Are all mini horses so BAD, or just mine?

[dianneS]

My mini is such a little stinker! He's earned himself the name "Here comes Trouble" aka Daniel. He's just so bad!

I've heard from others that mini's are just little brats in general and I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this mini "attitude"? I love to hear stories of other bratty minis! I know one woman who's mini chewed the tail off of her dressage stallion!

My mini steals the farriers tools. He steals the brushes when I'm grooming my mare. He recently snatched my clippers by the cord and ran off with them, dragging them through the mud! I was hosing off my roto-tiller one day with my soft, flexible barn hose and suddenly my water supply shut off. I turned around and there is bratty little Danny pinching my hose in his teeth!

He breaks into the barn and pulls all of the halters and lead ropes off the wall. If I park a wheel barrow of manure for just a second, he comes right over and dumps it on its side! Today I tried turning the goats out into the horse pasture and that bad little horse chased them til I thought those goats would drop! I put him in the goat pasture with the LGD. Those two have developed a strange relationship. The dog is shedding and itchy, and for some reason the horse likes to chew on the dogs back like an ear of corn. The dog loves it! Well, until Danny bites too hard. But since they are about the same size, they do make good playmates.

Anyway, its never a dull moment with a mini horse around! Anyone else experience anything similar?

 

[christy_was_here]

I'm just a hopeful future mini owner, so no advice or stories here, but man he is one more mischievous fellow! He sounds like a real character!

 

[dianneS]

I'm just a hopeful future mini owner, so no advice or stories here, but man he is one more mischievous fellow! He sounds like a real character!

He sure is and I wouldn't change him for the world. I was concerned that gelding him would mellow him out, but it hasn't changed his personality at all. He's still a stinker!

Mini's are so much fun and so, so smart! They are really super fast learners, its amazing.

If I have a fence to repair or a gate latch to replace, I have to lock my mini in the barn so he doesn't watch what I'm doing in order to figure out how to get out of the fence or work the gate latch! He will do that!

 

[elevan]

I have a mini horse / shetland pony cross named Jack, though frequently he is called Jack-~- (fill in the blank )

There must be something about small animals that give them a BIG attitude! Jack is definitely a troublemaker. He breaks into the goats section of the barn to steal their hay or sometimes just to poo in their area He tries to take eggs from us when we are collecting. Tries to break into the coop because he thinks it's just his size He herds the chickens around especially our cochin, Miss Flufferbottom. Jack seems to think she is his pet!

Lately he has taken to following me around the field and when I stop he tries to bite my leg...which is what he does to the Morgan mare to get her moving Gotta break that habit before he gets a hold of more than pants :/

 

[dianneS]

Tries to break into the coop because he thinks it's just his size He herds the chickens around especially our cochin, Miss Flufferbottom.

Ugh, Danny tries to get into the coop all the time too. I had to move the chicken's feeder outside to the run because Danny would break in and eat the chicken feed, then bust up the feeder with his feet! I'd hear him in there banging the galvanized feeder around until he'd have it all dented and torn apart!

He also found my Cochin hen one day floating in the horses water tub. She fell in and couldn't get out. Well Danny pulled her out, which is good he saved her life, but then he proceeded to torture her by pawing at her and playing with her while she lay on the ground cold and screaming! I went outside and rescued her, several feathers on her back were broken. When I got there Danny was pawing at her with his hooves and she had her eyes shut and was squeeling. After a warm night in the hen house in nest box with a broody, she was all back to normal.

But that little horse, he will never be normal!

 

[elevan]

Makes me wonder if the cochins look like balls to them!

 

[hannahbanana3]

my mini is a brat also she bites, kicks, chases me ect. I think all small animals suffer from little man syndrom

 

[chubbydog811]

So I have to ask - are your minis not in their own pasture, going by you mentioning them getting into chicken feeders, goat pens, ect?
First step to taking back control would be treat them like a horse, and lock them in their own enclosure that they CAN'T get out of (easier said than done, yes, I know).
If you get into the biting/kicking problem when you are caring for them, either carry a crop with you and swat their nose every time they bite, and/or push (in the I'm going to bite you, chasing sense) them away like a normal horse would do to claim dominance - just watch the feet...deciding on swatting or pushing will depend on the animal's personality and smarts.

Now, remember when I say this, it is NOT directed at any one person - but what I've noticed is when people raise mini's, they treat them as large dogs, forgetting they are actually equines. This is what causes most of their "little man syndrome". I have seen quite a few minis who are very well behaved and respectful.

Eta - this last statement goes for dogs as well...treat them like they belong in your purse, and they will teach you that they are boss.

 

[Horsiezz]

I have 2 miniatures. A 2 yr old registered stallion and a 2 yr old registered gelding. My stallion is very well behaved because we have had him since he was 4 months old and we could discipline him. The 3 yr old is just unmanageable and ornery. We got him probably 6 months ago and the owner didnt do much with him let alone discipline him. Thats the main problem, people dont discipline the minis because "they're so small and cute" like chihuahuas and thats a major problem! Then they can start getting attitudes and so on. So make sure you discipline yours! There just like big horses, just smaller so they need it just as much especially if there young. You cant let them get away with things! My 3yr old can be a little nippy. He knocks down everything and our Amish farrier has to wrestle with him to trim his hooves. He thinks everythings a game and takes nothing seriously. He hates listening and if you try to make him do something he plants his feet and flattens his ears to give the best "leave me alone" look. If you put him in the cross tries he absolutely refuses and rears straight up. The more you laugh, the madder he gets and keeps doing it. When I tie him up on the stall he paws and starts knocking down the brushes thats hanging on the stall in a bag. He loves to bully the bigger horses as well as me and all the other boarders. Im working with him more and hes getting better. Im teaching him to do tricks like my miniature stallion and hes taking to it well and its a good outlet to all of his orneriness. He can be a major butthead at times but im hoping with the more training he has the better he will get. I still love him though!

 

[manybirds]

well darn. I wanted one but i already have a cochin hen.