Shetland Pony (in the future)

[SmallFarmGirl]

I always wanted a horse. I only have and acre though so I have to keep my farm "mini".
I only can use about 1/4 of that acre for animals. I have 2 goats in a pen/yard. Could I possibly fit a pony?
How much room do they need? How much do they eat and can they eat goat feed? Could they live in my huge goat barn?
How much up-keep? Hoof needs more/less work than goats? Do you have one? What do you think? What "tiny,tiny,tiny" breed would
fit? Do I just look around for one? How much? I've seen some for $200. This is going to be for the future; not any time soon but, I've still got Questions!!!!

 

[daisychick]

If you have no plans of riding it, you could always get a miniature horse. They don't eat a lot. I only feed my horse grass hay with a little alfalfa in it. She gets NO grain because she is never ridden and she just hangs out in the corral and eats. If fact she just gets the same hay my goats eat. A mini horse would eat about as much as 2 goats, I would think. I give my full size horse the same amount of hay I give to my 3 big goats.

Hoof care is a bit more tricky. I can easily trim my goats hooves, but I am not strong enough to use the big horse hoof clippers so I have a farrier come out and trim my horse every 8 weeks. Horse hooves are a bit more complicated than goats.

My horse doesn't have a barn, she just has a run-in, lean-to type shed. The ones with 3 sides and an open front. She actually hardly ever uses it and prefers to just stay outside, even in the snow.

I have a half-acre corral area for the animals and I have half of that for the horse and the other half is for the goats and chickens. My horse doesn't have a pasture at all to graze on and is fed hay year round. She does just fine with those living conditions.

Horses and even mini horses are cheap cheap cheap on CL right now. People are giving them away to good homes like crazy because hay prices are so high. If you could provide a good home for one, I bet you could find one really cheap or even free now a days.

Hope some of that helps.

 

[Horsiezz]

I highly reccommend a miniature horse... I have 2 myself. They don't eat much and most do very well with goats... people say they need atleast 1/2 an acre but it doesnt really matter as long as you take care of them. Be careful when feeding because they can be prone to obesity. Since yours isnt going to be worked it seems, then I would just give it hay and no grain. A grass mix hay would be best. A goat shelter would be fine as long as the entrance is big enough. They will most likely barely ever use it, but a shelter should always be available.

Our minis need trimmed about every 8 weeks but it depends on the horse. It doesnt cost much depending on your farrier...our amish farrier trims ours for $12 each. They should also be on a regular deworming schedule and get the needed shots. You can do that all yourself unless you prefer a vet doing your shots which is more expensive. Really, they don't cost much to keep at all as long as it is healthy and in good condition.

You can get a grade mini for around $100 and up, on Craigslist some are being given away. I paid just $40 at a local horse auction for a 3 year old dun mini mare just to insure she got a good home then found a good home for her myself. You could try try going the auction route.

You could also train it to pull a cart or do tricks like my 2 do. They are a lot of fun! If you do decide to get one feel free to message me with any questions... I could give you my email address. Good luck!

 

[dianneS]

You could certainly have a mini I have one and they can live on air, get fat looking at hay and grain is rarely necessary. Mini's aren't heavy, so he's not going to trample down your grass or turn your pastures into a big muddy mess when it rains. The poops are small too so not much clean up either!

You can still have fun with him too. Do obstacle courses like dog agility, teach him to jump, train him to do tricks (my mini rears, bows, waves and nods 'yes' and 'no') You can also get him a cart and harness and drive him! He can give pony rides to small children too if you get him a little mini saddle... so cute! There are lots of mini horse clubs around that accept grade minis and don't insist on any particular pure pedigree, just as long as the horse is under a certain height. These clubs have fun shows and all sorts of events to participate in.

Hoof trimming can be hard to do yourself, but you can have someone show you how to rasp down those little hoofies with a file more frequently so he won't need trimmed. There is an australian company that makes and ergonomically designed rasp that you can use one-handed, its specifically for self hoof care. It allows you to hold the hoof with one hand and still rasp properly with the other hand.