Mini mules and horses

[SugarCubes]

DH has a relative wanting to rehome his mini mare and her mini mule foal. I’m going to see them this weekend and may bring them home.

I have a separate dry lot paddock off my pasture which is where the minis will be turned out, and they’ll share a fence line with the big horses. I have three strand electric rope fencing, but have heard that minis are excellent escape artists. What is ideal spacing between strands for minis?

Also wondering what the ideal stall size is for a single mini? They currently share a stall, but once the baby is weaned I’d like to divide a stall for them.

Other considerations I need to be aware of? I can already foresee my big horses being terrified of the little creatures

[clanter]

@SugarCubes

Also wondering what the ideal stall size is for a single mini? They currently share a stall, but once the baby is weaned I’d like to divide a stall for them.

actually nothing is ideal at least as in the eyes of our miniatures (smallest is 26 inch) but rather than building specific stalls for the things we took a regular 12by12 dividing it into two 6by8 stalls with a four foot alley to get them in/out/store stuff for them . The divider was surfaced mounted then attached to the walls of the stall which made it easily convertible back to a reals tall when needed (takes less than 15 minutes to remove)

as for electric fence spacing… measure their butt height and make sure you have at least one run at that height.

We electrified both sides of the common paddock fence to keep the miniatures and Real Horses away from each

Other considerations I need to be aware of?

small in size does not mean less poop … the three we have produce as much as one real horse

and the miniatures always complain… let me out. put me back up, I want over there, why did you put me there, I want in the backyard, Get me out of the backyard … one learns to disregard all comments from the little ones

and must add …a miniature maybe scaled down in size but their brain still believes they are somewhere around 17h

[2DogsFarm]

I had to add no-climb to about 1/2 my fenceline, where posts had heaved enough to lift the bottom strand of my coated tensile & mini limboed under.
Otherwise, in 5yrs, no more problem with escapes.

He has a 10X12 stall - sectioned off & added to my 36X36 barn with 2 original 12X12 box stalls.
For him, it’s the Taj MaStall (<stolen from another COTHer)

@clanter hit the nail on the head re: mini self-esteem
I tell people nobody told my mini 35" is not the same as 17h

My little guy gets along fine turned out with 16h horse & 13h pony.
In fact, as they have free access to stalls from pastures, he regularly shares hay with the horse in horse’s stall.
Horse is Herdboss & allows this.
Pony says Hard No, but never violently.

[wildlifer]

I just wanted to beg for a pic. My neighbor has a mini mule with one of his horses, she is darling & has the most beautiful eyes. Nice & quiet (I can’t deal with noisy things, so I notice that), but she did come from an abuse situation, so that could be related too. They (also a mini donk in there) stay in a normal strand fence as long as it is hot.

[TheJenners]

@wildlifer

a pic. My neighbor has a mini mule with one of his horses, she is darling & has the most beautiful eyes. Nice & quiet (I can’t deal with noisy things, so I notice that), but she did come from an abuse

I have two mini donkeys, not quite the same but close. I was very lucky with my first and basically treated him like a horse. He lived with my young WB and went out with him, shared hay with him, etc. Yes I knew/know the dangers of laminitis and other things, so he was watched and never developed a cresty neck or patchy fat. He got regular fat-fat . I now have his sire as well, who will get a crest. They aren’t horrible little escape artists, thought the older donk can open sliding stall doors, but if he gets out he hangs around. Odie (aka the Evil Burrito, feel free to search the forums there are many posts including his broken-leg saga) on the other hand will immediately take off for parts unknown with no cares at all to the screaming and braying left behind.

I usually just tell people to dry lot because it’s safer. Odie is a rarity in that he can go out on acres of grass and not die. They don’t get much, a few pounds of timothy hay a day (less sugar than the local grass hay) and once they get a stall to themselves again, I toss some TC30 in their feeder but it’s just to make ME feel better. They get their feet done regularly and annual shots, teeth, sheaths.

[clanter]

I tend to overlook/forget just what trouble these smaller equines can find, we came home one day to find this, never figured out the How, but took bolt cutters to remove the handle. No harm to the mini but never ever again a bucket with a handle on it was near them

[Weezer]

I have resorted to electric netting for my mini because she has learned that the zap of electric strands is only temporary and she will blast through any number of strands. Only the netting keeps her contained.

[Weezer]

As a longtime mini owner, I am somehow not surprised by this photo. Although it is quite spectacular!

[lenapesadie]

My mini / Shetland mix walked through any wire she could fit the base of her neck through.

Check your heat. IME fire hot is the only way to go with some of the lil heathens.

I hope you will share pictures!

[SugarCubes]

@clanter What a little troublemaker!! I wouldn’t have believed it without a pic, that’s crazy!
Those stalls look perfect, glad 6x8 is a good stalls size for them. My open stall is my smaller stall so will end up being more like 5x10 once divided.

@2DogsFarm I am really hoping my big horses accept the minis as part of the herd, part of the reason I’m taking them is so when I trailer two out, one isn’t left alone. That’s wonderful your mini is part of the herd!

@wildlifer I will update with pics once they’re home! We’re planning on moving them mid-may.

@TheJenners Oh yes, I’ve been reading about the Evil Burrito for years on coth and have wanted a mini-donk every since He’s adorable! I’ll admit the mini mule isn’t quite as cute, but there’s just something about those big ol’ ears!

@Weezer @lenapesadie Oh my! Fence was hot, hot, hot last time I tested it but will make sure strands are very close together in the mini’s paddock! Sneaky little rascals!

[clanter]

the amount of trouble these smaller horses can get into is easily exceeded by a goat

We have had to limit the access the miniatures have to the backyard since they will test every door coming into the house to see if they can push their way in…then run up and down the hall

but the goats, if the doggie down is not locked will crawl through the dog door then go hunting for food

either make a cat tolerable

[candyappy]

@clanter

the amount of trouble these smaller horses can get into is easily exceeded by a goat

I was going to comment about them maybe being related to a goat when I saw the picture. Since I have never had a mini and only goats ( which are enough trouble all on their own) I think I will stick to goats for the time being.

I can only guess a mini mule is worse than either a goat or mini horse( i’ve had 2 mules).

[clanter]

@candyappy

I think I will stick to goats for the time being.

oh my the goats, granddaughters have “rescued” several, started with a rejected twin they bottle raise in their bedroom, which lead to Training the goats which learned tricks at an amazing speed (attracted the attention of a Hollywood producer)

and now have a wardrobe of handmade clothing for the cold weather of a few months ago