room for 4 big horses!

 

[CharlesFamily]

I have two daughters who decided they would rather show the minis than our big horse! This was their first year in 4-H. Because of the very snowy winter and very wet spring, we did not get them broke well enough to drive at the fair, but they had a great time showing in showmanship and in-hand trail. I am sure your kids would love driving. I can't wait to get ours fully trained so that the girls can drive them - that's on the agenda! We also take them for walks around the neighborhood - they love showing them off.

The jumps and obstacle course are a great idea - and great for training for the in-hand trail class for 4-H. The more desensitizing of them you do in-hand, the better it will be if/when you decide to have them trained to drive. Also, find out if there is a miniature horse club near you. We have one that puts on 2 fun shows each year and the girls love showing at them. It's great experience without all of the pressure and expense of a rated show.

You are going to find lots of fun things to do with these little guys! Good luck!

Barbara

 

[Jill]

Driving is a lot of fun. My arena is a/k/a my back yard!

I also agree that trick training could be a great experience!!!

 

[HGFarm]

Everything you can do with a big one but ride it!!

In hand classes- obstacle, jumping, hunter, halter- then driving, driving obstacle- trail driving, CDE's, ADT's, etc.... tricks, volunteer work or educational things at schools or retirement homes (this is where a couple of cute tricks could come in handy too)

Enjoy! Minis are SO smart and learn new things so quickly.

 

[HavingFun]

Thanks! That seems to be my problem, he wants to RIDE. He enjoys the minis but he talks about riding all of the time.

I think what we are going to do it start doing some fun work with the minis and let him take some riding lessons too. We'll see where it goes from there.

I still need the suggestions though because my daughter and I have the minis and we are always looking for new things to do with them.

For most who have mentioned trick training, the only way I can really think of to do this is with a clicker. Is this what you are thinking also?

 

[CharlesFamily]

For most who have mentioned trick training, the only way I can really think of to do this is with a clicker. Is this what you are thinking also?

Yes - clicker training works quite well with these smart little horses! You can find a lot of resources and posts about it right here by searching the forum topics. I started doing some clicker training with my littlest guy because he is VERY food motivated and he loves it! He will do anything for a treat! I couldn't believe how fast he picks stuff up and it's a great bonding experience for you and your horse.

Barbara

 

[Lindi-loo]

Seems a shame not to let your son embrace something that he enjoys especially if like you say hes a natural..maybe youd enjoy having a big horse around once you found the "right one"..I never wanted my son to play rugby but hes always shone on the field and supprised us all with his ability to make the Welsh team..just a thought

 

[HavingFun]

Seems a shame not to let your son embrace something that he enjoys especially if like you say hes a natural..maybe youd enjoy having a big horse around once you found the "right one"..I never wanted my son to play rugby but hes always shone on the field and supprised us all with his ability to make the Welsh team..just a thought

You are totally right Lind-loo. I know I would love to have a big horse. I think my big hang-up is that in the past my husband has been kind of resentful of the work load a big horse adds. In the past when we've had them we've had big horses my kids were babies so most of the getting hay and fence fixing fell on DH. Then I've felt bad, etc. etc. I think it will be different this time because this horse will be for my son, he will be pitching in and I can do more also..but I'm still a bit nervous.

Actually my husband and I had a big talk about this last night. We have friends we can buy hay from and store it in their barn until we need it. We are going to get lessons for my son and keep our eyes open for a 10-15 year old gelding that is a big on the smaller side. Around 14.2-15.1 hands. It could be a few months before we actually end up with a horse. This approach instead of "must find a horse" mode makes me feel better.

We are still looking for things to do with the minis though, so I'm loving these ideas. Tomorrow we are going to a 4H horse show so he can see what they are like. When I put aside the whole husband anxiety of this..I will be thrilled to have a horse to trail ride again.

 

[targetsmom]

I recommend the book "Mini School: Train your mini to be all he can be" by Sabine Ellinger. There are better books on driving, but this one covers tricks, in-hand dressage, and the basics of training.

 

[HGFarm]

In the meantime, get your son into driving- it will also teach him soft hands on the reins and about working with your horse as your partner, etc.... The wider base of knowledge a person has, the better the horseman.

 

[Lindi-loo]

He may change his mind once hes doing the lessons..especially if you find something exciting to do with your mini's..sometimes as with all of us its a case of what you dont have always seems better than what you do have!!..your so lucky hes interested at all none of mine are..good luck with whatever you decide to do and im sure he will make you proud in whatever he decides too

 

[HavingFun]

I recommend the book "Mini School: Train your mini to be all he can be" by Sabine Ellinger. There are better books on driving, but this one covers tricks, in-hand dressage, and the basics of training.

I just ordered this book, thank you for the suggestion.

He may change his mind once hes doing the lessons..especially if you find something exciting to do with your mini's..sometimes as with all of us its a case of what you dont have always seems better than what you do have!!..your so lucky hes interested at all none of mine are..good luck with whatever you decide to do and im sure he will make you proud in whatever he decides too

Thanks Lindi-loo, I agree.