How much should my mini horse eat?

[Horsiezz]

Okay,so I have a 4 month old miniature horse named Cash. I have 2 other Quarter Horses,but I am new to Miniatures. How much grain should we give him and how much hay a day? Any other things he needs? Also heard they need salt-block,but do they really?

 

[dianneS]

My mini gets regular salt and a mineral block so he can choose what he needs. He hits the mineral block pretty hard, so I would have to say yes, they need it. I have good pasture and hay, and that is all my mini gets.

Minis have such a tendency to founder, I don't know anyone who really gives them grain at all. My mini was a rescue at seven months, and was severely starved and infested with worms. I did have to grain him at first. Well, actually I had to syringe feed him to keep him from dying and teach him how to eat grain later on, since he had never seen grain before and didn't know how to eat it!

Since he's up to his normal healthy weight now, he just gets pasture and hay and sometimes a handful of crimped oats just to get him into his stall when I need to bring him inside. He gets occasional healthy treats, but weight gain is such an issue, I have to be really careful. Grass and hay is all I've ever known mini owners to feed their minis. They do make miniature horse feed and I'm sure the bag indicates how much to give. But my guy has no problem keeping weight on, so we don't bother with it.

Oh, as for the hay. I give my guy a little "busy hay" in his stall at night and they get free choice hay during the day, when the pasture is shot for the season, but that's about it. I try not to give him enough hay to last all night in his stall. He has such a tendency toward a big hay belly when on round the clock grazing. When he was smaller and much thinner, one flake of a small bale would last him two weeks!

 

[laughingllama75]

try this group.......they will really help you out with all your questions. And a lot of Mini Fun too!

this is a miniature horse group...I hope it is OK to post here?
http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.php?showforum=1