Horse Talk

[Kusanar]

Thanks a lot! That helps. I just wasn't sure cause you said they shouldn't have grass all the time? So I thought maybe the dry lot would help with that. But maybe I read it wrong? If they're not in a dry lot then how do you prevent them from eating too much grass and getting fat? Put them on the bad part of the lawn?

My little guy is ok out with the big horses and doesn't get too fat, if he does, I pull him inside with hay for a few days to reduce calories. They also make a thing called a grazing muzzle that is essentially a bucket that goes over their mouth with a hole in the middle. They shuffle the bucket around until some grass sticks through the hole and then they can eat that bite. It slows them down a lot but doesn't actually stop them from eating.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I absolutely love Gypsy horses! I hope to own one some day as they are just wonderful mounts!

Same! But even within gypsys, I've never seen one with such a gorgeous full, flowing mane like his. Or maybe most are braided or clipped? Although at one point in the video it kind of looked like his mane was getting in his mouth/But? Poor guy LOL

I think they might be a bit small for me but they are beautiful. And surely stout enough to hold me?

My little guy is ok out with the big horses and doesn't get too fat, if he does, I pull him inside with hay for a few days to reduce calories. They also make a thing called a grazing muzzle that is essentially a bucket that goes over their mouth with a hole in the middle. They shuffle the bucket around until some grass sticks through the hole and then they can eat that bite. It slows them down a lot but doesn't actually stop them from eating.

Thanks, that's good to know. So I could put them on the grass then?

 

[ShrekDawg]

I've found a lot of other forums (including specifically horse ones) and articles on this in my Google searches and research but curious to hear what you guys have to say about it sooo....

How much would you say your annual vet costs per year are? Not including emergencies or anything like that. Just basics like shots and stuff, farm fee if there is one, etc.

And what about farrier, teeth, and worming?

And how much does hay cost in your area? And on that note, how much would you recommend buying at a time and square or round bales? This would be for the 2 minis if I got them, not full size horses. But I am curious to know the prices and amounts for full sizes horses too so if you want you can include everything.

Also I keep hearing of this thing called ration balancer on a lot of what I'm reading? Is that considered grain or something different? And is it necessary?

Sorry for all the questions but just trying to figure out costs before I decide. Some of the costs seem pretty reasonable but then others add up to like thousands and it seems high But maybe normal? So I'm hoping minis might cost less. Though I know horses in general are expensive so I'm not expecting it to be cheap.

Also do your horses get sick a lot? I've been reading about horses that get sick a lot or hurt themselves and need stitches, etc. And I'm hoping I don't end up with an injury or illness prone horse? I read some of the emergency surgeries or just treatments for stuff can be like $1500 or even up to like $5000 or $10,000 for some colic surgeries and things like That? So now I'm paranoid and don't know if I ever want horses hah why is it so much? And I love animals and I'm sure would love my horses but I don't think my parents would pay $10,000 for a surgery for a horse. I don't even know if they'd pay $1000 for the dog hah. But even if I was living on my own, I don't think I could justify spending $10,000 or even $5000 trying to save a horse. But then I would feel awful if the horse could have been saved and I put him down.

Sorry to go off on a tangent there haha

Anyway, thanks a lot

 

[PeepersMama]

The half-a-horse (or, half-of-a-half-a-horse)

(she's a mini mule)

:O I've always wanted one of those.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I need this horse lol

https://www.equinenow.com/horse-ad-1175533

 

[Bunnylady]

How much would you say your annual vet costs per year are? Not including emergencies or anything like that. Just basics like shots and stuff, farm fee if there is one, etc.

At least a couple of hundred per year. My vet charges a farm visit fee of $55, though that one fee applies if it's one horse or all of them. I feel like the shots are essential; every year, we have mosquitoes out the wazoo and the mosquito-borne illnesses are very much present in this area. The Coggins test is $40. That might be considered optional, though if I want to take a horse anywhere around other horses, they are going to want to see that my horse has a current Coggins.

And how much does hay cost in your area? And on that note, how much would you recommend buying at a time and square or round bales?

I pay $5/bale for square bales of Coastal Bermuda. Rounds usually run about $40/bale, but frankly, I wouldn't feed most round bales to my horses. I'm sure somebody must have honest-to-goodness horse-quality rounds for sale, but most of the rounds I have seen have been OK on the surface, but rather nasty by the time you get well into them.

Also I keep hearing of this thing called ration balancer on a lot of what I'm reading?

A ration balancer is a vitamin/mineral supplement for horses that are fed primarily hay or pasture; kind of like the daily multivitamin that a lot of people take "just in case" their diet is deficient somehow. It's probably more like an insurance policy rather than a necessity.



Also do your horses get sick a lot?

Oh, boy. There's a saying; "if there's a way a horse can hurt itself, it'll find it." Anybody who tells you that they've had horses for a significant period of time and never had one be sick? Well, I'd take anything that person said with a grain of salt.

Colics are probably the most common problem, and while a lot of them can be prevented, some are just going to happen. Worms cause a lot of them; so that's another good reason to keep the worm population in check. Any changes in feed need to be implemented gradually, since simple things like just changing from one type of hay to another can cause colic. Some horses will colic on Coastal Bermuda and have to be fed another type of hay (I've known a couple of them). The times of year when we transition between warm and cool weather are prime times for impaction colics; some horses just don't drink enough water to keep themselves hydrated.

Injuries are another issue. They are probably more common in the larger horses, simply because a larger body hits with more force. A lot of these can be treated with over-the-counter products and common sense (most horse owners have lots of experience with cold hosing legs and soaking feet). It takes a pretty bad cut for a vet to want to suture a horse; a lot of the time, letting the wound close itself results in minimal scarring. I have seen a few injuries that we had to call a vet out for; some probably could have been prevented, others we never knew how they happened. Some of the worst could be described as horse-on-horse violence (one resulted in a broken leg, which sadly meant the only possible course was euthanasia). Careful introductions and good, solid fencing go a long way to preventing most horse injuries, IME.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thanks for all the good info Bunny!

 

[Bunnylady]

Thanks for all the good info Bunny!

You're welcome. Since we're on the subject of minis, here are a few health-related matters that are pretty common to them:

It is generally considered a bad idea to use moxidectin (Quest) wormer on them. In fact, the label has a caution against using it on small, young, or underweight animals; the mode of action depends on a certain amount of body fat, which such animals may not have. It is very, very easy to overdose a mini with Quest. Moxidectin is safe when given in appropriate doses, and if a vet wants that specific wormer, they will also have a specific dose in mind. So if a vet wants to use Quest, follow their instructions to the letter. Otherwise, use a different wormer (most folks like ivermectin).

A lot of people have the same concern about Bute (phenylbutazone), because once again, it is very easy to overdose a mini with this product. Any horse can get ulcers from long-term use of Bute, but minis are more prone to it. Banamine is considered a safer choice of pain reliever, but even it has issues when given long term.

An issue I deal with every year is reaction to vaccines. I'm told this is more common in minis, because the way the vaccine is formulated and given, it's the same sized dose, whether the animal is a 2000-pound draft or a 200 lb mini, so it's proportionately a lot more material for the smaller body to deal with. Both Betsy (the mini mule) and Blondie (35 inch miniature horse) get very, very sore from their shots, and have to have at least one dose of Banamine per day for 3 days while they recover from the reaction. Betsy also shows significant swelling, which progressed for days the first time I got her inoculated (now, I know how to keep it from happening). Not all minis react like this, but some do. It's possible that giving one shot at a time would reduce the reaction, but I have a hard time justifying the expense of 3 separate farm visits just to find out. Also, Betsy and Syd (40 inch oversized mini) make the whole process a real circus, and I'd just as soon get that over with one time and done!

 

[ShrekDawg]

You're welcome. Since we're on the subject of minis, here are a few health-related matters that are pretty common to them:

It is generally considered a bad idea to use moxidectin (Quest) wormer on them. In fact, the label has a caution against using it on small, young, or underweight animals; the mode of action depends on a certain amount of body fat, which such animals may not have. It is very, very easy to overdose a mini with Quest. Moxidectin is safe when given in appropriate doses, and if a vet wants that specific wormer, they will also have a specific dose in mind. So if a vet wants to use Quest, follow their instructions to the letter. Otherwise, use a different wormer (most folks like ivermectin).

A lot of people have the same concern about Bute (phenylbutazone), because once again, it is very easy to overdose a mini with this product. Any horse can get ulcers from long-term use of Bute, but minis are more prone to it. Banamine is considered a safer choice of pain reliever, but even it has issues when given long term.

An issue I deal with every year is reaction to vaccines. I'm told this is more common in minis, because the way the vaccine is formulated and given, it's the same sized dose, whether the animal is a 2000-pound draft or a 200 lb mini, so it's proportionately a lot more material for the smaller body to deal with. Both Betsy (the mini mule) and Blondie (35 inch miniature horse) get very, very sore from their shots, and have to have at least one dose of Banamine per day for 3 days while they recover from the reaction. Betsy also shows significant swelling, which progressed for days the first time I got her inoculated (now, I know how to keep it from happening). Not all minis react like this, but some do. It's possible that giving one shot at a time would reduce the reaction, but I have a hard time justifying the expense of 3 separate farm visits just to find out. Also, Betsy and Syd (40 inch oversized mini) make the whole process a real circus, and I'd just as soon get that over with one time and done!

Thanks again! It's nice to know what to prepare for and I hadn't even thought of most of those things! So they don't reduce the dose for smaller animals? That's so weird! Wonder if it's like that for other animals or do they reduce the dose for most? Like dogs and cats and other farm animals

 

[Kusanar]

Thanks again! It's nice to know what to prepare for and I hadn't even thought of most of those things! So they don't reduce the dose for smaller animals? That's so weird! Wonder if it's like that for other animals or do they reduce the dose for most? Like dogs and cats and other farm animals

Bunny answered pretty much the way I would have on most of that. I haven't had any health issues with the mini other than a mild founder (caused by previous owners feeding lots of junk like moldy preserves and dry corn on the cob) and he gets thrush pretty bad from the way his feet are shaped (cupped really deep so that the dirt and mud stay in there rather than falling out like a normal flatter hoof). The big horses are nice to the mini and haven't ever kicked him hard enough to damage him and he hasn't ever had reactions to his shots, but it CAN happen.

We bale our own hay and mostly feed round bales. Our rounds are put up in the barn just like the squares so they are horse quality, just a lot easier to handle as you grab them with the tractor rather than having to lift by hand.