# Re: mini horses and feed.



## Sandysdream (Jan 14, 2013)

My mini has only been getting vitamins and hay. Should I give her some kind of feed now that it in the 30s over night and in the morning? A really question would they get the feed twice a day.


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

Hay & vitamin/mineral mix is good. Unless you see some weight loss no hard feed should be needed. Of course I'm guilty of giving mine a handful of oats every day because I can't resist their begging.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Grain does not keep them warm, hay does. Hay takes longer to digest and while digesting warms the body. In the 30&#8217;s is not cold to an animal with a fur coat. If your horse doesn&#8217;t have enough fur she will shiver. This stimulates the fur to grow longer. You&#8217;re doing fine.


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## RideBarefoot (Jun 29, 2008)

Humans tend to gauge comfort level on their needs, not the horse's. A horse's comfort level is 15-55 degrees, what we would consider freezing. Your mini is fine.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Maura said:


> Grain does not keep them warm, hay does. Hay takes longer to digest and while digesting warms the body. In the 30âs is not cold to an animal with a fur coat. If your horse doesnât have enough fur she will shiver. This stimulates the fur to grow longer. Youâre doing fine.


Shivering doesn't stimulate fur to grow longer. It does provide heat via the muscles "twitching".


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Sorry. Sheep that are shorn in the winter grow their wool very fast for an inch or two. I was told it was stimulated by shivering. Whatever the reason, the body responds as needed. I&#8217;ve also found that unless the wind is strong, they won&#8217;t even seek refuge in a shelter. Even my donkeys, with no wool, were pretty tough in the winter, and grew such cute bangs.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I've owned minis in the past and they do just as well as the rest of my horses at -40. 

In the really cold months, my horses are on free choice feed and they don't eat the heaviest when it's the coldest, their heaviest consumption is a couple days before a cold snap. 

It is best to gauge each animal individually but unless we have something that needs special rations for a specific reason, I feed nothing but good grass hay, salt and mineral although if it's a particularly hard winter, I'll provide a special mix protein supplement as well.


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## Sandysdream (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks everyone for letting me know that I'm on the right track. The mini has grow some winter fur. She is getting hay with the minerals and vitamins. Twice a day. The M and V amount is per her weight. The sheep get hay and feed twice a day also. And you are so right that both the sheep and the mini are outside in the cold wind and the snowfall.


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## Sandysdream (Jan 14, 2013)

My mini is not eating her mini-vitee food. I'm not sure why. She is eating the hay that I put down. She tries to eat the sheep food but I keep her away. Of course we just had the "blizzard" with snow amount of 38". So she is not moving as far as she was. she seems fine but I am learning as I go.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Sandysdream said:


> My mini is not eating her mini-vitee food. I'm not sure why. She is eating the hay that I put down. She tries to eat the sheep food but I keep her away. Of course we just had the "blizzard" with snow amount of 38". So she is not moving as far as she was. she seems fine but I am learning as I go.


Has she lost any condition? Mine will pound through supplement for a while and ignore it until they feel they need it again and as long as they're in good condition, I don't get too excited about it.


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## Sandysdream (Jan 14, 2013)

Sorry for the delay in replying. With all the snow and cold and grandchildren off school at times I have been busy. Most days my mini eats very little as far as minerals and does eat the hay.Her coat is soft, shiny and she looks good. Thanks the the replies. You have made me feel better.


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