What do you feed your mini?

[DoubleDown]

Looking for what others are feeding. I have an approximate 11mo rescue that was just gelded a week ago. I’ve had him since May. He’s currently getting about 3lbs of a timothy mix hay, and 4oz of LMF Super Supplement daily. He’s got quite the belly on him, vet wasn’t concerned with his weight when she gelded him last week, just said that she wouldn’t want him to gain any more. I’ve been reading that they can sometimes gain weight once they’re gelded?

I just got him as a buddy for my big horses, he’s out on pasture from May/June until Oct-ish, and in a stall with attached run for these winter months. I take him out for walks occasionally, and he spends some time with my gelding in his run for supervised exercise. They’re quite wild together so I can only do it when I’m around. He looked great this summer, was only getting hay in the evening when they came in from pasture. I’m used to big horses, so I’m reluctant to teach him to lunge at this age for exercise.

[Sun_Hill_Farm]

When I got my mini he was on strict hay rations and living in a dry lot with other minis, and he was FAT. I got him as a companion for my big horse, so he had to go on the same regimen I use for her. After just a few weeks of living on a grass-free track with her and being fed ad-lib grass hay in 1" hay nets, he was much slimmer. Minis in general should not be on pasture. If you have no other alternative, then get him a grazing muzzle. Do not feed alfalfa–only plain grass hay.

[Horsecare101]

We just got a mini as well a few months ago and he had quite a belly on him. We feed 1.5 quarts soaked 50/50 alfalfa/bermuda pellets AM and PM and free feed bermuda in a hay bag. He takes down his pellets immediately and nibbles the bermuda throughout the day. He’s also turned out most of the day running around (occasionally escaping) and looks much more trim and healthy since we got him. Good luck!

[DoubleDown]

@Sun Hill Farm

Minis in general should not be on pasture. If you have no other alternative, then get him a grazing muzzle. Do not feed alfalfa–only plain grass hay.

The pasture he’s on in the summer is the remnants after the cow quality hay has been taken off. I’m not too worried about that. Definitely won’t put him out on nice grass.

Do either of you actually exercise them? Hand walking, lunging?

[2DogsFarm]

My mini was just a bit under 2-1/2 when he went to an Amish guy to be broke to drive.
We sent a couple bales of grass hay & 50# Purina Strategy.
Breeder fed babies Strategy & since it wasn’t broke, I didn’t “fix”.

That was in October with the intention of bringing him home by December.
Bad weather had trainer asking to keep him longer & he ended up coming home the following May - just after he turned 3.

My pastures - even in Summer - can rarely be called lush, so he went out with my other 2 - all turned out 24/7, coming in for grain twice a day.
Amishman had stopped all grain (with my approval) when the Strategy ran out.

I fed him about 5# grass hay 2X daily along with about 4oz whole oats & 1T BOSS.
He stayed slim until he was ~3-1/2, then started looking too chunky to me.
His dam was stout, so part of it was genetic.

Oats got cut to a handful - probably 1/4 cup, hay ration stayed the same & he took off some weight.
With cold weather I’ve upped the oats minimally along with increasing his hay to around 6-7# < about 3/4 flake.
Diet will resume in Spring.

He is my Driving mini & gets exercise on the monthly 5+ mile drives we go on with my Club as well as short drives on my property.
He does longe… cluelessly, but with good intentions.

[MuddyHalter]

My mini definitely gained weight more easily after being gelded. He is 7 years old, and tends to be chunky. When I lived on the east coast, he was out on my nice pasture during the day, in a grazing muzzle. I did not turn him out over night for fear of him getting too much grass (his babysitting charge remained in at night, so that worked well). He got a small amount of grass hay at dinner, and a couple of handfuls of hay (a bit more in winter) at night check. I gave him a tiny handful of grain when my other horses got fed, just to placate him.

Now that we’re on the west coast where lengthy turnout isn’t an option, he receives grass hay 3x per day. I’d say he maybe in total is eating the equivalent of a small flake per day. He does not get grain, but does get a vitamin supplement. His exercise consists of running around the arena with two other minis, handwalking, and occasional lunging or chasing. When small enough children are available, he also does w/t lessons. It is harder to keep his weight down now that he is not moving around in a pasture 6+ hours per day.

On the the east coast, I didn’t blanket during the winter so that he’d burn some calories staying warm. It’s too warm for that where we are now, so I clip him but blanket pretty minimally for the same reason. He is a wuss about cold when he’s clipped, so it’s a fine line.

[kande04]

A belly isn’t an issue, because it’s the fat over the topline that’s the problem–and especially so if the fat is lumpy and/or the neck is cresty.

[DoubleDown]

His topline is fine, he’s not in any danger of being too fat right now, just trying to be proactive.

I haven’t blanketed him, he’s got plenty of hair, and I figured being naked might help him burn a few extra calories. :)@MuddyHalter what vitamin supplement are you giving yours? I’ve tried a few, and so far, he won’t eat any. I think I’d feel better just giving him a supplement sans grain if I can find one he’d eat.

[beau159]

My mother has two mini’s. During the winter (in North Dakota), they are turned out with the big horses. Once the grass starts to green up in the spring, then they are kept locked up and on hay. Otherwise, they just get too fat. We’ve had them for a few years now and we were told the bigger one had foundered in the past, so we def keep their weight under good control.

They are fed zero grain or supplements (besides free access to salt). They just don’t need it!

Is there a certain reason or certain need that you want them on a supplement?

[bluepece2]

My friend owns a few minis (who work most days) and they live on hay, they don’t need anything else. They all have salt licks and are happy as can be. Giving grain to a mini isn’t necessarily at all.

[Showbizz]

20 year old mini here.

Air. With a little hay (orchard/alfalfa mix) and a daily dose of Horse Guard.

[MuddyHalter]

“Is there a certain reason or certain need that you want them on a supplement?”

My vet recommended a vitamin supplement for my mini, as he does not receive grain, or here in CA, have access to grass.

[DoubleDown]

@beau159

They are fed zero grain or supplements (besides free access to salt). They just don’t need it!

Is there a certain reason or certain need that you want them on a supplement?

I want to make sure he has the necessary vitamins and minerals, more than just giving grain. He’s young, and our area is quite selenium deficient. He does have free access to Redmond Rock chunk. I’d be happy to just give him a vitamin supplement if he’s eat it on it’s own. With his current weight, I felt that if I cut his grain to 2oz, I didn’t think that he’d be getting the necessary vitamins in that small amount.

I have tried Horse Guard, and Equerry’s, both of which he has turned his nose up at. I just bought Vita Plus which is alfalfa base, so fingers crossed he eats that tonight!

[SLedbetter]

My Shetland is on grass (4 lbs per day), and Platinum Performance supplement. He gets 1/2 scoop per day, so even the 10 lb bucket goes a long way. He readily eats it, even though he’s turned up his nose at other supplements.

[nwjumper]

I have a super small pony that is basically a mini. She weighs around 450 lbs ( actually weighed at vet) she gets:
6 LBS timothy ( I divide that into 3 feedings)
1 cup alfalfa pellets
1 cup Beet pulp ( no molasses pellets, soaked)
1 cup Triple Crown 30% ration balancer
Redmond Rock salt lick
This pony never goes out in grass and is stalled with a 24 X36 dry lot paddock

I initially had her on only hay with no ration balancer etc. but was worried about the deficiencies in the NW grass hay and overall poor condition of her coat and hooves when I got her in April out of someones pasture. A few rounds of worming, teeth floated, and appropriate farrier work with this program and this little booger looks great! I started with the LMF ration balancer and while it was a little easier for me to find, I have been MUCH happier with the TC 30%.

[DoubleDown]

I think I found a solution- he’s eating the Vita Plus I bought, I just ended up feeding him a 1/2oz of that, and topping the little cup off with the LMF he was getting. I’m happier that he’s getting less grain, but still the vitamins he needs.

[reignthealarm]

My mini gets 1 flake of hay (which he never finishes), 1 cup of Triple Crown 30 ration balancer, and wears a muzzle when out on grass. Sometimes some alfalfa cubes soaked in warm water on really cold nights.
He used to not get any grain at all, just mid-grade grass hay and an overgrazed pasture but I was worried that his large belly might be a result of lack of nutrition, so I played around with v/m supplements until I found one that fit what we needed.