Miniature Horse Haven

01/11/2025

LOTS happening recently with snow / ice on the way…we also have 1 new “special needs” mini that has arrived and is truly an asset to our team! We have a Great BIG Good announcement January 24th and we will update everything then. Be safe, stay warm if applicable and lots of little hugs to all 💕❄️🐴

01/10/2025

INFORMATIONAL SHARING: USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Events Covered by the Horse Protection Act The Horse Protection Act (HPA) makes it unlawful for any person to show, exhibit, […]

01/10/2025

🙏🙌

01/03/2025

12/26/2024

Merry Christmas 🎄 from all the animals and team at Miniature Horse Haven. We had a wonderful year and found many GREAT homes for our rescued miniature horses. THANK YOU to everyone that shared and supported us. Exciting updates for 2025 coming…

12/23/2024

Time for gratitude and holiday dreams…

12/12/2024

Never ever! 🙅🏻‍♀️

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!