Miniature horses??

How big of a fenced in area does 1 miniature horse need if it also gets walks and exercise?

(This one's for a mini owner.) How much does it cost you to keep 1 miniature horse per year and what does this include?(i.e. how much for food, farrier, etc.) I know this probably depends on location, but what i really need is an estimated number.

Can a miniature horse that will just be a pet survive on just grass (if it's not very lush), or does it also need hay and grain?

I've heaerd minis can get "founder" easily. What is this and is it a big hassle when owning a mini? Does it require expensive medication to prevent?

How many times per year does a mini need its hooves trimmed?

Thank you for your help!!They can do with a fairly small area, but I'm a big believer that horses always need space to move and graze. I have my two Minis on a one acre pasture and while they could do with less space, personally I wouldn't want to keep them on anything much smaller.

I'm guessing that I spend about $1000 per Mini. That includes hay (bought in bulk), farrier, routine vet, worming. I keep mine at home so that's without boarding costs, and also excludes tack, supplies, and emergency expenses.

You will probably need to supplement with hay at least part of the year. Most Minis are VERY easy keepers and it doesn't take much to feed them. I feed my two Minis and one sheep on a single flake of hay a day.

"Founder" is a condition of the hoof where the laminae swell and then detach from the hoof wall, causing the coffin bone inside the hoof to drop. This can be a painful, debilitating, sometimes life threatening disease, usually caused by overfeeding. Thankfully it is mostly preventable by keeping a close eye on what and how much your horse is eating.

Every 6-8 weeks is ideal for a trim, depending on how fast your horses hooves grow.Wow, okay, here goes:

Minis need just as much care, if not more than a normal horse.  Usually for foot care its once every three months and usually cost between $20 and $30 each visit.  Minis need hay in the winter and grain also.  But too much will cause them to founder, as you were told.  This can ruin a horses feet and takes a long time to recover from.  You need to watch their feed consumption and there is no prevention except you. They need at least five acres to graze on in the summer....nice lush grass hay.  

In my estimation, you would probably need upward of $1600 per year (if you already have the fencing and barn for the mini in winter) to keep them in top health.  

Oh, they do get lonely if they are kept alone.  They love goats as companions, cause they are small too.  Goats can be kept the same as the horse but with less money output.  A ferrier can do their feet too and they can eat the same hay, grass and grain as the mini.

FOUNDERING:  Laminitis, commonly called founder, is an acutely painful inflammation of the foot. It occurs most often in the front feet although it can affect the hind feet as well. Founder is the name given to the resultant tissue damage and complications following one or a series of acute attacks of laminitis.

In the worst case, permanent damage to the laminae can result and the attachment of the coffin bone to the hoof wall breaks down. The whole weight of the horse bears down on the coffin bone, and without the attachment to the hoof wall, the bone rotates down and can actually be pushed right through the sole to the ground.3/4 of an acre!!!!!!!!!My mini horse lives in a dry lot area that is roughly about 35' wide, and 60' long.  She does quite fine in this.  She gets little to no work and little to no additional exercise.  She is in this area 24 hours a day.  She gets turned out in the indoor to run at least once a week and gets to spend an hour on grass once a week in a 1/2 acre paddock.

I would personally recommend that a pet mini be given NO GRASS OR GRAIN.  They are very prone to founder and obesity - which is going to signifcantly increase your expenses if you are left dealing with this.  Founder requires management, correct management to prevent - not expensive medication.  

Without writing a book on the subject here, founder is a condition that causes the bone inside the hoof to rotate downward.  It is incredibly painful, VERY costly to treat and deal with, and once they founder - they'll do it again and again if not properly maintained.  It can result in the need to euthanize the animal.

Again, proper care - not letting the mini horse O.D. on rich green grass or hay, or feed more grain than the amount  of exercise the horse is getting, or improper farrier care --- is going to prevent  the mini horse from foundering.  Vets have a saying that it's not "if" a mini will founder, it's "when the mini will founder".  Because most people don't do the proper care that a mini needs.

There is nothing wrong with keeping a mini as a pet, nothing at all, they don't need much, but they do need it done right.  And the idiot who said they only need a 6" high fence and can't jump is on crack.  Mini's are athletic, and can be caniving little escape artists.  Make sure your fencing is secure, and that the gaps in the fencing aren't so big the mini can fit right through.  They need shelter, and a run in shed should face the south.  Feeding the mini rich green hay will not be a good idea, you will want to set out to feed it hay that isn't that rich, more yellowy- to help prevent founder.  

It sounds like you don't know anything about them, so I would strongly recommend getting a book on minis and talking to your vet about them before getting one.  They are great little guys, but aren't the best idea for a first time horse owner doing it alone --- you really need to get some one on one advice to help you understand everythign you will need and should expect with the new horse.The fence only needs to be about 6 inches high.  It is a well known fact that minis can't jump.  The area should be at least 2000 square feet.  minis love to run and need plenty of room.

My mini cost me about $1,000 a month.  This includes everything that you can think of except bording.

It sounds like you want to torture your mini.  Give him some food for god sake!

Founder splounder.  Will you not have a baby because it might get sick some day?

Who cares about hoove trimming?  Just take care of the damn thing.  

Sounds to me like you know nothing about these animals and also kind of lazy.  Save an animal a lot of grief and don't buy it.
Get a turtle.  They're lazy too.