Cross Breeds - miniature horses???

miniature horses???

okayyy.. so i was just wondering.. how much room would one mini pony need, like, in pasture?? and how big of a stall?? i kow that getting just one would make them feel lonely.. but i cant have any more than one, so do you think a goat or some other kind of animal like that would do the trick?? thanks in advance!! :)) well, actually, i think that i can have more than one now!! YAY!! lol. but if i cant, i will get a small female goat with no horns. thanks for all the info, yall!! i really appreciate it!!!! Also, if i got a haflinger pony, would this be a good companion for a mini?? and are haffies good kids ponies??? THANKS SO MUCH YOU GUYS!! You were a great help!!

Public Comments

Well On Rob & Big they have only one mini horse and Meaty there bull dog so I think it would be okay. :)
Um, it depends how long they'll be out and if you had a goat or something they would both be eating the grass so maybe 1 or 2 acres? And yes, a goat or a sheep will be fine, plus goats and sheep reduce the chance of your pony getting worms.
Goats and sheep make BRILLIANT pals for horses and ponies :] ...Also, very practical, as where horses like to eat the longer grass, the sheep/ goats will crop the shorter grass and keep your paddock maintained for longer.... Miniature horses or Shetland ponies do need a considerable amount of paddock space, if you've ever seen one in the field, they're cheeky little things and love galloping about! Stall size can be quite small, if it is a loose box you're talking about; Ive seen one happy in a box the size a large horse would have. Similarly, a smaller box should do the trick [depends on whether you intend to have the pony at grass most of the time or stabled!] Hope this helps!!
1 acer of paddock space per horse, yes you would give them just as much as a normal horse. atleast a 10x10 stall and no a goat won't cut it. If you can't afford to buy 2 minnis (keeping in mind minnis are generally alot cheaper than horses usually costing only around $500- $800) then im sorry but keeping a minni is going to be very hard for you. you can't just have any old fencing, it has to be sturdy and minni proof. meaning going low enough that they can't just scoot under it and tall enough that they can't jump over it (don't be fooled, a minni I use to work with could clear close to 4ft without blinking an eyelash) They are escape artists they can squeeze through little spaces, and they need a water hay and sometimes grain just like big horses. other animals can work in some cases but not in most, remember that if you have to proof a fence for a minni its going to be twice as hard to proof it for a goat. (which are more destructive than minnis)
apparently cats make good companions for horses and ponies =]
in my county you have to have at least 4 acres per hoofed animal. We have two mini donkeys in about one acre right now and we will be getting a mini stallion and mabye a mini mule too. but we have 14 acres total so we have room to expand. a mini should do fine on one acre though.
I think a goat would be a good companion! A pasture wouldn't need to be any bigger than an acre. You also could get away with an 8'x8' stall.
Generally speaking show breeders don't allow their mini's on any kind of pasture as they get too fat very very quickly. A dry lot works well and a breeder I know keeps his in groups of 3 in dry lots of about 1/3 acre. Goats and sheep make great companions but please make sure they have no horns. The farm that I know best keeps their stallions in stalls 10 x 20 feet but for mini's spending only the night inside their stalls are 8 x 8
I don't think they need to much space. I saw this show were it had just a persons back yard. For a stall they need some room to move around. Get a goat! The min horses really don't live that long because people are messing with their genes so there were some that didn't lie for more the a couple months even 2 days. The oldest one ever was 9. I think you should get a shetland pony. =] Don't get sheep you have to cut off all there wool, big pain in the bum!
They dont need much room, but they need space to be able to gallop, and let free after being in their stalls. Goats are great companions for miniature horses. My grandparents have 12 and i grew up around them. One of the horses grew up with one of the goats, and they spend every second together. They're best friends. I highly suggest that if there is no way possible to even get another small miniature horse, then a small goat is the next best thing. I suggest you get a very young female goat so it will grow up with the horse and the females tend to be alot less territorial.