Cross Breeds

Can I keep a miniature horse in my backyard?

i reli love horse and have wanted one my entire life. having a regular sized horse is just not an option for me, but i reli like miniatures. i was wondering if anyone knows how much land i need to have to keep a miniature horse in Queensland, Australia. could i keep a miniature horse in my backyard here at home???

Public Comments

1. If I was your neighbor.. I would not care at all and would love to see a horse next door..BUT.. I am not your neighbor and neighbors are oft times bastards. They would complain to the City and UNLESS YOU HAVE HORSE rights for your property, you WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED to have a horse.. no matter what size
2. Check with the local government--city hall, or township. Different places have different laws.
3. you would have to check the laws in your area some places cant have horses. YOu should have AT LEAST 1/2 acre per mini horse. Make sure hte fencing is low enough so they cant slip under and all they really need ofr shelter is a large 3.5 sided run in so its their choice if they are inside or out
4. It depends how big your backyard is and how much space you need for a miniature horse...i did a bit of research, here are the links: http://www.hotkey.net.au/~sasami/ http://www.mhaa.com.au/ Type in 'miniature horse' in Google and you get lots of hits. :D (narrow it down to Aussie websites for more accurate info) They should tell you what you need to know.
5. Hi if you have an acre of back yard then yes apart from that I would have to say no unless you have some grazing somewhere & a stable to put it in...all horses large & small need to hae ample room to graze & a shelter they can get out of the sun or the rain... Regards Jake
6. You need to check with your town zoning board to see if its legal. It depends on how much land you have, and if you plan on letting them graze. I would say you need at LEAST an acre. If your going to have minis, you should have a least two, because horses are social animals. You will need to build some sort of shelter, a run in should do, as long as you make sure it blocks the prevailing wind in your area. Its good for horses to have some sort of job, so you should either do lots of in hand work or train them to drive. Also, don't think they aren't as expensive to maintain, they can actually cost more! They cost more to get their feet done and more to buy equipment for.
7. If its legal for your area, of course! He'll need a run-in shed so he can decide to be in or out. How green is your grass? Miniatures can survive on hardly anything! (but dont take this as you dont need to feed him at all) We have a miniature horse appaloosa who is 32 inches at the withers and he gets 1 cup of grain (strategy) and about a half flake of hay (fescue) twice a day. He also gets to eat grass 1 hour a day and he is still HUGE! i have to exercise him by running him around a little (i guess kinda like walking your dog). If they get too fat they can founder (get very ill from overeating causing very expensive vet and farrier bills) He will also have to have a horse vet and a farrier. Miniature horses are super smart if you want to teach them tricks! Go to dreamhorse.com and click search then fill out the page if you are really serious about getting one.
8. Depends on the laws / zoning for your town. Some residential areas do not allow horses of any kind. Horses do need companionship, so expect to get 2. A mini could live in a backyard if you can solve the problems of exercise, manure handling, and providing grass/forage. Do read up on the special needs minis have... for example they founder very easily.