Mini Horse And Goat

[colbyisrocken]

we are thinking aout getting and mini horse. We have about 1 arce of grass and 2 arce of woods. Would the horse be fine grassing with your pygmy billy goat and the chickens. Also tell me everything about them..... Thanks

 

[SarahFair]

Ive never had horses but Ive read it depends on the horse, as in if the horse will accept the goat or not..

 

[ksalvagno]

Definitely not an intact male. A mare or gelding might be ok but would depend on the horse.

 

[Bunnylady]

I have 4 goats, 2 miniature horses, and a miniature mule. The goats were here first. When we got the mule, she spent the first week terrorizing the goats. The first day, I had to fish one of them out of the pond twice (she got stuck in the mud), and goats hate water! By the time we got the first horse, things had calmed down considerably, and a couple of the goats were actually picking on the horse. That, too, decreased with time. The last mini was 8 months old when she came here, and at least one goat delighted in butting her at every opportunity. Fortunately, she is much faster than the goats, and didn't give them many chances! She is now 2 years old, and they all pretty much ignore each other, unless there is food to fight over (everyone get separated at feeding time!).

What I'm trying to say is, it may not go smoothly, it depends on the horse and the goat. Both are herd animals, and prefer company of their own kind, but they may accept the other as a substitute.

Whether your one acre of pasture will support both a goat and a mini will depend on the condition of the grass. Really good pasture might be able to do it, poor pasture will go downhill in a hurry, until there won't be enough grass to support a rabbit! I'm betting that you'd have to do some supplementing with hay, at least part of the time (cooler seasons, dry periods, any time the grass isn't growing well). Minis can be rough on fences, but so can goats, so IMO if your fence is pretty much goat proof, it should be enough to contain a mini, too.

tell me everything about them

I could type all morning, and not be able to tell you everything about them! They need shots, worming, hoof care, etc, etc, the same as a big horse, with a few things that need to be done differently because of the mini's small size. There is a forum dedicated to miniature horses, trust me, you can find more information than you ever imagined there!​

 

[thebritt]

We have a gelding and mare (both are mustangs) and 3 pygmy goats sharing a pasture. Sometimes the horses run around and play, kicking up their heels and being generally rowdy. The goats just get out of the way. I would just be sure you have something for the goats to climb up on so they can have a safe space. Goats love to climb around anyway!

 

[Skyesrocket]

It does depend on the horse. Stay away from a stallion. It might try to mount the goats, hurting them in the process. It would be best to get a mini that is already being pastured with goats.
If you have lush grass with a lot of clover you will have to limit the mini's grazing time on it. It could eat too much and end up sick.
You will need to do a lot of reading and talking to experienced mini owners to get an idea of how to take care of them. Since it will be your first it would be helpful to get one from a person that is willing to educate you along the way.
In my pasture I have a very old blind mini, a very old dairy nanny and a pot bellied pig that chooses to hang out with the horse instead of the other pigs. It looks like a Disney movie back there, but those three chose each other to hang out with. That's why people are saying it depends on the animals. They all have different personalities.
Good Luck!

 

[chickenzoo]

I have a few mini mares and a 3 year old mini stallion aswell as big horses and 3 fainting goats and a hair sheep. They all get along fine together. It all depends on the temperament of the animals. My mini stallion is very good natured.

 

[colbyisrocken]

Thanks but does anyone know of any good breeders. We live about 1 hour outside of Charrlote,NC. And what is the average price range for one of these.

 

[Bunnylady]

I have seen several minis advertised on Craigslist in the Charlotte area for $100 - $200. There are quite a number of breeders within an hour's drive of Charlotte, going in just about any direction. Obviously, if you are looking at a registered mini with potential as a show horse, the breeder will be asking considerably more than a couple hundred dollars, the price will depend on what you are looking for.

 

[letilewis]

Hi every one,
I have 2 male goats and I need to know whether mini's and goats can go together.
My goats are about 7 years old and they are brothers.
I have had them all their life so I know them well

The info so far says that they shouldn't sleep or eat together but I would appreciate it you had any additional information!