Miniature Horse Haven

11/28/2024

Consider this and watch the weather changes also-this week everyone should have pretty big temperature changes!

As we enter Thanksgiving week in the US, many of your vets will be out of town or spending much needed time with their families.

It’s times like these that horse owners need to practice preventative caregiving.

During this holiday time, as an emergency only vet, I recommend the following:

- Don’t deworm your horse right now.

- Don’t start a new feed right now.

- Don’t get a new round bale of coastal hay right now if you’ve let the last one go to dust (give small amounts at a time or mix with a stemmy hay until they’ve had their fill, then give the round bale).

- Don’t change schedules.

- Don’t vaccinate your horse right now, especially if you have a known reactor.

- Don’t be in a rush and fail to soak your feed for long enough (choke risk) - especially if you’re late to feed due to holiday errands/get togethers.

- If you have visitors, limit treats. Ensure gates are closed. Make sure feed doors and bins locked.

There is already a shortage of equine vets - and the few we do have will likely be out of town or trying to enjoy the holiday.

Let’s all have a very Happy Thanksgiving. And let’s let our vets stay home with family!

Remember: Proper Preparation Prevents Postponed Potlucks! 😂🥴

11/26/2024

We wish everyone could retain this

11/17/2024

Love the smiles - both obviously enjoyed what they were doing! Need more smiles from both in equestrian sports- lots of options so do what both you and your horse enjoy 💕🐴

11/15/2024

I love the fun colors in this pillow! And the matching rosette is just the cherry on top *seamstress kiss*

11/14/2024

Blanketing? So many folks ask us what we believe and practice regarding blanketing our horses that we thought we’d post a quick summary:

First off, we live in north central NC. NOT MONTANA. So the first thing we believe is that horses don’t NEED blankets. (Oddly, it seems like the colder the climate the fewer folks believe in blanketing.) Are there exceptions, always…

IF you are determined to blanket, let’s talk about why. Is your horse’s hair coat unable to keep him warm due to condition, body clipping or some other reason? Is your horse underweight and you need to conserve calories or are you trying to protect your horse from weather extremes? And here’s a big one: Is your horse stalled or kept in a place where free movement is limited?

If your horse is clipped, underweight or stalled, YOU have undermined your horse’s ability to stay warm. Body warmth is preserved by the horse’s natural hair coat, is created by burning calories, and is supplemented by movement that keeps the body working and warm. A clipped horse with limited forage that is kept in a stall WILL get cold quickly.

With all that said, here’s another huge concern: It’s easy to remember to put the blanket ON when temps are dropping, but will you/someone be monitoring and reacting when temperatures come back up? If you aren’t able to get the blanket OFF as the day warms, your horse would prefer you leave it off. Many more horses are much more uncomfortable due to being too warm in blankets left on than are ever cold due to the lack of them.

Okay, so you’re going to blanket, you are doing so for the right reasons and you promise that the blanket will come off as the day warms. We only use waterproof turnout type sheets and blankets. And they have to fit! I used to buy my blankets a bit big for my horses until a friend pointed out that when they are overly long and hang down beyond the tail, the create more pull on the chest. Hmmmm…good point! We don’t use leg straps and instead use tail straps, but prefer the plastic covered bungee type. Why? Because urine and f***l matter slide right off. We closely watch our horse’s shoulders and withers for any rubs, and add shoulder guards or get a different fit of blanket as needed. A poor fitting blanket is far worse than no blanket at all.

We try to stick to a temperature based plan for blanketing: < 40 degrees = sheets, < 30 degrees = medium weight blanket, < 20 degrees = heavy weight blanket. However, we will adjust for wet and windchill, in stall or in paddock, and for sunlight which warms a horse up quickly. And we take them off at these same temperatures or even sooner if the day is warming up.

If we body clip a horse, we adjust our temperature plan up ten degrees. So sheets go on at 50. And remember, there’s a big difference between a freshly clipped horse and one with 8 weeks of hair regrowth. A freshly clipped horse is naked!

If our horses’ blankets get wet, they come off to dry. We keep extra blankets on hand for these times, as well as wool coolers to wick moisture from wet hair coats. We always check between the blanket and horse to be sure any blanket’s waterproofing is still working. If not, it’s time for a new blanket.

So these are our guidelines, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten some things! We always love feedback and to hear your ideas too!

11/08/2024

Wow!!

11/06/2024

We are very grateful to everyone that appreciated the rehabilitation efforts and provided additional love and support in new homes for some of our minis and a few “bigs”💕 These pics show some of our wonderful successful placements. Thank you to all!

09/19/2024

So happy to call Warren County home!

09/18/2024

Erik has been adopted! So happy for him and his new “herd”…

09/18/2024

This is a little long but truly explains horse agility well! Enjoy… our rescue/rehab minis love building trust and relationships using agility.

09/17/2024

Great opportunity if you know someone between 8 - 18 years of age that wants to know more about horses. Don’t need to have a horse!!

Register to join us at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdLaBwPqNPCPP5hSNGtYCOfWQk_aRq1Aae50TcJy7ARd5t9vQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

09/15/2024

True for big and little horses …💕

09/05/2024

Delighted and privileged! LIL Bit A Mocha (Mocha) and her owner Emily have attained impressive results in their inaugural participation at the International Horse Agility Club. Emily's dedication to liberty and communication techniques is reflected in her score. We are grateful we have the ability to wait for the right matches for the horses we are trusted to home that we rescue/rehabilitate. 💕👏🏻👏🏻🏆

09/04/2024

And now Bella Patterson decided vacation day 2 would be boring since Merrylegs is on the mend so …got to see the vet again mid day. It appears to be related to the weather change and probably just mild pneumonia…she is already doing better … tomorrow I just may want to go back to work if this continues..,( her white blood count was low allowing the opportunity to get sick.