meet the newest member of our family! (mini horse!)

[bballmom56]

Bruno is such a cutie! We have a mini on the farm I manage. He is a sweetie, too. Talk about an easy keeper! One cup of sweet feed am and pm (and he doesn't even need that, but everyone else gets grain at that time) and 1/4 flake of hay at each feeding and he is still very overweight. Great personality, but really needs a job. He loves all the big horses and sniffs noses with them when I am turning him out.

I think the farrier and dentist could do without him as it is backbreaking to work that far down, lol! But I like him a lot.

 

[carmiedog]

how sweet!

For the last two years my daugher has asked for "a pony. a live one" for christmas. I won't show this to her because it will pretty much kill my "we don't have room" argument.

 

[jx3smom]

He is adorable.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

yooper-I would LOVE to see a pic if you ever get a chance to take one!

I was set on getting a mini donk...but I found out they poop twice as much and also, they bray all the time. I was not ready to hear that regularly! Maybe if we had tons of acreage...but with only 1 acre, I think it would drive me nuts!

bballmom-yes, he gets a handful of pellets twice a day, but really could do with less, he grazes all day long. BTW, he does need his teeth floated...thanks for reminding me!

carmiedog-well, if you are not zoned agricultural, you can always use that excuse! Not sure your little girl will understand that, tho. If she really wants a pony, there is just NO EXCUSE that will pass muster, I am sure!

 

[bballmom56]

WLL ~ ooo, that's right. That's the other perk I forgot. Easiest stall to clean and uses very little shavings!

We heard the same thing about the mini donkeys. My DD (now 25) always wanted a mini donkey to go with the rest of our menagerie. Then she experienced one at a farm where she was working. That one didn't shut up! Plus now she does ALL the work at our barn, so I think one less to take care of is ok at this point, lol!

As for the dentist, make sure he has the smaller tools to do a mini before you have him come out.

We actually have to put our mini in the paddock with no grass because he is that overweight.

 

[perdidobay]

How sweet! I've always loved min-horses.

 

[dislaney]

He is adorable! I want one too.

 

[Micca]

OMG how cute is that???

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

thank you micca, perdido,dislaney and jx3!!!

bball-You know, I heard that minis can founder and colic easily, and that some grass is TOO rich. The vet told me this is not a problem in SoFla, that our grass is not the super duper lush, rich grass. Just in case, we turn him out daily in the front "pasture." The grass there is sparse and not as rich, because it is actually a sand riding ring/arena that has grown over from lack of use. The sand does not allow really pretty, thick grass to grow.

Good point about the dentist. My vet charges a $45 farm call, then $125 to float the teeth! Does that sound a bit too expensive to you? It does involve sedation. He said since he does not have a bit in his mouth ever, I can do it every other year.

Yeah, I am a light sleeper, if I hear a donkey braying in the middle of the night, I will NOT be too happy!

 

[Jennasis]

ADORABLE! Congratulations...I know you guys have been chomping at the bit (pun intended) to get him. I love that forelock. No fair when the horses have nicer hair than I do!

My neighbors have a mini donk and he brays once in a while. Not too bad, but boy when he does, scares the bejeezus out of me!

$125 does sound a bit high for a float, at least for our area, but it may very well be the going rate for where you are. Our vet charges $40 for a famr call and $85 for a float (that's a power float, with thepower tools). Includes sedation.

Enjoy your new guy and beware the sneakies. Those minis are SMART as a whip AND they know it. He'll have you guys eating out of HIS hand...err hoof... before you know it.

 

[bballmom56]

bball-You know, I heard that minis can founder and colic easily, and that some grass is TOO rich. The vet told me this is not a problem in SoFla, that our grass is not the super duper lush, rich grass. Just in case, we turn him out daily in the front "pasture." The grass there is sparse and not as rich, because it is actually a sand riding ring/arena that has grown over from lack of use. The sand does not allow really pretty, thick grass to grow.

Good point about the dentist. My vet charges a $45 farm call, then $125 to float the teeth! Does that sound a bit too expensive to you? It does involve sedation. He said since he does not have a bit in his mouth ever, I can do it every other year.

We have an equine dentist here and he charges $100/horse, no farm call. (But maybe that's because he does at least 6 when he comes. But he does the three at my farm right after the barn where I work and still doesn't charge a farm call) He also does not use sedation. He is able to do them without it and he does not yell, manhandle, twitch or use any other method of restraint. I stand right there and watch. We do have 2 tough ones that my boss has the vet do because they need to be tranqued. He can do the ones at my barn without drugs, but the vet had to use them. Go figure. So I have him do it.

Yes, minis can founder and colic easily. That's why we are careful with ours. I think he lives on air! Just be careful about sand colic. There are a few supplements that can help keep things clear. We had a boarder who used psyllium every couple of months just to prevent it.

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

How cute! He reminds me of the show Rob & Big where they had a Mini-Horse and his name was. .. MINI-HORSE!

"Come on, Mini-Horse"

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Oooh, that is a good tip, about the sand colic. I did not know about that. I will say, the vet did go check out the pasture, and I showed him the grass and also told him it used to be a sand riding ring and he approved it, so I will mention it to him again, just in case.

I did get some banamine to keep on hand, but I hope to never have to use it!

Thanks Jennasis! Yeah, he is already getting spoiled.

Thanks for the info, both of you, on the teeth floating prices. I may call around, or go to the show stable across the street (I have become friendly with a few of the boarders) and piggyback on one of their farm calls. Or maybe the two retired horses next door, next time they get their teeth done, I will inquire.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

How cute! He reminds me of the show Rob & Big where they had a Mini-Horse and his name was. .. MINI-HORSE!

"Come on, Mini-Horse"

LOL< I have never heard of this show.."Rob and Big!" Is it a TV show?

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Hmmm, I just googled and watched an episode called "Mini Horse Madness." Kind of funny, but I don't think they took proper care of that horse! Did they finally get rid of it? Made me a little sad to watch it, the way they put the horse in the car, and also kept the horse inside the house.

BTW....I do NOT want this thread to turn into a debate or anything! I am just wondering what finally happened to the mini horse. I realize that I just saw one portion of one episode. LOL that they named it mini horse!

 

[OK!]

What a cutie!!! One of my parents' neighbors has a mini...I was out there today and drove past and saw him with his full winter coat out in the pasture. He looked like a tiny woolly mammoth. SO cute.

 

[Poppinsme]

What a cutie!!!!

We get a dentist out of Mississippi who charges $60.00 a horse for floating. Not bad for 5 horses.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

Awww, what a cutie!

I didn't actually realize that mini horses were that small! The bigger of my two German Shepherds is 27 inches at the shoulder, so he's not much smaller than Bruno!

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

LOL< I have never heard of this show.."Rob and Big!" Is it a TV show?

Yep
I think it was on Mtv.

Rob is Rob Dyrdek who is a skater and Big is his body guard.
It's a reality show.
It is episode 201 if you look on Mtv.com

 

[Cindy B]

Yep
I think it was on Mtv.

Rob is Rob Dyrdek who is a skater and Big is his body guard.
It's a reality show.
It is episode 201 if you look on Mtv.com

Rob and Big is no longer on. Now I think the show Rob is in is something called Fantasy Factory (or something like that). And no... they didnt take care of that horse.