# Mini horse help



## secuono (Oct 16, 2010)

I'm trying to figure out if I should get a miniature horse or not. 

I have 2 acres, fenced, house included in that. I have 2 indoor dogs, 2 indoor cats, 6 aquariums and a flock of Japanese bantams and Silkies. 

I've loved horses all my life, all my animals are spoiled pets, btw.
There's a barn that used to hold a few regular horses years ago. One side was a workshop that is now the chicken coop. 

I found a person with a 7-8 month old female, 28in brown. She needs time to warm up to people though. I used to take riding lessons and always came early and stayed late to help out. But never owned a horse or really did too much real care. 

What should I know or do or...idk..lol.

Anyone here have minis??


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## patandchickens (Oct 17, 2010)

It's a whole lot better to get TWO, not just one. Of whatever kind of equid.

Also, it would be a real good idea to take some more riding lessons before buying anything, even if you have NO interest in riding whatever you get (obviously not a mini <g>), because you will have a chance to tune up your handling skills. This is pretty important, even iwth a mini.

I would really try to steer you away from this PARTICULAR mini, though. Someone who is basically a total novice in handling/managing horses really ought to have an established mature somewhat-trained animal, not a basically-untrained weanling. Horses are so cheap these days, I am *certain* you could find a nice *mature, easy to handle, trained* mini without difficulty. Or, that is, TWO of them 

Another option would be to take in a retiree (well, TWO ), perhaps of a smaller breed if you don't want to deal with full sized horses. They are generally pretty well behaved and been there done that -- because fewer obnoxious or ill-trained horses are allowed to REACH their senior years. In a number of ways, full sized horses are kind of easier to deal with than minis -- while they eat and poo a bit more, it is not that enormous a difference and you don't have to bend down so much and they are less vulnerable to dog attacks and it is MUCH easier to find a farrier to come out and do two 'real' horses' feet than two mini's feet. (A lot of farriers will not do minis, especially not if that's ALL you have is two minis. No, you cannot do their feet yourself. They will need a trim every 6-8 weeks)

Good luck, have fun, get something MATURE AND TRAINED,

Pat


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## Bunnylady (Oct 17, 2010)

I have 3 minis. On the whole, I would agree with Pat, because I believe in the expression that  holds, "green plus green equals black and blue!"

That said, my first mini was a 9-year-old mini mule. A friend had had her fill of this animals' shenanigans, and was looking for someone to give her to. I was the first person to say yes, even though I had never owned a horse in my life. The mule came to me kicking, biting, pulling like a freight train or locking up and refusing, hard to catch, wouldn't load  -  you name it, she did it. Sounds like a real brat, right? Oh, yes, I forgot to mention - she was man-shy. Wanted nothing to do with any male human at all. A more experienced person might have figured it out sooner, but after about a week I knew that what I had wasn't a bad actor, it was a very smart animal with no training at all. We had to start at square one, something made all the harder by all the people that hadn't gone there in the first place. It's been an education, for both of us! Fortunately, we are well matched. I've been owned by that mule for 4 years now, I tell her she is first in my herd, and first in my heart.  

My second mini _is_ a real brat. She came to me at about 8 months of age. No manners at all, because her owner was inexperienced with babies, and was afraid of teaching her bad things. This one has a boss mare personality, and has even had the nerve to challenge me on occasion (major, major mistake!) If you are taking on a baby horse, you have to be prepared to deal with this kind of thing. A horse needs to learn his place in the herd, or it can become really dangerous. Some minis are really sassy and mischievous, and you have to be on your guard with them. It's a fine line you have to walk, because they are so small. You have to be tough enough that they dare not challenge your authority, yet gentle enough that you don't scare them to death!

My third mini also came to me as an 8 month old, and is as different from the second one as night is from day. This one has a sweet, docile, easy, loving sort of personality, a totally friends-we-haven't-met-yet attitude toward people. Whatever you do is fine with her, she's even easy with the vet! Who could not love an animal like that!

There's a forum dedicated just to miniature horses, that I have found very valuable. Every possible subject related to minis has come up on the Lil Beginnings Miniature Horse Forum, it's a great place to visit even if you are just thinking about getting a mini!


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## secuono (Oct 18, 2010)

Thanks for the info you guys.
I may go and meet her sometime this week just to actually see how and who she is. 

I have no problems being tough with small animals, I train dogs, all sizes and all personalities, devils or sweethearts. 

The best way I learn is by just jumping in and going for it.


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## patandchickens (Oct 18, 2010)

secuono said:
			
		

> I have no problems being tough with small animals, I train dogs, all sizes and all personalities, devils or sweethearts. The best way I learn is by just jumping in and going for it.


Please don't take offense but that kind of concerns me a bit. 

It has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with "being tough with small animals". Or training dogs either.

The thing is, horses are behaviourally a lot different than dogs. Really really. Their body language is a lot different; their reactions are a lot different; and in many ways the things that work vs get you in trouble are a lot different.

If you haven't worked a fair bit with training horses, it is just risky -- not just to you but to the HORSE -- to get an adolescent untrained animal, especially one said to "take a while to warm up to people".

Of course you'll do as you please  and if you are lucky she will be one of those horses whose natural actions and reactions are all "just right" and and they're real easy even for novices to train... I hope. But realistically, more often the young horse is more average and thus less easy and problem-free.

It is not like this is the only mini in the world. Why not start out with one you KNOW you can learn usefully from?

Just sayin',

Pat


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## tiffanyh (Oct 18, 2010)

Just to mention...I was an limited experience equine person with lots of experience with small animal training.

I got a 9 yr old mini donkey who was well trained and had been handled extensively prior to me. Even he was difficult for me to learn with. I knew the "book instructions" but had to learn how to go through the motions. It was tough, even with my trained boy. He picked up quickly on my inexperience, took advantage of it and it took me quite a bit to get a hold of it. Now things are great, but equine behavior is very different.

Good luck either way, sounds like you have a nice set up for some little guys.


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## freemotion (Oct 18, 2010)

With the economy the way it is, there are a bazillion horses of all shapes and sizes out there that desperately need a home, especially horses that can no longer be ridden due to injury or age.  Most of these horses are wonderful and would really appreciate a forever home with a loving person who is just itching to dote on them.

That is you.  And that would be a better match.  I was a former trainer myself and did a darn good job with the foals and youngsters and even with re-training spoiled horses.  

Then I got my first dog when I was 40 years old.  Piece of cake, I thought, I know the principles of training.

Wrong!  Training an herbivore, a prey animal, is VERY different from training a carnivore, a predator.  Yes, there are some similarities, but many, many differences, and body language is the key.  You've been using carnivore body language to successfully train dogs and making the switch to herbivore will not happen overnight.

An older, confident horse (horses!) will not be phased by this.  After some time spent being taught by the more experienced horses, you will be ready to take on a challenge like a shy weanling.

Until then, please reconsider.  I've been involved in the industry long enough to have seen many, many horses made into difficult animals by well-meaning owners who learned most of their horse knowledge from reading novels and watching movies.  None of them are realistic.  All are romanticized.

You must know this from dog training.  Please consider doing a wonderful thing and taking in a horse that is basically unadoptable, an older or crippled horse.  Please.


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## secuono (Oct 19, 2010)

We already opted not to bother until we move to a bigger farm. Thanks for freaking out on me though.
=p


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## freemotion (Oct 19, 2010)

I'm sorry you feel freaked out on....I'm sure none of us meant it that way.  My apologies.  I had good intentions to help you have a great first experience in horse ownership.


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