I want a mini horse
I am currently obsessed with miniature horses.
I had a full scale quarterhorse in my backyard earlier this week. I fell completely in love with it but it’s not practical for me to have a big one. Hell, it’s not practical for me to have a small one either but I WANT ONE SO BADLY.
I found one on AustraliaListed.com for $500. Is that cheap? Apparently you have to worm them and trim their hooves every 6 – 8 weeks and you can’t let them eat too much grass because it makes them founder (See! I already speak mini-horse!).
I am also thinking that a mini horse would be the perfect mascot for my employers, NEI TAFE, along with a miniature hereford. For the clueless city slickers, that’s a mini cow y’all (Look! I speak redneck too!).
VOTE YES! Or no. I can’t decide and I have a long history of making stupid decisions based on love.
I think it’s a bad idea. It will curtail your freedom. It will destroy your garden. And they don’t make really great pets.
Hon, I know you really want one, but they’re such a massive investment in every possible sense. And they’re herd animals – they get lonely if they’re on their own 🙁
I say get a dog instead at the moment, you really want one of those too! And hey, a large dog would be the same size as a small horse…
Strongly advise against this!!!!
I have one, she is a mascot and fabulous however…….. I spent copious hours on her training and care.
I am an experienced handler and educated in equine care. My mini is trimmed fortnightly ( if you can’t do this yourself cost would be approx $40 per trim) annual vaccinations for tetanus and strangles will cost you if this is again something you can not do yourself. $100 per vet visit.
They are prone to founder as you mentioned and this can be debilitating for a horse as it in a nut shell is an internal deformity of the pedal bone ( inside the hoof).
They are also prone colic.
To many of these beautiful little soles end up rescue cases because they are not cared for as horses. They are NOT dogs!!!!!!
Aside from this if you use as a mascot you must have a dedicated handler for the horse to ensure the safety of the horse and any person that the mascot may encounter.
Insurance will be the other factor to consider.
Minis are wonderful, wonderful horses however like any animal without the correct care and ongoing education can be dangerous! Please do not become another victim of the cute factor without full consideration of what it takes to responsibly care for one.
Ha, I feel like saying yes, but previous commenters are giving serious answers, in which case I say no 🙁
You could always hire a petting zoo on weekends when the urge takes hold?
Based on a lot of feedback, I am now lobbying my employers to adopt a mini horse for our 2013 marketing campaigns. This way, a professional looks after it and we just get to hang out with it, take a million photos of it and generally adore it from afar. It’s basically the Ryan Gosling of the animal world. Except I don’t get to hang out with or take photos of him. But there’s a thought. RYAN GOSLING AND A MINI HORSE TOGETHER AT LAST!
The only thing that could make this plan better is more mini horses. Get a herd!
There’s some down the road from my house. So cute!