Chook Me! - Miniature horse questions?

Miniature horse questions?

Hello, I have a few questions on miniature horses, if you could please answer that would be great! First i will give you a little bit of information on my self so then its easier. I am considering purchasing a miniature horse as a companion pet. I have had experience with horses; lessons,camps, research , riding and have red lots of books! and still reading books and purchasing them. I understand that horses need money, time & love. I live in Australia. Here are the questions: :) 1. Could i keep a miniature horse in my back yard? ( Yes i know i have to check with my local Council, but i'm asking for your opinion, At the moment my back yard is big . But it use to be a veggie patch above ground on the left. On the right there is a chicken coop Wich my four chickens are in and my bunny rabbit too. And a couple of fruit trees. Behind left and right is all grass it should be about 7 metres vertical and about 16 metres wide. plus a bit more space front of it. Wich is were I'm planning to put a shelter for it when its cold and rainy. Would all that space be enough room for a miniature? Also I will be taking it to the grass reserve behind my house like every day to lunge and i will also take it for walks. Would this be okay? 2. Here is my list of things i need for it, Am i missing anything? - Halter x 2 - Lead x 3 - Feed bin - Lunging Rope - Lunging Crop ( I don't think ill need this) - Winter and paddock rug - Grooming kit ( Brushes ,hoof pic , Combs ETC) - Mane n tail pulling comb - De-tangle spray - fly mask - First aid kit for horses - Buckets 3. Do they really run up to you and give you a hug? LOL ( Friends say they do) - Jolly ball or exercise ball - * these things ( -) are part of the list, sorry about them being everywhere Thankyou !! Oh and i will be with it every morning and afternoon and weekends . so it will have plenty of company between all of my family and me. And with the food i will be feeding it hay, and i have a whole green reserve behind my house that my auntie owns. Yes we are willing to buy hay , and we have a dog, cats, bunny rabbit & chickens lol.

Public Comments

It sounds like you would make a brilliant owner! great that you are getting everything ready and checking you have everything. The only thing Im worried about is grazing and socialising with other horses. Miniture horses are exactly the same as big ones, yes they dont need as much room but need a 1/3 acre minimum for grazing and do better with a horse friend for company. Im not sure about the laws of keeping one in your garden but to stable it there seems fine, you just need to find a field for it and a buddy. The amount of grass you have im afraid is nowhere near enough and will soon end up a big muddy heap @pony girl the reason most mini's and shetlands put on weight is due to them being natural good doers, yes they are prone to putting on weight and weight related illness. However the vast majority of this is due to lack of exercise and them being kept as pets. Horses and ponies are natural grazers and have adapted to eating for a large majority of the time and naturally travelling for most of the day. Ponies will put on weight if given small amounts of work and put onto lush grass.
This is what we did with my mini; he did indeed live in the backyard, but we fenced off an area with hot wire for his dry lot. The mistake most people make with minis is to give them too much grazing. I fed 1 cup of grain twice a day and half a flake of hay twice a day. He got an hour of grazing everyday, and I trained him to pull a cart, and we would cart around in the park that was behind the house at least 3 days a week. Full time grazing is just too much for a mini; they will end up twice as wide as they are tall, and it just isn't healthy! My mini learned to walk up a ramp to get into the back of my van, and we traveled all over town to birthdays, weddings, (all invited) and he even came to work with me once. We went to the pet stores that allow animals to come choose their toys by rubber banding non slip matting to his hooves so he could negotiate the tile floor. He is a very social guy! He gets invited to many more places than I ever do! I also taught him tricks; he plays basketball with a playschool hoop, plays soccer, gives kisses, moves however I direct him to be groomed (I sit on a stool and he turns all around for me to do his parts) and he stands on a porch by going up steps so that the farrier can trim his feet without bending over. He is very smart and likes to do new things. I literally introduced him to the harness and cart in one afternoon. He kicked the cart once, and from then on just loved it! It was almost like he was saying "took you long enough to get this idea!" I don't use a standard bridle and bit; I just drive off a close fitting halter. He has been a wonderful companion. Even though it seems mean, minis are better kept on dry lot, fed limited hay and grain, and given very controlled grazing. They are easy to overfeed. My guy is 32 inches tall and weighs 230 lbs. (I take him to the vet, and he walks up onto her dog scale) If your local council will allow it, your backyard should be plenty of room for him, but I would create a little stall for him (I used a garden shed) and give him a small area of drylot that is his own place. I also have a small round pen made with electric tape that isn't electrified. He is the only mini of all my friends' mini that isn't overweight, and is so much better behaved than those that live with a bunch of horses. I was ill for about 6 months, and he went to a friends place and lived with her horses, still with limited grazing, but he learned some bad habits. It took me about 6 weeks to get him back to the polite little man he can be. If you are able to give him a couple of hours everyday of attention, he will do fine without other horsey friends. I do take him to visit other minis and big horses on a regular basis; he has several friends that he plays with, but always seems happy to climb the ramp and go back home. Good luck and have fun with your future new friend!
Human companionship is no replacement for what he would get from another horse. Your mini may well like you, but you don't compare to another mini, sorry if this bruises your ego a bit. Imagine spending 24/7 either alone in a lot or with a different species. Never bonding with another human. It would be horrid.
I used to have a Miniature horse and my friend used to have one too so I have a lot of experience with Miniatures, also average sized horses. I think it would be fine for a Miniature horse to live in a backyard. But the only thing I'm worried about is that, once he has ate all of the grass in the yard, he won't have anything to eat. Are you willing to buy hay when he needs it? Also, I'm worried of him not having any company or buddies to hang out with. I know you, your family and also your friends will be petting him everyday and such, but he still needs animals to hang out with him. The chickens work, a dog would work, also goats work. But I think it would be best to get another Miniature horse so he has a buddy to run around with. My Miniature horse had my OTTB gelding so they had some company together, even though they didn't really like each other (My Miniature horse would always bite my gelding). It looks like you have everything you need, do you have a water trough for him to drink water out? Also, does it get cold out there in the water, that you get ice? If so, I'd buy a water heater so then when winter comes, your horse doesn't have to try to break the ice for water (he will wait until it melts usually which can take a while). Horses need 10 gallons of water everyday, they can't eat snow, they prefer water. You should also get a couple feeding buckets so whenever you have oats or treats for him, you just throw it in the bucket and give it to him. Miniature horses don't run up to you and give you a 'hug'. But they do like to run up to you and greet you at the gate. By the way, don't let your Miniature get the best of you, especially around little kids, they will get a biting habit fast if they get around the kids; that's what has happened to us. =L The jolly ball and/or an exercising ball would be an excellent choice(s) to give your horse to play with, it gets them exercise and also something to do. Good luck & have fun! xD
I think you`ll have a good amount of space him/her!! I volunteer at a ranch and they have a mini and he really doesnt need much space just a 15-25 min. walk daily and they`ll be fine:) They`re just like a regular horse (they eat a WHOLE lot less though) but smaller:P And I looked over the list and it seems like you have everything:) And Im not sure about the last question:P
sounds like u got just about everything covered! id offer you my mini, but i just sold him due to moving and parent divorce :P minis are just about the funnest animals ever. I had a cart with mine, and that was sooo much fun, because obviously you cant tride them unless your a little kid. it sounds like youve got enough land for a mini. Dont forget, that minis, like people, get lonely. He'll probably want a buddy. 2 minis are better than one:) i had to keep my mini single, because his significant other kept causing trouble. He was really depressed and pissy. So i strongly suggest you get him a freind:) minis are soo amazing...it sounds like you know a bunch about minis, good job researching....good luck!! :)