Feeding & Conditioning Miniature Horses

[kclunde]

Hello, I was wondering, how much alfalfa hay would you recommend a 30" yearling filly need for a day? I have 3 fillies.
Recently I have had my mares out for a few hours (no more than 3) in the morning and at night, sometimes however (due to the farm life) I have to feed them alfalfa hay at nights when I am doing something else, and I usually just toss 2 flakes to them. I am interested in showing one of my mares next year; and currently they are all pudgy!! I would love to show these ladies and put some wins on them before they go to broodmare status.
Can I get any tips on conditioning for the winter and feed rations? The mares I want to show are palomino pinto's.Since I've never shown horses before but I would love to take a crack at it, I'm taking all the information I can get.
I have been recommended 1 alfalfa flake in the morning and 1 flake at night for each horse.

[roberts617]

I have no advice on your mini's but we have several wonderful members that will have answers for you! Welcome to the forum!

[kaykay]

Can you post pictures of them?? I always really hesitate to advise unless I see pictures. Many times someone thinks a mini is over weight when they are actually underweight from not enough protein. An underweight mini will get a big bloated belly that some mistake for fat.

Its really important to keep show horses on show feed all winter. Some skip this during winter and then you play trying to catch up all spring and it rarely works.

Another thing is it is much easier to condition a horse that is a little bit over weight then to try and put weight and muscle on a thin horse. I get all our show horses a little over during fall and winter.

Yearlings should only be worked loose in a round pen not on a lunge line. Most yearlings keep pretty fit if they are allowed out to play with other horses and kept on a good feed program. Our yearling show horses get alfalfa hay and 16 percent pelleted feed. When show season comes you have to cut down a bit on the hay and up the pelleted feed. This is how they tuck up. Our show horses get 3-4 smaller meals per day so that they dont get bored or get ulcers.

Never work a horse on an empty stomach as this can lead to ulcers. We work ours about 45 mins after they eat.

Sorry for writing a book but Im so passionate about horses LOL

[kclunde]

Thanks for the info Kay!
And thanks for the welcome! I didn`t really know how to introduce myself to the forum, I have never really been part of a forum before
Pictures would be no problem. My mom and I are co-owning my mini`s, so while I`m away for college during the week she takes care of them, and hearing that we can feed pellets is a great relief. It makes it easier for her. And I`ve heard that also, that it may look like `fat`but really it is a horse who needs a better diet.
Just let me know if these picture links work for you; they are from facebook and they might say you need to be my friend haha. If not I can hop on photobucket and upload a few
Perhaps I have a bit of the `pasture syndrome`... Taking a look at these pictures they don`t look all too fat but whenever I see my horses I ALWAYS think.. Hey gosh.. I think I might be overfeeding these ladies!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...9&id=901345034
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...6&id=901345034
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...7&id=901345034

My 3 fillies are kept together, they keep each other in decent shape. I agree with you Kay.. It almost gives them an incentive to excersise when they can play with others their age.

[kclunde]

Thanks for the quick reply Kay! And no worries, all the information I can get is fantastic!
I am a college student this year and mom and I decided to start up a hobby together we will both enjoy, and I've always wanted mini's and we have a mutual love for horses, it seemed mini's were the way to go! Usually, we do 3 hours of pasture time in the morning starting around 8-9, and at night 6-9 or until dark. The last 2 weeks my mom has been keepin them on strict pasture.. so they are looking a bit fitter!
I love the idea of pelleted feed. It will make things easier for my mom when I'm not around.
I don't know how to make these pictures smaller, but here are the ones I was able to snap.. (busy little things, I can't get them off my ankles to take a proper picture!) I don't know if you will be able to see my facebook album of my miniatures without being my friend but here is a link regardless : http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/al...9&id=901345034

Goldie. I think she has great show potential-- she is the one I would like to get in shape.

My sorrel pinto, Madonna.

Madonna (sorrel pinto) in background and Marigold walking towards the camera. Marigold is the smallest of the 3, I am not concerned about her weight.



Kay I will try to snap some pictures this weekend-- these ones suck! Haha! Thanks!

[mkaylor]

KayKay...can you explain a bit more about the fat belly may mean not enough protein...what is the connection??? I have several minis with fat bellys, I always thought it was just too much grazing...mine are on pasture year round, millett in the summer and rye in the winter....I feed expectant moms and nursing moms, but don't regularly grain unless they are getting sand clear....

Not into showing, but do want them to be healthy and happy!!!

[kaykay]

You know how when you see pictures of children starving they have big bloated bellies??? That is what happens to horses/minis when they dont get enough protein. This is most common in horses 2 and under. If you can feel the back bone sticking up at all then the horse is too thin. The back should be completely flat to the touch. Also you should never feel ribs easily. Minis are hard because they get so hairy and people easily mistake them for fat when they are actually thin

I go to so many farms and find very thin minis but the owners had no idea. They really thought they were fat. They are amazed how once they put them on a good feed how the belly disappears

Now there are a lot of fat minis out there too which isnt good either. A mini that is too heavy will have fat pads on the shoulders and hips, a cresty neck, etc.

Also horses that graze a lot can get "gut fill" or a "hay" belly which is just from always eating and being full

[mkaylor]

that makes sense....I think most of my issue here is the "hay" belly, because they are on pasture....even my stallion looks like he's ready to deliver!!!

thanks for the explanation

[kaykay]

Awww there they are!! Yep they are a little overweight and have hay bellies from grazing.

I will warn you in advance that it is very difficult to have a show horse on pasture. That pasture of yours looks very lush.

I have tried but have never been able to put a show horse on pasture. This is why we feed our show horses 3-4 times per day so they dont get too bored on the drylot.

Also when feeding alfalfa you dont have to feed near as much as you would with grass hay.

You should be in good shape as like I said its much easier to fit up a fat horse then a thin one.

When show season gets closer you will have to take away the pasture pretty much altogether. You will be replacing it with Pelleted feed. I use 16 percent for young horses and 12 percent for mature horses.

[kclunde]

Thanks a ton Kay!

Yes, it is very lush. Mini's are the worst pasture munchers.. EVER! haha last week we set up a pen of long grass for my fillies.. I come home and mom has been feeding hay for two days--- the grass is honestly mulched and beated into the ground. So the grand plan is next year, the lawntracter isnt gonna get used too much

I have been lookin around at a bunch of pelleted feed. I like the idea of 3-4 feedings-- I hate keeping them out of pasture and feeding them hay in the morning and at night.. They always end up hungry and I feel terrible. I usually end up seeing them that often anyways when I'm at home.
I found a pelleted feed for yearlings and young horses called showgrow or something along those lines, apparently the formula helps developing horses.. it mentioned something about being a show formula for show or performance horses.

Should I be looking for any specialized minerals Kay/what do you do for your mini's? I have been givin them just a freechoice salt lick and I toss in a bit of horse mineral (we have a bag of Hoffman's that we feed our QH geldings horses too). I took a look through some catalogues and was just baffled! So many kinds of minerals! Coming from a farm we just use plain old saltlicks.

Also.. assuming I went for 4 feedings a day, when and how much roughage would you feed? Half a flake in the morning and the other half at night?

How much would a average mini weigh? I was thinkin.. 200 pounds? (no good with weight) On many bags of pelleted feeds it says.. for 700 lbs use a certain amount.. I figured that by math, I should be able to figure out how much a mini needs in a day then divide it by 4 feedings according to it's weight. A lot of times I just use size proportions and cheat.. (hehehe) I think-- my mare looks like 1:6 of the size of my GQ gelding, I'll divide it like that


PS So so so sorry for the double post xD I didnt realize it would take so long to go through and when it took that long I rewrote it.. I am not gonna be surprised if another post (my third) stating the exact same thing pops up.. Sigh hahaha!!

--Kaycee

[kaykay]

Im not a big fan of supplements as many people over supplement and that can lead to problems.

If a horse is on quality hay and a good feed they really shouldnt need anything other then a salt and/or mineral block

How tall are your girls??? They look pretty small.

Make sure its not pelleted sweet feed

I use Tiz Whiz 16 for young show horses.

Be sure and make all changes slowly

Also as you start working them you may have to up the amount they eat. Its a constant study!

Let me know how tall they are and I will try to help you

Most minis weigh anywhere from 250 and up depending on age and height

[kclunde]

Yes, Tiz Whiz was the brand I was looking at, Grow-n-perform 16% I believe I have decided to use. I'm glad you use it too!!

My mini's are all around 30 inches right now, according to the breeder they should not grow any bigger than 32". I am planning on showing A division. I was so excited when I found your website, as I plan on getting into the pinto colors--- then I saw that you raise taller mini's than mine :P Hahaha I thought it was a bummer, I love your horses.. stunning!

[kaykay]

I really love the tiz whiz 16 and our horses look great on it!

Just remember a great horse is any size

Believe it or not when we first started we bred 32" and under miniatures but things kept evolving and we just started liking the taller ones. But I honestly love all miniatures no matter what the size

Our foal Baxters Black Fashionista is probably going to mature A division

Kay

[kclunde]

Alright- back again after checking out my horses this weekend. They seem to look fatter everytime I come home

Mom has been feeding my three teeny 30"-31" mares two 3"thick flakes of Alfalfa hay in the morning and at night for them to share, and a quarter cup of oats each as they come in from the dry lot, kind of as a incentive/treat.
No more pasture for them, its all gone here in Canada.

We just picked up a bag of Tizwhiz 16, only thing is the portions are in kg, we have no idea how to measure that out in canada, something like 1kg per 200kg. So I'm trying to find a converter calculator.

As a experiment starting a day ago, We are feeding them each a cup of 16 in the morning and at night, to supplement their 2 flakes of alfalfa. I am trying to persuade mom to feed them three times a day if time will allow.

I've tried to get a hold of several breeders in my area but so far, I have not had any luck discovering what anyone feeds their horses.

Whatcha think Kay? I'm gonna go resend all my emails to some local breeders-- its already been a full month.

[kaykay]

Okay if your mares are that small that could be too much hay Remember when feeding alfalfa you dont feed as much as you would grass hay.

Honestly for now the best thing for you to do is weigh your flakes of hay to see how much they weigh. You really should feed by weight not cups or ounzes or flakes etc. Just get one of those small mail scales and weigh a flake and see what it comes to. Let me know what it weighs and I can help advise you better.

So lets say your flakes of alfalfa weight 2lbs per flake. Alfalfa is normally much heavier then grass hay. So 2lbs would be quite sufficient or could actually be too much for a 30" mare.

Also remember the Tiz Whiz is going to replace some hay. For now just keep giving them a cup until they adjust to the new feed (for about a week) But then you will need to gradually up the feed and decrease the hay. This is what gives our show horses their nice look on the bottom line as they dont have that big hay gut sticking out LOL.

[kclunde]

Thanks so much Kay!! I can't express my gratitude enough! Thanks for the patience

[Slim Pikkens]

kclunde 2,1/2 lbs per kg. 200kg is 500 lbs so you'd feed less than half if you go by the bag.