A Few Spring Cheap Tricks

Baking Soda:
To help fight odors in a horse's stall, use a box of baking soda on the wet spots, after cleaning the stall.
Cornstrach:
Do you have a show horse with white legs?  After shaving the white, sprinkle corn starch on the white and brush in. This will inhance the white, and is cheaper than French White.
Clorox:
10% Clorox/water mixter can be used to wash or spray down your stall to help kill harmful bacteria.
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What is a Miniature Horse?

The Miniature Horse is a scaled down version of a standard-size horse that cannot be taller than 38” in height for the American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR). When measuring a miniature, you take the measurement from the last hairs of the mane. Miniature horses can be any shade of color that a full sized horse can.  This goes for their eye color too, brown to blue, to even a hazel shade. Their hair coats should be soft and shiny! Miniature foals can range between 15-24 inches. Nothing is cuter than see foals playing in the pasture!!  In the winter their hair can grow up to 2 to 6 inches long. When show season starts to approach, they can be clipped. If this is done, make sure to blanket your minis, if we still have winter temperatures. They will naturally shed their own coats starting in the spring.

What is a Shetland Pony?

Shetland Ponies are from the Shetland Islands; where they were known to roam for years. Shetlands were brought to the United States in the 1800’s, the first were registered in 1888 by the American Shetland Pony Club (ASPC).  The Shetland pony has been in the United States for more than 100 years. There are 3 different types of Shetland Ponies; Classic, Modern, and Foundation. The maximum height for a Classic Shetland is 46 inches. Modern Shetlands maximum height is also 46 inches. Shetland may also have a Foundation Seal, their maximum height being 42 inches. Shetland comes in all colors except Appaloosa. Their eye color is just the same as any other horse.

Caring for your new Miniature or Pony

If not stalling in a barn, you will need a deep, 3-sided shed open to the south to protect them from the wind, and a yard large enough to run in for exercise.

Feed a quality commercial grain per manufacturer's recommended amounts, 1/2 leaf or more of hay morning and night, with ample water (unfrozen) always available to them, and access to salt and non-ruminant mineral blocks. Check with your hay supplier to make certain no preservatives were added in the baling process.

Hoof care, vaccinations and worming are discussed below.

Questions to ask before you buy

Be sure to ask questions before purchasing your choice of mini or pony.  Check on the animal's vaccination, worming and farrier records. Is there a up-to-date Coggins? Which veterinary is used by the breeders? Who is their farrier? Are its hooves a reasonable length or are they excessively long? Have they had at least one series of shots a year? Have they been wormed at a regular time interval? (Worming twice a year for older stock, every 3 months or so for the youngsters.) Has the mini/pony been in a tralier before? Is the equine trained in anything (halter, jumping, driving, etc.)

The better cared for and the more individually handled horses will make the best choice for the novice horse person, just as with any pet one would be choosing.

How much?

How much should you expect to pay? The amounts vary for miniatures just like they do for any other animal. Prices vary depending on size, color, winnings, pedigree and quality.

CAUTION!

They are like potato chips. You'll soon find you can't stop at just one.