Feeding Recommendations for Miniature Horses
Click here to see a chart of feeding recommendations for Minis published by Purina.....they don't eat nearly as much as you think that they would!
Individuals may not require this amount of food outlined below. It may be too much depending on your mini's metabolism:
- Feeding a mini is very inexpensive since they eat about 2 - 4 measuring cups of sweet feed a day until they are mature, about three years of age. A 50# bag of top quality sweet feed is approx. $20.00 and that would last at least, 50 days. The daily cost for sweet feed is $ 0.50
- During periods of time where you have no pasture grazing available you need to give a mini 1 - 1.5# of grass hay morning and night. A bale of hay weighs about 80 #'s at the cost of $ 20.00 per bale. One bale will last about 80 days. Hay cost is .25 per day.
- One acre of pasture can sustain about 5 minis depending on the climate, and then you don't need the cost of hay.
- Always have a salt or salt/mineral available in the pasture or stall with your horse.
- Plenty of water must always be available.
- A horse needs plenty of exercise.
Feeding
Miniature horse foals requires more protein. In
Barbara Naviaux's Book "Miniature Horses", she
states a weaned foal to 12 months need 20% protein.
Alfalfa, here in AZ, no longer has a high
protein content and is very inconsistent in
its values. From birth to one year, the foal will
increase weight six to seven times so a DIGESTIBLE
protein, other vitamins, minerals and their balance
are extremely important. Spring grasses can contain
as much as 30% protein and I think that is why foals
do so well when their dams graze.
Entry page About us Articles Contact us For Sale Mares Stallions Our dogs