If you’ve been wondering about mini horses, get ready to learn. Mini horses are such amazing animals that not a ton of people know about! We will tell you all about the kind of pets mini horses make, whether you can keep a mini horse by itself, and what caring for them is like.

Is a mini horse a good pet?

Yes, yes, a million times YES! Not only are mini horses incredibly smart, but they also make wonderful companions! Mini horses are perfect for those who may not have the capacity or time for a full-sized horse.

Mini horses are believed to have been created sometime in the 1600s, from breeding horses and ponies together. Ponies are similar to mini horses but have a shorter and more stocky body type. Mini horses are recognized as mini replicas of full-sized horses and are proportioned the same in the body. A mini horse will be no taller than 34 inches! They were originally bred for two reasons: for mining, because they could carry loads through shafts that regular horses are too tall for, and for novelty – because they are adorable!

Aside from being so cute, mini horses are smarter than most people realize. They are fairly easy to train, besides being a bit stubborn. Once trained, however, a mini horse can be a well-mannered pet for up to 50 years. They are also commonly used as guide animals! While they can really only carry up to 40 lbs on their back, they are perfect practice riding horses for small children.

Can mini horses be kept alone?

Mini horses are extremely social animals. For this reason, we would not advise keeping a mini horse by itself. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to have more than one mini-horse. In fact, they are fond of all of the other farm animals and would be happy to have any of them as friends. One of the best things about living on a farm is watching the relationships that the animals build with each other.

Mini horses can live alongside full-sized horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, chickens, and dogs. Of course, they are also great in a pack of their own kind and love socializing with other mini horses. Generally, you can assume that bringing a mini horse into your pasture with other animals will be an easy transition. However, as with any animal, if you are adopting a mini horse you may want to take some time observing their behavior before introducing them to the rest of the pack.

Overall, it’s best to keep your mini horse among friends. Even in nature, horses are known to be pack animals and will not be happy and thriving if housed alone. Unless you are able to give your horse the amount of attention and care that it would require, you may want to ensure that you have some other animals to keep your mini horse company.

miniature horse care

Since mini horses are so much shorter than regular horses, you do not need as high of a fence, and the same fence that works for the goats and donkeys should work just fine to house a mini horse. They do spend most of their time outside in the pasture, but you want to make sure they have a stall where they can rest inside during extreme heat or cold. They also do not need as big of a stable as a regular horse would need, which makes caring for these animals a lot easier!

Similar to regular horses, mini horses require access to a pasture to graze. Grazing plays a huge part in a mini horse’s overall nutrition, and also counts as some of their exercises for the day. This will also provide a space for your mini horse to run and play! The rule of thumb for pasture size would be a quarter acre per mini horse. If you have other animals as well, you may want to consider even more space, so that they have room to spread out and plenty of grass for everyone to graze. The rest of their diet should consist of hay.

Grooming your mini horse should include daily brushes of its coat, mane, and tail. Not brushing out their mane and tail can result in really tough knots, that can cause your pet distress when you do finally get to detangling it. You may also take a wet towel to really clean any areas that need attention. One thing you want to make sure to do regularly as well is clean their hooves. Doing all of these things will ensure that your mini horse is living it’s best life!

Do you have any mini horses? What do you love about them?! Tell us in the comments, friends!

Hugs,

Christina & Trevor