Mini Horse Question/Problems....

[Barnyard]

Hey everybody. It has been a long time since I have posted on here. I go to the sister site, BYC. I have a problem.....

I have just bought a mini horse for my children. The couple I bought him from purchased him for there niece. He has not been ridden by himself, but he does really well with the lead rope. They would normally saddle him and then lead the niece around the property on him. I have witnessed this myself. I have NO intentions of letting my children on this horse unattended. I figured it would be better for us to start off with a smaller horse so that my kids could get used to saddling, brushing, and messing with the feet. We are not experts by no means, but we are not completly green either. The problem is since we got him home he has an attitude. He did ok the first few times with me taking him out of his pen with the lead rope. The last 2 times however he has tried to kick me, for no apparent reason. I was just standing there holding the rope. He has also tried to bit me and my children. Today though was a different story, he would not let me put the lead on...everytime I got close enough he would snatch his head away. He even rared up. I was finally able to get the lead rope on and he started biting the wood pallet that we have blocking the door way. Now I thought, ok maybe he is excited because he is finally getting out of his pen so he can run around a bit, but I don't think that is the reason for the kicking. He also stomps at the ground....as if he is pissed about something. Any suggestions....ideas...will be most appreciated!!


Edited to add: He is 2 and has not been gelded but he only has one testical so I was told he didn't need to be.

 

[Nicki]

Hi,

Assuming he is in good health and this is not a health related issue it sounds like he is spoiled and testing you as far as you will let him. I would recommend doing some basic round pen work teaching him who is in charge. The fact that he is a mini you can do this in a pretty small area there are great videos out there that teach teh basics or if you can find someone in your area it is really pretty easy to pick up the basics and is great way to learn for you and the horse on the ground. You are basicly giving him choices if you go to catch him and he moves away ask him to move away give him a chance to stop and be caught again you continue this process until when you approach he stands quietly you would be amazed how quickly they figure this out. Once you learn to read there body language you can tell when they are paying attention to you and when they are just off in there own world going in circles.

 

[Nicki]

Hi just read the second part I would get him gelded who ever told you he did not need it was absolutley wrong one works just as good as two you still have all those raging hormones.

 

[fadetopurple]

He is probably a cryptorchid - one testicle never descended. As far as I know, that's a lot more common than genuinely having only one testicle. But like Nicki said, even if he only has one, that's more than enough to cause this kind of behavior. He's a young stallion, and he's testing you. In addition to any training changes you make, you should pursue having him gelded. Unfortunately, if he is a cryptorchid, the gelding operation will be more complicated and expensive since the vet will have to go in after the undescended one.

 

[mully]

I would put him on a lunge line and work him. Have the vet geld him and you should have yourself a nice mini gelding that the kids can enjoy

 

[MrsCountryChick]

We raised a few horses growing up & a friend had a riding stables too..... one thing I can say is some horses can be 'head shy' about having a halter put on, especially by someone unfamiliar or new......... I LOVE using a Quick Catch Lead on Any animal, horse, cow, goat, llama, alpaca, etc. It's not meant for constant wearing, just for catching & leading somewhere. It can easily be scrunched in a pocket, & for release all you have to do is slip it off the animal's nose & the whole lead unwraps to a flat rope. But because it's not a fixed halter you can end up with a loose animal if you have a struggle, so this is for leading the 'average' animal & not an upset ~wild~ animal. You can walk to him, loop his neck, loop his nose lead him alittle while, give a small snack of a carrot 'piece,' then release him..... & do it all over again, giving him a positive reward for catching & haltering. Good Luck!

Explanation of a Quick Catch Lead:
http://www.sunsethalters.com/qchalter.php

TSC also has them:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/equine/horse-tack/halters-leads/halters/pocket-horse-halter-2501094

 

[Nicki]

Once you geld him it will give you some bonding time while he heals

 

[Bunnylady]

I'm sorry, but why do people do these things to themselves? If this guy was 16hh, you'd never even think of leaving him entire, not if you wanted to put children on his back. One testicle or two, it makes no difference, this is a STALLION! It will cost you $$$$ to get a true crypto properly gelded, but it would really be a huge favor to everyone involved to get it done asap. This animal should never, ever, be bred (cryptorchids are disgustingly common in minis) so there is absolutely no good reason to keep him entire. This is really a safety issue, too, stallions are too unpredictable to be trusted with children.

Yes, I know, everybody knows someone who has a mini stud that is a perfect pet, that a 3-year-old can lead, etc. Not every mini is like that. Too many people treat minis as if they were some kind of dog or something. Minis are horses, and must be treated as such. I have three of 'em myself, they are the lesser lights of my life (after my family, of course!) but I don't kid myself about what they are capable of. Minis can be very sweet, but they are also very smart, and will test to see what they can get away with.

You say this little guy is 2 years old. So he has a baby brain, and baby bones. Do you know how much he weighs? A lot of people over-estimate the weight of a mini. A lot of 30" minis weigh considerably less than 200 lbs! I don't know how tall your mini is, but a mature horse should only be asked to carry a load of about 20 to 25% of its weight (that's rider and tack). A 2-year-old shouldn't be asked to haul more than about 15%, and only for very short periods. If this mini weighs, say, 300 lbs, that means a total load of about 45lbs. Are your kids that small?

Barnyard, I really don't mean to be yelling at you. It's just that I have seen too many Youtube videos of teenagers and adults riding minis, and saying things like "he hates it, but I don't care!" The horses in these videos are bucking and biting because their riders are too heavy, and are hurting them, but they think it's funny!

Two year olds have short attention spans. They need very short lessons, and lots of positive reinforcement. I wish you had gotten an older, been-there-done-that sort of animal. I think you all might have enjoyed it more. One of my minis was such a rowdy hooligan when she came here as a weanling, I couldn't trust her around my kids unless I was right there. She quickly learned to behave with me, but she wanted to play with them, and she plays rough! She's much better now, but she still has moments. It's just youthful high spirits, but it can be scary (and painful!) to a small person. It's no fun having to be that much on your guard all the time. I hope you and your children can get this worked out, and stay safe!

 

[Barnyard]

Bunnylady...no worries. I would rather you be straight forward with me rather than make excuses.

If I had known that he needed to be gelded, then he probley would have never came home with me. Just being honest.
The people I got him from obviously have no clue as to what they are talking about and they have 3 other horses, ugh!! My children are not allowed around him unless me or their dad is with them. I know what kind of damage this little boy can do.

I have not measured his height yet, and his Coggins paper do not have it on there. I am 5'5 and his back hits me just above my waste. The owner said he was about 200lbs, which I don't believe. He is quiet healthy. I know my oldest boy can not ride him, but my smaller kids can.

I went and "tested" him weeks before I brought him home and he was a perfect angel. Now, he is a perfect brat. I wish I would have gotten a older horse and I am really considering selling him. I hate to do that, but he is not much good to me or my kids like this.

Thanks everybody for your advice so far. I guess my next step, other than gelding, is round pen.

 

[ducks4you]

I'm sorry, but why do people do these things to themselves? If this guy was 16hh, you'd never even think of leaving him entire, not if you wanted to put children on his back. One testicle or two, it makes no difference, this is a STALLION!

TOO TRUE!!!!!!!

Yes, I know, everybody knows someone who has a mini stud that is a perfect pet, that a 3-year-old can lead, etc. Not every mini is like that. Too many people treat minis as if they were some kind of dog or something. Minis are horses, and must be treated as such.
You say this little guy is 2 years old. So he has a baby brain, and baby bones.
Two year olds have short attention spans.

He's still young enough to find a buyer. A young horse's training is very important. I always told my riding students that if you REALLY LOVE your horse, you will train them/have them trained to the best of your ability, so that they will have the BEST chance of having a good home. You DO know that horses can live into their 30's?

Barnyard wrote:
I wish I would have gotten a older horse and I am really considering selling him.

I don't believe that this pony is old enough to have anywhere NEAR the amount of training to be safe for your children. If you spend the money/time training him, your kids may lost interest waiting. There are many older ponies on the market now with this bad economy that would be great starters. Some of the TV/circuit horsepeople are giving great examples. FOR INSTANCE, Ken McNabb had a recent show where he was training his 10 year old son to rope on his recent purchase, which was a 23 year old VETERAN mare that he was very familiar with. When I was younger, and ran a riding academy I made some similar mistakes. My middle daughter convinced me to let her ride solo on one of our trail-riding vacations. She was 8 years old, the gelding--very calm--was 6 years old. FORTUNATELY, when she fell off it was just a few bruises, instead of a brain injury or broken bones. NOW, my DD's--all in their 20's--ask my permission to make sure the newest purchase is safe. Sell him and buy something better suited to your needs. It's really ok--if this were a "boyfriend" and it wasn't a good fit you'd let him go, right?