rescued mini mares

[suemahree]

Rabbitsfizz this is great help. My husband wouldn't let me have a horse I could ride afraid I would get hurt. I haven't riden in 10 years. These minis are different than then the bigger horses but at least I know what to kinda look for anyway. I appreciate all the info and help anyone is willing share. My dream mini is a leopard Appaloosa but these girls really needed a good home and saving is what i like to do. They were both exposed to appy stallion last spring. Bea the palomino does not seem to be pregnant I believe she has come into season. The little on is a maiden mare and I do believe she is in foal. With her being 27 inches and has some characteristics of a dwarf I am really nervous about her foaling. My vet is experienced with horses but not with minis. I have just come to that conclusion today after her prescription for the ivermecton. I am so glad I have waited to worm until I had some knowledge because she wanted me to give each one half the tube. That is way to much. I am going to follow your direction seems like it is easier on their system especially in winter.I was so afraid about water. They have not wanted to drink out of their bucket in their stall so I traded buckets and this morning they had drank overnight. Have a heated water tank outside and they do drink out of it. I guess I have to think in smaller amounts.

 

[suemahree]

And Merry Christmas to everyone and thanks for being here and sharing your knowledge it has really helped.

 

[dannigirl]

I love that you have given these girls the "Best Christmas Ever" You are concerned about water. I have a lot of minis (53 right now) and find that they are all different when it comes to water. Some will drink nearly a 5 gal bucket over night and some will only drink and inch or two from the bucket. They all seem to do well so I only worry when each individual changes. I know it i hard to know what their "normal" is, but you will figure that out.

Merry Christmas and the best of luck with your Little Ladies.

 

[chandab]

With as small as your girls are, I'd be cautious upping their grain, but perhaps as Jane said add some soaked beet pulp; and/or add some soaked alfalfa (or timothy/alfalfa mix) cubes. [soaking to is get more water in them, and reduce the chance of choke. Its more work, but well worth it.]

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Forgot Alfalfa pellets- they are brilliant protein givers and easy to use. I agree with Chanda, I probably would not up the grain too much til the spring when you can see what is going on under all that fur!

 

[suemahree]

With the weather here in nebraska being 12 below this morning and not been above 15 for the 6 days I have more than doubled their hay. My goat hay looks better than the grass hay i just bought so the goats have had to switch to the horse hay, they still get some of the other but they can handle the lesser hey better they are butterballs..they are 3 pigmy goats that were bottle babies I rescued last spring. They and girls have found a way to co exist in barn during the cold days then the girls go in their stall at night. I finally found a bucket they like and will drink water from. My husband thinks I am nuts. I had to work today so I asked him if her gave the girls water in the barn he said no bucket frozen. So i had him run 2 big jugs of warm water and took it to them, by now he thinks I am totally nuts. But as soon as i got the ice out and the warmer tap water in they started drinking.

 

[Rhondaalaska]

I have a heated bucket for my girl. It never freezes , even at 30 below so far. The only frost that formes is the sides where there is no water. She drinks between 4 to 5 gals a day. I haul her water out twice a day for her. I have a five gal bucket in my house so it is warm when I take it out to her.

 

[suemahree]

It is Saturday here and the temps are not going to be above the teens. It has been below zero at night for over a week The girls are doing really good. Since I started feeding more hay and a little bit more nutrena grain pellets Bea is showing signs of putting on weight and little Maggie just keeps gettin bigger and bigger. Still have problems haltering but they are coming along. Maggie once she is haltered is beginning to let me rub under her belly. She doesn't like it much but no kicking or biting. I finally felt comfortable with worming so I have started that process today since I am off now until Wednesday. I think that I should see a big improvement once the worming meds start working. I got their stall cleaned real good today, they sure do poop a lot since they have been in much more with the colder weather. A lot more to shovel. As soon as the weather clears and warms up a little the farrier is going to come do their feet. I can not wait for that to get done now. I hope that all my helpful friends had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. And thanks again for all your help.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

You are welcome to some of our warm but pouring down with rain weather any time you wish to come and get it!

I have ducks swimming on my bottom fields (to be fair there is already a river running through them but it isn't over flowing, just the water table has risen so much) My brood mares look like drowned rats (they have a shed but it is a well known fact that sheds eat ponies) My stallions look like the wrath of god as they have to roll in the mud to show it who is boss (or something like that) and the two yearlings just like getting dirty and then they lie down in their shed and laugh at all the others.....

 

[Marty]

Tell your husband you are not nuts. I think you're doing great. Listen to Rabbit. Always listen to Rabbit.

Best wishes!

 

[madmax]

:You are doing such a great job on these little mares, good for you!

May I suggest that you be careful if you decide to feed them alfalfa pellets. I had fed them for years, but when I had a horse suffer a horrible choking episode (the vet had a very hard time resolving it, it was really really bad) I stopped feeding them

I felt guilty about it because I think it was my fault for wetting them improperly - when they became stuck they continued to swell because of saliva being produced so fluently, and so the impacted mass became worse and worse.

Someone on here please give your method of feeding them-----probably if wetting them it should be soaking them for a long period of time until they stop swelling. I have fed grain in pellet form for many years and never had a problem with them..... my old horses in their late twenties cannot chew well enough and I have to feed them senior feed well soaked to slurply consistency.

 

[suemahree]

Got halters on both the girls now. It still is taking some trickery to catch the girls without a halter on. I feel like my steps I am taking with the girls is taking longer than it should. These girls must have some trust issues with humans. They still will not let me walk up to them and let me halter them, it requires grain and a loop in the rope to get around their neck and then I can get them to stand next to me and let me halter them. My question for everyone is....Should I leave their halters on all the time so when I go to feed in the morning before work and after work? Or is it safer doing it the way I have been doing it. I put a handful of grain in their buckets and then I slip the loop around their neck, they try to bolt from me but settle and eat the rest of their grain then I brush them and have started touching legs and Maggies under belly. Do you think they will ever come around. I didn't even have this issue with mustangs we got off the range when I was a kid. The horses would always come right up to us. I have really never had to use grain to catch my horse. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[chandab]

Lots of time and patience. I have two horses that have taken time to settle in; the stallion took almost 18 months to get over thinking I'm a pony eating monster, the mare is a work in progress (she's been here about 13 months). [i lost time with her working with the stallion, as it was more important that he have good manners.]

I wouldn't leave halters on. The process of catching even using grain is good for them.

 

[happy appy]

What I do now with a mini that doesn't want to be caught is leave a little dollar store dog /cat collar around their neck up by their throat latch. The ones with the cheap little plastic clips. They break very easy in the cold and make it easy to catch. I have found that looping a lead rope around their head especially if they are a little shy, is very hard and makes them even more untrusting. If you can't get the cheap collars, then I would leave a halter on with a very small catch rope. After a few days of you walking up and just catching them they will get easier to catch and you will be able to take off the collar/halters. Oh and I teach them to come to me when I call their name and give them a treat. Now with the hard to catch ones all I do is walk into the field and call them and they come running for their treat. When you start getting one, make sure you go until you catch her. Don't switch to the other one especially if you are calling her name. They will get confused.

 

[suemahree]

Putting the girls halters on has really helped. I put grain in my pocket, they came up ate grain out of my hand and allowed me to hold the halter scratch their neck rub their tummys and stroke their head. I am leaving the halters on for now so I can catch them without freaking them out. I wish I could guit work and spend more time with the girls, but I can't and it seems like my progress is so slow. Another thing is both girls were exposed to a stallion in april and may. Bea has been in heat since she has been here but Maggie looks rounder and I have noticed her biting at her flank and seeing fluttering at her lower flank so hopefully a foal is present, it will be so exciting but nerve racking. Trying to rub her underbelly and working my way toward her bag but she isnt into that touch yet.

Putting the girls halters on has really helped. I put grain in my pocket, they came up ate grain out of my hand and allowed me to hold the halter scratch their neck rub their tummys and stroke their head. I am leaving the halters on for now so I can catch them without freaking them out. I wish I could guit work and spend more time with the girls, but I can't and it seems like my progress is so slow. Another thing is both girls were exposed to a stallion in april and may. Bea has been in heat since she has been here but Maggie looks rounder and I have noticed her biting at her flank and seeing fluttering at her lower flank so hopefully a foal is present, it will be so exciting but nerve racking. Trying to rub her underbelly and working my way toward her bag but she isnt into that touch yet.

 

[suemahree]

I have good news this morning. Farriers are far and few between around this part of the country and the 5 we have prefer that you bring the horses to them instead of coming out to the farm and doing it. I contacted the farrier that was going to do the girls for me the day I got them at his place and he is willing to come out here and do them for me. I am so excited. Bea's hoofs are turning inside on two legs and the other are two are really grown out and Maggie she just needs a real good trim. He will be out next Thursday morning before the cattle auction and take care of them for me. I am really lucky as he has a full calendar and regular clients and wasn't taking any new clients but has decided to add me to his client list.

 

[Rhondaalaska]

You are doing great don't give up. Slow is good that way you build a strong bond with them

 

[suemahree]

I started a new subject everyone. You have been such a great help go what to feed. Discussing my weight issues with Bea.

 

[suemahree]

Just an update for everyone that is following my post. The farrier came out this morning and the girls feet look better than I thought. They both did real well. I am so glad I waited until they settled down and let me handle them. Bea stood real well and the farrier is coming back the end of February to continue her on a path to having her hoofs being at the right angles for her to walk properly. Maggie her feet looked great and just needed trimmed. This man has been doing this for years and has never done minis before but is very knowledgeable about what the angles should be for proper movement. I now have a blog to keep everyone update on our progress and what the girls are up to....so visit us on the blogs under rescued mares Bea and Maggie. Again thanks everyone for your help and advise.

 

[littlenicker]

Going back to the goat topic..I had a really bad flu nearly 6 yrs ago now, my dad fed goat feed by accident, a half scoop to each horse in our barn, big woops. We have 4 colics within 20 minutes of eating the goat feed, every horse was thrashing and rolling on the floor and breaking out in sweats. We called the vet and administered banamine right away...thank goodness they all came out of it! Id say we deffinitely lucked out, could have been a very bad and scary situation. I always labeled my feeds after that and knock on wood no issues

....my dad just passed away very recently, we sure do miss him, but its funny to think back on our farm days together. He always said he hated it yet he couldnt resist not going out there to help with chores in the morning lol <3 RIP Daddy <3 Good luck with your girls! Hope to see pics sometime