Underweight mare

[Magic Marker Minis]

We give Safe Choice and it works great. Dumor also is good. We have a mare that lost weight after foaling. Foal is too young to wean, so we are giving her Empoeer Boost. Has high fat percentage. May have to wean foal at three months.

 

[chandab]

I can't get Blue Seal around here, but have heard good things about it. I just haven't had much luck with Purina or Nutrena, so don't use them much, others love them. If you have a horse that needs to gain weight, the Mini and Pony feed won't do it, it's a maintenance feed for "typical" minis that gain easily.

 

[NewToMini's]

Ok, so I went to TSC and another feed store and it looks like I have 2 good options. Both are 14% protein and 8% fat. One is Nutrena Safe Choice Senior feed, and the other is Purina Senior Active.

The Nutrena says you can make a mash of it in 3 minutes by adding hot water, so it sounds like it would be easier to digest.

Any of you have experience with either of these feeds? Which do you like best?

 

[chandab]

I think I'd pick the Purina Senior Active, it has a lower sugar and starch level than the Nutrena. It is designed for horses that can still eat hay, so is not a complete feed like typical seniors, but provides similar nutrients and easy digestibility.

 

[NewToMini's]

Ok, I'll probably go with that one, thanks

 

[Jean_B]

If I were you, and if you are unable to separate them at your place, please try to find a friend that can keep the filly until totally weaned (which can take up to 3 or 4 months......I have had a foal get back in with its mother after 4 months and the mare started producing milk again!!). And yes, the purina active senior is a good feed.

 

[Miniv]

I ditto Chandab all the way with the senior feed....and even if you have to separate mom and "foal" using the stall for part of the day, I'd do it.

Expect a lot of complaining from both of them.....but it's for the best in the long run.

 

[NewToMini's]

I was considering boarding them (or one) for a little while. I know someone who owns a boarding facility. I'm concerned about how much they'd freak out, though, if I boarded one (they freak out if the other is standing right outside the stall), and I don't think I can afford to board them both. If I do board one, how long do you think it would take for them to settle down?

 

[wingnut]

They might freak out a bit, but it will be okay.

Good luck!!

 

[NewToMini's]

Which one would I board? I read somewhere that you should board the mare so that the foal can stay in a familiar place, but the filly freaks out the most when they're separated, and the stalls are safer at the boarding facility, so there's less chance of her hurting herself there.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Considering this mare is a special needs mare, sorry but looking at the pics she is very much underweight I would board the foal. I would get this mare to see a vet ASAP.

Surely there are other feed stores around the area but one feed I HIGHLY recommend is SeniorGlo by ADM. It even promotes to feed this feed for starved, rescued horses. As others said no horse is too old to be on Senior feed. I have one that's 5 years old that's currently on it. I am one of those people that had such poor success with the mini feed I had to feed a whole bunch to my easy keeper gelding and at the end he just stopped eating it all together. I switched to ADM and haven't looked back since.

 

[Jean_B]

From your posts and your responses, I am guessing that you are a youth - and highly recommend that you find a mentor on how to care for ANY horse. Not sure where to turn? Contact the local 4-H clubs and find out who the horse project leaders are. Go to the Lil Beginnings breeders listing and see if there is anyone who lives close by that you can go visit and learn from. Google miniature horse clubs in your state. You are floundering and you....as much as your mare....need help. Good luck to you!

 

[paintponylvr]

One other thing to consider - just because you have "pretty" pasture, doesn't make it "good" pasture. I have had that issue in the past myself... You can have that looked at/tested as well. Some county ag departments will test for NO CHARGE. What works for sheep does not always work for horses/ponies.

Also, along with a different feed and doing her teeth, pulling the filly off of her - she may need a "tummy soother" as in ulcer care/prevention. There are many on the market and in a pinch, human ones such as Pepto Bismol (not really meant for ulcers but an instant tummy coat) and others can be used. I'm not "current" on all the Ulcer products - several others here on this forum are. A lot of mini horses seem to have issues with ulcers - and being underweight can be a start to them as can other stress's - such as having the foal, having the foal on her too long, being moved to new facilities (IE - your place), changes in pasture and changes in feed (not only in changing them now - but doing the original start of your feed program after you got her JUST 2.5 weeks ago).

Yes, a vet visit is probably in order to pin-point specific issues for your mare.

Please let us know what you try for your mare and how she does. If she's gained a significant amount of weight in just 2.5 weeks, she's made a huge adjustment. Also - for separating - simple cattle panels (about $20/ea at TSC) can do a pen and separate the two. Then they go out on your pasture separately. Spending the $$ on your on property rather than boarding. Check with your vet - he/she may be able to do payments for a bill (floating teeth/testing) or even work part of it off - each vet and case are different.

Yes, while you are using the feed you have (rather than throwing it out), you can add fat to it. Vegetable oil is the cheapest way but not the best and doesn't work for all horses either - just something to keep in mind.

 

[NewToMini's]

I'm 20, so young adult. I just haven't had my own horse since I was 13, so don't remember everything, and my parents paid for his care. These are my first horses that I am completely responsible for, and honestly that scares me a bit (as does everything else I'm not used to, because I tend to be anxious). This filly is my first young horse, I wasn't expecting to get a mare and 'foal', and honestly, I wasn't prepared to get a horse when I got them (a friend called me and told me about them; they were free, and the owner wanted me to pick them up the next day). So yes, I am in way over my head. But I do tons of research whenever I get into something new (or even think about it), and learn everything I can (I'm looking at this as reasearch, too, and find this to be quite enlightening, as I've never thought to look into grain before, and have never felt it necessary to learn everything there is to know about raising foals, since it seemed so far into the future. ). Yes, I am asking a lot of questions, yes, I sound like I know nothing about horses (even though I've been volunteering at a stable in exchange for riding time for 6 years, and have been around horses for 10 years), but it's because I'm an anxious person who is afraid of doing something wrong and not being perfect at caring for my horses.

 

[NewToMini's]

PaintPonyLvr, I never even thought about having the soil tested, thanks.

None of the vets in my area take payments . We called all of them after my mom picked up a stray cat off the road, that had it's skin hanging off it's jaw.

And I know an equine dentist that I'll use. He's not really expensive at all, I think only $75. The only reason I can't get her teeth done right away is because the filly is due for her boosters, and I'm not going to have many hours on my paycheck this week.

I should be able to get a fecal done on the mare, I'll just have to call the vet and ask about it.

 

[sfmini]

You have gotten great advice here. Bottom line is, the mini food isn't very good. Other Purina products are great, the Omolene feeds are good are are the Junior and Senior feeds.

To divide your stall, not so hard. We use the short sheep panels and make a corner stall in a stall and can keep our weanling colt (late foal, October) with his older half sister and still keep an eye on who eats what and how much.

Can't get the panels? Sink some fence posts and put up some boards. Until you do, that filly is going to drag that mare down and the nutritional value of her milk is very poor anyway at this stage. Yep, they have temper tantrums, mare will get uncomfortable because her udder will get taut and hurt a bit but only for a short time. Creativity is the name of the game here in getting them apart. The money you would spend on board can go to buying those supplies.

A boarding barn is going to have to charge you full price because that is what that spot is worth to them. If they cut the rate to you, then they are losing the difference. Doesn't matter that the feed and labor is cheaper.

Good luck.

p.s., in my avatar pic, see the partition behind the mini? He is in a full sized stall we turned into a triple stall for minis.

 

[paintponylvr]

I TOTALLY understand about paychecks and loved your explanation of your experience. As to not wanting to make mistakes - well - we all can/do make them and that IS part of the learning experience along with experimentation. Don't let anyone tell you that that is wrong as horsemen and women all thru the ages have learned that way! Very few of us get it right all the time or on the first try. KUDOs to you for researching and asking questions.

I am a "queen" at stretching things out to the max and getting the most for my money (IF I can. Good quality is more expensive but is also the best way to go at times, rather than re-spending again and again.). We've always worked on a "shoe string" budget. Some ways you can offset costs is to purchase your vaccinations and learn to give them yourself (saving both the f/c charge and the extra that a vet charges to offset their necessary costs). You can figure out with your vet the "core" vaccines that you should be giving to your horses and which ones they have to give (here - just Rabies). Find out if you aren't taking them anywhere if they absolutely need all of those "core" vaccines (they may not - you'd be surprised).

$75 for a float is awesome and and quite a bit less than what I pay per horse. Did that include drugs or is your vet working on the horse w/o? I've got vets that do both ways - but even w/o drugs charge a minimum of $100/each, then goes up based on drug usage. Our 2 big horses and 2 medium sized ponies usually cost about $225/float. I paid a separate $100 to have the wolf teeth ($50/tooth) pulled on a 2 yr old gelding last month. I'd NEVER had 1 wolf tooth erupt in one younger than 4 yrs - much less 2, so it was a BIG surprise to find.

Also, if you get on the email lists with Horse dot com and valley vet dot com and Dover Saddlery - they have specials on wormer throughout the year - meaning you will sometimes get wormers at much lower costs than you can purchase them at any store. Some other vet catalogs also have sales on vaccines but sometimes these products are short dated - you can ask when you order and make a decision as to how much to get that way (I have a LARGE # of ponies, so order a minimum of 12 wormers at a time and usually 2-3x that but you can order as few as 1 or 2 but then have some shipping fees, too). Dover regularly has sales on riding "stuff" for biggies and you could combine orders. I often get my paddock boots 1x yearly on sale when I get wormer from them. You could see if the barn you are working with can split/share an order with you (they might like the savings, too. OR they may not - depends on their mindset and clientele).

Becoming "crafty" and/or repurposing some items you/your friends/family use, also can offset costs - all of which help with the rest of their care. I have recently come across ways to do things that I simply never considered nor thought about - and will be trying some of them out. Love projects made with haystring that I save. Now have some patterns/ideas for things w/ the jute string too (I don't like it and usually use it as a fire starter for either our bonfires or burn piles, LOL).

Utilizing temporary hot fencing or panels, your pair can be moved around singly - becoming "lawn mowers" in the yard as well.

By the way- WELCOME - to the world of MINIATURE HORSES and PONIES. You are in for a WONDERFUL "ride"!!

 

[HGFarm]

I would have her teeth checked first of all. I have mine checked every year by an equine dentist starting at one year. If they don't need anything, he doesn't charge to check them. I would up the mare's alfalfa. I have not known many that cared for the Mini/Pony feed and some whose horses did terrible on it.

 

[NewToMini's]

Thank you for all of the money saving tips, PaintPonyLvr

I was wondering If I would be able to buy the vaccines and give them myself to save money (I've given shots to another horse, some sheep, cats, and even chickens, so as long as the shots are intramuscular, I know how). I'll have to ask to vet about that.

And the equine dentist doesn't use drugs, so that's probably part of the reason he's so cheap.

And I didn't know about the email lists, thanks

 

[sfmini]

You can for sure give your own shots, 1cc (ML) IM, same dose for minis as for biggies.

We mail order ours and do them ourselves. Only way we could ever afford to vaccinate our horses as we have 20 to dose.