I have recently transitioned my two horses onto a hay and grain diet. I feed good quality hay, afalfa pellets, and grain. One of the horses is doing great on this diet but as for to second horse, it just isn’t working out. He really needs a grass diet so I have decided to sell him and get a small companion for my other horse. He is a mellow, easy-going horse but is usually the leader. wpuld it be better to get a miniature donkey or a miniature horse in your opinion? I want whatever is a easier keeper. Please also say how much hay, alfalfa pellets, and grain I should feed and feel free to leave any other tips. Thank you for you help!!
What do you mean by grass diet? Just out in a paddock/ pasture eating grass? Most people would rather horses out eating pasture. Does the horse you are rehoming just maybe need more hay or a different type of grain?
I’m a donkey fan but some horses aren’t . Can’t say how much to feed them with out a ton more details.
P.
I’d be thinking about why the other horse isn’t “doing well” on hay. Perhaps you are just not feeding enough? Or the horse has dental issues?
Selling is another issue - if you want a different animal, that’s fine. But I wouldn’t be advertising him for sale “because he needs a grass diet” - that doesn’t make sense.
Both donkeys and minis have special needs - diet, teeth and farrier. Also, I agree, some horses may take to a mini but not a donkey. I might stick with the devil you know versus the devil you don’t. Figure out why the 2nd horse isn’t thriving on your diet and you won’t have to deal with selling one horse and finding a suitable companion.
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I have a mini as a companion animal. She’s a very easy keeper. We have no grass here so her diet is made up of hay, hay pellets, and grain. She does not get free choice hay because the one month she had that she looked pregnant. Our bales are very large and she’ll get one large flake twice a day, morning and evening, with the evening going along with two flakes for my horse and a few scoops of alfalfa pellets. Because they’re out together I can’t see who’s getting how much of each but the horse is the faster eater. The mini only gets grain because the horse gets some. The big thing was I was feeding her so little of the grain and with no green grass she wasn’t getting enough vitamins. Put her on a supplement and saw a huge difference in her coat.
The one thing whichever way you go is make sure it’s good alone. We got my mini from a local rescue that had pulled her from auction three days before. She was a said little thing and very quite. After a month or so she found her voice and screams whenever I ride. And after trying for over a year to adjust her to me riding for less than an hour every other day she is still screaming if I go too far.
Minis, both donk and horse can be no easier to feed than a bigger horse. Yes, you feed less, but that in itself can be a logistical issue with minis. Some need to be dry lotted, or muzzled when turned out because of excessive weight gain. That can be just as much worry as a horse that is a hard keeper. Just something to consider.
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While I understand you are trying to find a practical companion, animals are individuals. There is no guarantee on how much feed any equine will need/tolerate.
I have 2 donkeys and I love them to pieces. I have had really bad experiences with minis as companions (scaring the horses, being kicked and injured, health issues). Both tend to be extremely easy keepers, which can sometimes be more complicated to manage than a harder keeper, as you can’t just throw them out on lush pasture summer without founder risks.
My donkeys each each get a handful of ration balancer 2x a day. They are out on grass pasture wearing grazing muzzles. They get a thin flake of orchard grass hay (maybe 1-2lbs) in their stalls at feeding time to nosh on while waiting for the big horses to finish. One of the donkeys is new to me and we haven’t gone through a winter yet, but my other usually eats maybe 10lbs of grass hay/day and stays too plump. I feed it free choice for the whole herd so it’s hard to say exactly. Ideally, the donkeys wouldn’t be getting free choice hay… but they are companions for hard keeping TBs.
The donkeys get all the same care as the horses in terms of vaccines, farrier, dentist, parasite control, etc.
Thank you all for the help. To clear up any confusion, both horses are on a dry lot. So they don’t eat grass. I do not feed free choice instead I have set feeding times. I feed half a bale in the morning to both horses and half a bale at night along with a scoop of grain. The hard keeper just can’t keep weight of that and I can’t afford to feed more hay then I already am.
The easy keeper horse that I am keeping has been with a mini horse before with no issues. I do have a question that might sound crazy but is it possible for a horse to be scared to the sound donkeys make?
As to the person who suggested the vitamin supplements, what are some that you recommend?
Thank ypu! And I can answer anymore questions if need be. I really appreciate all the help.
Are you feeding them in separate stalls? If not, its possible one is being greedy. How old is the hard keeper, it may be time to check teeth and switch grain to a senior formula.
My horse hates donkeys and minis. he thinks they are scary. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the mini donkey brayed. he has since gotten better, but still gives them the side eye as we ride by.
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OK, this makes more sense but I’m not sure you’ll like my answer any better. If you can’t afford to feed a 2nd horse, you may not be better off with any 2nd animal. Just because minis eat less hay than full sized horses doesn’t make them less expensive to keep. They often have other issues that require special care - many have teeth issues, some have metabolic issues that require daily meds, etc. Some farriers prefer not to work on minis, etc. What you might save in hay bills could easily be spent on other things. I suppose it depends on where you live but in my area, hay is one of the cheapest parts of owning a horse.
Yes, I think many horses that have not been raised around donkeys will not like them, or the sound they make. I suspect my horses would have a heart attack if they saw a donkey.
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What are you calling “grain”?
A whole feed like oats, corn or barley or a commercial pelleted feed?
Nutrition in any of those can vary & what is enough for the one horse may not have sufficient calories/nutrition for the other.
If the protein & fat content in a commercial feed is low you can supplement the one horse with something higher.
I feed whole oats, but when my older WB was coming out of Winter a bit ribby, I added Nutrena Empower Boost (22% fat from rice bran, 12% protein) to his ration for about 3mos to get his weight back up.
As for adding a mini:
I was fortunate that my 2 - 16H TWH & 52" Hackney pony - accepted the 34" mini almost immediately.
It still gives me some worry when they all get to running & bucking - little one is so small a stray hoof could do some major damage.
And when mini-shopping be aware of dwarfism - cute(not to me), but carries a lot of physical issues - and teeth.
Some minis end up with a mouthful of horse-sized teeth.
No personal experience with donkeys, but a friend pastures her mini with a mini-donkey & they get along fine.
I agree with @S1969. I do not think it’s wise for you to get a second animal if you cannot afford to feed two.
Also, donkeys and minis are individuals just like horses and my concern would be you trying to sell the next animal because it proves to be too expensive. You already know you can’t afford two.
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I agree with most posters above. You aren’t feeding the hard-keeper enough. I know well the nightmare of different ‘keepers’. I have two fat hippos and one Hardkeeper OTTB Giraffe. It is complicated, and requires much pasture and paddock shuffling. Fortunately, mine are at home and I have the ability to do so. If I were you, I would think hard before I add another animal. Any mini or small donk will usually be an easy keepr and will complicate feeding your other horse.
I disagree with the affording two. Hay around here is very expensive and that was a factor when we choose a mini over a second horse. I will say that she isn’t a true mini but a small Shetland pony, when researching they seemed less prone to the issues you get with minis. She eats less than a pound of grain a day, mainly because the horse gets grain, of one of the less pricy grains. Her feet get trimmed every other farrier visit, about 10 weeks. The only two things I’ve had to add for her is a multi vitamin supplement since she isn’t getting enough grain and we have no grass, and allergy medicine in the spring. She still is a lot less expensive than a horse. Also since she’s a little bigger than a mini and very sassy she tends to boss my mare around.
@PrincessPonies What you said is the same for me. I can cover the costs that comes with horses in any shape or size such as vet bills, farriers, etc but where I live hay is very expensive so I’d like to cut down that cost as much as possible which came be hard when you don’t have pasture. The hard keeper used to eat grass 24/7 when we had pasture and we actually had a problem with him being overweight. We then used a grazing muzzle and that did the trick. Someone earlier in this forum mentioned that it won’t make sense to advertise the hard keeper for sale because he needs a grass diet. What would you suggest I say then seeing as he’s underweight.
I do make sure that one is not being greedy so that’s not an issue. The hard keeper is only 8 years old and I have his teeth checked regularly.
When I refer to grain I am meaning a pellet grain. The brand is Producers Prider Sweet Feed. I can post a picture of the nutrition label if requested.
OP try a better grain with your hard keeper. I stand by my statement to not get a second animal. I cannot think of a situation where I would be comfortable feeding that to my horse. If that is all I could afford I would sell and revisit owning when I had the funds to own.
I would, if that is not an option for whatever reason, switch to a senior feed for all.
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Sarah- I have been following your other post about high fat treats, and I have real concerns about your priorities. You say you can afford any expenses in the way of farriers or vets, but feeding a proper diet is actually reducing the risk of needing vet care for for problems like ulcers or colic. If you cannot afford to feed your horse(s) properly, you can’t afford them. Period.
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The “hard keeper” isn’t a hard keeper, you’re just not feeding him enough. Hard keepers don’t get fat on grass. He doesn’t need a grass diet, he NEEDS more hay than you are feeding him.
Your story keeps changing. How much hay are you feeding?
From your “high fat horse treats for weight gain” thread:
From above:
@JB I think that’s a half a bale total, thrown to the horses. So each one is getting 1/4 bale, twice daily.
Guessing grain was increased recently, perhaps over the course of the other thread.
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Ah, you are right, my brain removed the idea of per horse vs the 2 together.
So hard to keep up what’s happening on what timeline.
I suspect that the horse that is doing better is a quick eater, and finishes off more than his share.
Separate for feeding, or feed more.
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