Newbie here! I have two minis and one American Shetland

[Linda]

My minis are four and both are geldings. I have had them around four months. First horses since I was a teenager and I'll be turning sixty soon. They are overweight. I only feed them pasture and grass hay. Plus an occasional handful of oats. I limit pasture time and feed only a flake in the evening. Why are they still so fat? Will it be easier to monitor during the winter months when they aren't in the field?

Plus they got out last night and escaped to my neighbors pasture and now they are dripping saliva. I called my vet and they said it's most likely from the fungus on the clover in their field. . I'll be monitoring them.

Anyways! I'm glad to be a part and look forward to reading the forums and learning all I can about my amazingly cute and nice most the time minis.

 

[Cheryl W]

Welcome Linda!!! You have beautiful ponies. Did you recently get them? Pasture will definitely get them chubby if not monitored and if you have really good grass. Also, exercise is a big thing. We have a 4 y/o and she gets 1/3 of a flake three times a day. We have no pasture...no grass anymore since she and the sheep have chowed everything down.

Oh dear...I do hope they are all okay from their adventure. How are they doing this morning?

 

[plaid mare]

Welcome! I too was surprised at the weight issues with mini's. I worked with working horses, and had no clue they were different. My logic was , well they are just smaller. I was shocked at the founder, colic, and weight issues that plague mini's. I now have a strict regime. I allow only a little graze, no longer than an hour a day, then a bare yard for exercise. I feed the same flake ratio as Cheryl but I also use vitamins, and one tablespoon of mini feed twice daily. I love Ryan Johnson's name for his bare paddock. He calls it the Jenny Craig.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

They do not look fat to me. I try to limit pasture for mine, but I don't worry if they are out 24/7 for days at a time. I have a slow feed hay bag in the dry lot so they always have something to nibble on when they are not on pasture. I think the danger of being too fat is not as great as things that can go awry if they are confined too much without being able to browse.
With your oats, I suggest a small serving of alfalfa or 1/4 c alfalfa pellets. The nutrients in oats and alfalfa balance each other. I also like to top dress with 1 tsp of salt, just to make sure they think about drinking enough. Everyone has his own feeding strategy!

I like the closeup you show; he has nice forward-looking eyes. This is a great trait if you are considering driving.
Enjoy your little horses, and hope the clover-thing works out. We have pasture quirks here, but not that one! Keep us posted on your adventures!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Welcome to the forum

Lovely minis you have and wishing you many years of fun with them.

There is a couple of things Id like to add to the already great advice you have received above. Ive always been a firm believer that feeding comes down to the "individual horse". I currently have two that have previously foundered before, so they are very much restricted to pasture access. Im in Australia & we are currently in spring here. The grass has just started to grow here, so for me its the time of the year where grazing is limited. I also limit intake after summer when the first rains arrive in Autumn. These are the two periods of the year where the sugar is at its highest for me. Once the grass starts to die off, ill start introducing them back onto the pasture and then as Marsha said above, they will go out for a few days at a time to graze.


The other thing I wanted to add was its always better to be going into winter on the chubbier side and lastly really important to be doing the "feel test" throughout winter. Miniatures grow such a thick winter coat