Equine companions - mini horse, donkey, mini donkey

[Pocket_Pony]

So microbovine’s thread about her adorable donkeys (RIP, little Toby) had me thinking about a companion for our horses. We have three horses and I (obviously) ride but Mr. PoPo hasn’t ridden in a while, but is interested in at least trail riding with me. Of the three horses I have, he’d ride Mac and I’d either ride Paddy (if I brought him back to work) or Princess Fancy Pants (in a year or so). Since we have three and no one wants to be left alone, we’d need another . . . something.

Our fencing is such that a goat wouldn’t work. But would a mini horse or mini donkey or should I consider a regular donkey or small pony? Mr. PoPo doesn’t have enough time to ride, really, nor do I think his knees would hold up to it, but an occasional trail ride might be nice.

We have 3-rail board fencing and I will soon be taking out the middle board to replace it with Horse Guard so the pony will stop sticking her head through the rail to get the grass on the other side (which is dumb because she has a pasture full of grass)! We also have a dry lot that is two-strand Horse Guard.
Since I have two geldings and a mare, I think I’d want another mare so I could put PFP out with a girl and they could be separate from the boys, if I feel the need to keep them separate.

What about donkeys are different enough that might I need to know?

I’ve always wanted a donkey named Hotey.

[Abbie.S]

I don’t want to ask a dumb question, but if your SO would ride that rarely, is it really worth getting another mouth to feed? The lone horse won’t die if their buddies leave for a couple of hours once or twice a year… Just some food for thought.

If your fencing won’t work for a standard size goat, then it won’t work for a miniature horse or donkey. They are about the same size, and while goats are general more agile and significantly harder on fence, anything small enough to squeeze under the lowest post will likely try.

Mini anything generally means you have to watch for more health problems: people tend to equate “mini” with “less care”, however it’s anything but. Small ponies and miniature horses tend to be easy to keep and may require restricted diets to keep weight and founder in check. This is not a hard and fast rule, but a reality for many.

[FatCatFarm]

I have both types of minis - horses and donkeys and here are some observations: Both are quite smart and can squeeze through tight spaces so good gates and closed gaps are a must; hot wire is your friend in multiple ways as they love to scratch their bums on wire fencing leaving evidence of this by a concavity in all areas of your fencing matching said bums, if there isn’t hot wire to keep them from doing this.

Mini donkeys love making dusty spots to roll in and my two have made quite a few in the half acre paddock they are in. Mini donkeys also have a real need to browse woody/shrubby things and are more prone to wood chewing than my mini horses. I also think they tend to have pretty crappy feet. My mini horses require much less hoof care. I usually have to shave the mini donks when the summer heat sets in as they do not seem to want to shed out as well on their own.

Both are very easy keepers. I do think the mini donks are more hardy/sturdy for being buds with big horses. I have had a mini injured being kept in with larger horses and my vet does not advocate doing so though I do know quite a few people who run miniature horses and large horses together, but I won’t. I think the donkeys have a better sense of self preservation and so do better in mixed company.

However, I love both of my different types of minis. My oldest mini mare whinnies at me continuously as I bring her, her feed morning and evening and sounds like Tweety Bird. My donkeys, a mother and daughter pair, put me in mind of hooved bunny rabbits. They are adorable and their opinionated brays amusing. The little jenny learning how to bray was beyond hysterical. Spraying her with fly spray and then watching her throw herself to the ground and then roll vigorously, on the spot, is highly entertaining. I took my mini gelding, who is my smallest mini, to Pet Day at my daughter’s charter school where he was a huge hit and was at times surrounded by kids four deep and touching him any where they could reach. He could not have been more tolerant and happy about all of the attention.

The mini gelding and the youngsters of both sets will ransack my barn aisle if left to run amok and have no qualms at all about walking into the tack room an investigating in there as well. They will toss everything out of my grooming box if I am foolish enough to leave it within reach. They are little messes and brats to be sure, but fun all the same.

[Texarkana]

I don’t know how I ever survived without my donkey! She’s a 3 year old, standard jenny whom I brought home as a weanling. She is currently about 11.3h-- small enough to be cute and not cause a lot of wear and tear on things. Yet she’s large enough that I don’t have to worry about special fencing considerations or holding her own with the horses.

I treat her pretty much like another horse: same farrier/vet schedule, same vaccinations, and now that she’s a bit older I deworm her based on her FECs like the horses. She actually eats the same amount of “feed” as my easy-keeping 16.2h mare (which isn’t much-- a handful for vit/mins). I haven’t had problems with her becoming obese, although she is still young and growing so that may change. She gets groomed, blanketed, fly sprayed, and wears a fly mask just like the horses. I do clip her every spring because the temperatures always get hot before she is finished shedding her yak coat.

She is an integral part of the herd. While the horses still go a bit nutty when I take one away, the donkey’s companionship does calm them down quickly, unlike when they are alone. Just her presence seems to make the entire herd more relaxed. She definitely has a natural instinct to chase away anything predatory. And she will bray LOUDLY if anything is amiss in her world… which can be both good or bad depending on the time of day or night.

She loves her people and “squeaks” with excitement every time I walk out in the pasture. She is glued to your hip the entire time you are in the field. She adores scratches, pets, and grooming. And she is a constant source of comic relief on the farm!

And just because this thread is no fun without pictures:

Dixie

Her 3rd birthday earlier this month

Being a good companion

[saffire_100]

Dixie is adorable!!!

[maunder]

I agree with FatCatFarm. My minis do try to squeeze, push or fit through things that a horse would never try.

I did have my mini horses with my Thoroughbred, but he was a gentle soul and never hurt them. It’s a risk to put minis with full sized. Some people don’t try it. I did, and it was fine, but it really depends on the horse. I had a mini mule for a while but she tried to kill the mini horses. I’m not kidding.

As far as health goes, I also agree with FatCatFarm. I have four minis, all very well-bred, but three out of the four have confirmed medical problems. One has a deformed mouth, requiring twice yearly dental; one has neurological problems and mouth problems (also twice yearly dental); one is insulin resistant and I’m going to have the last gelding checked for insulin resistance as well. They cost a LOT in vet bills.

I love them tons. They are fantastic little characters…but definitely not cheap to keep.

[Dexter]

An alpaca! Or 2… great company for the horses, low maintenance, and if you knit - awesome wool! Mine is the best babysitter, has never (knock on wood ) had a vet bill, and is endlessly entertaining.

[Texarkana]

Thanks for the kind words about Dixie, saffire!

[QUOTE=Dexter;8203210]
An alpaca! Or 2… great company for the horses, low maintenance, and if you knit - awesome wool! Mine is the best babysitter, has never (knock on wood ) had a vet bill, and is endlessly entertaining.[/QUOTE]

You are very blessed to have an alpaca that both likes horses and is healthy! They tend to be very fragile animals in my experience, which includes several years working with alpaca breeders at a veterinary hospital that was a leader in alpaca care. I also used to care for a small herd of 3 of them. I adore alpacas, though.

[Dexter]

Wow, mine has been healthy for the all the years I’ve had him. He was an accident, lol. Came to me when he got the wrong Llama pregnant. His previous owners didn’t realize that llamas and alpacas could breed. Oops! But worked out well for me.

[SLW]

Ive owned mini_horses and now have a standard donkey with my horse. Both require management do to being easy keepers. I kept my minis separate from my full size horses to keep them safe. My donkey stays with my horse but has way less time on grass. Otherwise vaccines and farrier work is the same.

That being said, when you have a donkey on your farm you have it all. They are brave curious companions with a sense of humor.

[FatCatFarm]

Dixie is indeed adorable!

If you click on my farm name in my signature line, it will take you to my farm page on Facebook. Click on photos and then albums and you can see photos of the minis both horse and donkey. There are also a few videos posted. Minis can be exasperating but are endlessly entertaining. Our mini donk jenny born in March is without a doubt, the friendliest little equine ever!

[Pocket_Pony]

Thanks, everyone. Dixie IS adorable!!!

Some food for thought - perhaps a mini isn’t a good fit for us after all . . . but maybe a donkey. We’ll see (not planning anything seriously now, just thinking) . . .

[maunder]

Once you have a mini horse you’ll want one in every color.

It’s a gamble whether you’ll get one that needs extra care. I have a friend that’s had over 30 minis at one time and most of the herd was just fine. Then there is me with four and 3 out of the four are special needs.

[Libby2563]

I got my mini-donkey as a companion, because my 2-year-old would lose it whenever I took my older horse away to ride. I was initially looking for a standard-size donkey because of the somewhat lower obesity, founder, and herd safety concerns, but I saw my poor guy on Craigslist of all places and when I visited and saw the conditions he was living in I had to take him home.

He is amazing!!! I really couldn’t be happier that he’s in my life. He is sensible and won’t hurt himself or get into trouble, unlike a horse (if worried about something he freezes instead of spooking). I have not had any problems with him squeezing through or damaging fences, although if I leave his stall door unlatched for a second he will push his way out and high-tail it to the nearest grass. He and my 2-year-old are best buddies. He leads, ties, gets groomed, etc like a horse and I am working on teaching him to drive. People love him, kids and adults alike. My mom, who is not really a horse person, will go down to the barn to brush him and sing to him (yep, she’s a little batty).

As far as health and maintenance: He does go out on good pasture on the same turnout schedule as the horses (overnight in summer, day time in winter) and stays healthy with the help of a Greenguard muzzle that cost almost as much as he did, ha. He gets the same vet care, deworming, etc and a trim every other farrier visit. His feet aren’t great and he popped an abscess a few weeks ago, but he also barely consumes anything (1 flake of hay a day during the summer, and a handful of vitamin pellets) and only takes up half a stall. I would take him over another horse any day.

Pictures of Dominick the donkey:

http://thesmallhorsefarm.blogspot.com/2015/04/dividing-stall-for-mini.html
http://thesmallhorsefarm.blogspot.com/2015/04/slow-feeders-and-hay-nets.html

And a video of him playing with the 2-year-old (then a long yearling actually…he is a big boy): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnxGSi_eacU

[Texarkana]

Libby-- Dominick is too cute! And I really dig your blog!

I don’t know how anyone can resist owning a donkey with all of these adorable pictures.

[Pocket_Pony]

Love the Dominick video!

Why is it that whenever you look at a horse video, there’s a bunch of mating horse porn on the suggested videos? Ugh! I don’t care about watching horses mate and seeing how big their penises are! :mad:

[ISR]

I find it hard to believe that a mini donkey/horse could slither under 3 board fencing! I temporarily had goats and they would regularly escape, but I haven’t had that issue with mini horses and know plenty of folks who keep mini donkeys and horses in 3 board fencing.

I have a mini horse as a companion and she most certainly holds her own against the bigger horse. She’s agile, and very self aware so I don’t worry about any issues with just the two of them.

I have read some information a while back produced by the Donkey Sanctuary (a large donkey rescue in England) which suggests that donkeys prefer the company of other donkeys. While i’m sure there are some that would argue a case against this, it’s my preference that the companion animal be of the same species.

[SMF11]

[QUOTE=ISR;8203935]

I have read some information a while back produced by the Donkey Sanctuary (a large donkey rescue in England) which suggests that donkeys prefer the company of other donkeys. While i’m sure there are some that would argue a case against this, it’s my preference that the companion animal be of the same species.[/QUOTE]

While they may prefer other donkeys, I don’t think it is too terrible to have all horses and one donkey.

I took in a 30 year old donkey (OP – note their lifespan! 40 years is not uncommon) in a kind of rescue situation, and over the years she’s bonded fiercely to 2 of the horses here. In between the two – her first boyfriend died a few years ago – she was in a herd and didn’t have a special buddy. But now she and my pony are inseparable within a larger herd and I know she’s enjoying life, and her horse companion.

[shiloh]

[QUOTE=maunder;8203652]
Once you have a mini horse you’ll want one in every color. ;).[/QUOTE]

Yes, they are like potato chips - you can’t have just one. :lol:

Mini-horses are very cute BUT they have that 17 feet tall and bullet-proof attitude that sometimes does not go well with regular size horses. My last barn had minis and two of the little brats got in with my horse and his two pasture mates. By the end of the day, guess who ruled the entire pasture? The minis had all three horses bullied down to one end of the pasture while they lorded it over the other end - where the feeder was, of course. It was actually pretty funny, but not, I guess, to the big horses. Little terrors :lol:

[Libby2563]

[QUOTE=Texarkana;8203761]
Libby-- Dominick is too cute! And I really dig your blog!

I don’t know how anyone can resist owning a donkey with all of these adorable pictures. :)[/QUOTE]

Thanks!

Yes, I regularly have to reality-check myself so I don’t end up with another donkey! As someone else mentioned, it’s true that most rescues prefer to place donkeys with other donkeys but I think there are a lot out there living with horses that are pretty happy, mine included. So I probably can’t justify another mouth to feed…