Ask The Trainer

How much do you feed them?

Hi!

I have had large horses all my life, and am having trouble adjusting my feeding habits for my minis. Could you give me an average volume amount of grain and hay I should feed twice daily? Then I can adjust the amount to suit each horse. They just seem so hungry all the time!

Thank you so much for this service! Love the Q&A section!

Lisa

Hi Lisa,

All horses are grazers so the best feeding program feeds them their daily ration spread over 3 or 4 meals a day. Unfortunately, this is not an option for most folks who have to work to support their horse habits. So try to feed no less than twice a day. We feed different amounts for different horses. They are like us. Some of us can look at food and gain weight and others of us (not me) can eat all we want and never gain an ounce. Our minis eat about 1/4 th the daily ration of a big horse and sometimes even less. On an average you can start out by feeding 2 small coffee cans of grain both morning and night. Give a few hand fulls of quality hay with every feeding. We give extra hay just before night time on cold nights. Hay gives more warmth to horses. Make sure you have a good worming program.

Good luck,
Linda

What about those neck sweats?

I really love the Q & A part of your site! I've been using a throat sweat on my stallion. He wears it all the time, but frankly I see little effect. One of my friends mentioned he put some sort of gel on their necks and then a rubber sweet and then normal fleece and neoprene sweat over that during their excercise! WHEW! That's a lot of wrapping! Is this correct? Do you know the name of the gel?

Thanks for all the advise!

Jenn

Hi Jenn,

The gel you are referring to is a gylcerin gel. There are many commercial products out there. You can find them with our Miniature horse venders and at the large breed horse supply stores. Thick necks is not just a miniature horse problem as many in our industry have assumed. In the winter time, it is harder to get a horse to get warm enough in the colder regions to sweat. We put the glycerin on, then wrap a black industrial strength trash bag cut into a wide strip to cover the horses complete neck. Next we put the neoprene neck wrap over that. Then we stand the horse in a heated room for an hour. This will raise their body temperature. Then we send them out to exercise in the round pen with the sweats on. Then we remove the sweats and wash the gel off. This is an important step because any gel left on under the wrap can blister the horse's neck. We stand the horse back in a warm room to dry and then we rewrap the necks with clean neck wraps that have fleece attached to absorb moisture. The Horse trailer is another choice to stand the horse in, if it is enclosed. The sun will radiate into the trailer warming the inside temp like a heated room.

Good luck this show season.

How can I get him to stand still?

S. Chance in Wyoming asks the following question.
"I am new to minis and would like to show halter. I can not get my horse to stand still. He is a yearling. I have tried treats but nothing works, help!

Hi S. Chance,
Try working with your horse after you have exercised him. Then he will be more willing to stand still for you. Place him where you want him then you stand in front of him. If he gets ready to move, tell him to WHOA. If he moves, back him up a few feet. Then move him back into his position and tell him WHOA. Do this for about 10 minutes. Then let him rest. Their attention span is short. Always end on a positive note. Repeat this several times a day for several days. A horse learns by repeating a task over and over. Have patience. Soon he will be standing in one spot as long as you ask him to.

Good question. Thanks for ASKING THE TRAINERS.

Linda and Amanda

How do you tame that mane?

Sharon writes:
I am learning all I can to hopefully show next spring. I loved your article on trimming and the question and answer section too.
My question if you don't mind is "how do u thin these thick unruly manes?". My stallion has enough mane for 4 mini's
thanks for any help
Sharon

Hi Sharon,

Thanks for your question. There are a few of ways of taming the shrew. You can take a thinning comb designed to thin the mane. It is a razor blade and it thins the mane as you pull the hair across it. You can flip the mane to the opposite and take clippers to the underside shaving hair off some of the mane in a straight line up the neck. You can also shave some of the mane on the top side of the mane being careful to make your line extremely straight up the neck. These latter two options are used to enhance a neck that may be thick or have a broken crest. When you go to a show, stop by some of the trainers and ask them for their opinions and ask if they have time to show you some of their horses. Pick a time when you see they are not real busy. Most are very friendly and would be happy to help you learn.

Good Luck showing.

What about hoof painting?

Lorraine writes:
Ok I have a question that has been pondering on my mind for some time.
I used to show Arabians on the Class A circuit for years and we could NOT paint white hooves black. It seems this is done with the miniatures yet the rule book says you cannot deface the animal.

Changing white to black is what we call defacing as you are changing the color. Why is this done with Miniatures? Why is it done with some Judges yet not with others? Why is their no consistency in the Judging of this part?

Hi Lorraine,

That is a very good question about hoof painting. Every breed has their own standard and rules that the association has voted on. Different association word their rules to show what is important to them. Rules are forever changing also. Many judges are carded in several associations and many times they run rules over into the breed they are judging from another association. For example, I was told buy a judge that the App Mini I was showing should not have had his feet painted so the stripes showed. I just politely thank her for her "insight" ( though she was wrong) and she placed my colt first any way. I am sure it gets extremely difficult to keep all those rules straight. Miniatures can have their hooves painted to enhance the horse or they can just be left natural. Every horse is different. Enhancing is the key word here. I use clear, and black hoof polish and sometimes I only sand the feet. Here is an example, if I have a horse with white hooves on say two legs and black on the other two legs, then I paint black all the way around. Next year this rule could change but for now there are no rules against painting them as often as necessary. A couple of years ago we could spray paint the legs to enhance them, then the rule changed and it is forbidden now. Thanks for the question.

Linda Evans
Just Won Training.

What is Balding?

From George H., Washington
"What is Balding? I have heard folks talk about it but I did not really understand what was being done."

Hi George,

Balding is what we do to the muzzle and above the eyes of a show horse. We shave this area close with a #50 blade then we put shaving creme on the same area and shave it hairless like a man shaving his beard. It is done to make the muzzle look smaller and the eyes look bigger. It is not required to be done when you show your horse but it does help to give the horse a more chisseled look.
Thanks for your question.
Trainers

Linda and Amanda

What is the best way to condition them?

Josh writes:
I have been rasing miniatures for a few years, but I am now getting interested in showing them. I have recently purchased a 2 year old show filly. Who has a big belly on her. My question is; What is the best way to condition your horse to get them ready for the show season. Thanks!!!

Hello Josh,

To condition a horse you must W.E.F. that is worm, exercise and feed them. We worm every week times four then every month. Rotate your wormers. We exercise 30 min to 60 min. every day. Vary your exercise, round pen, treadmill, swimming, jumping etc. Then feed high quality grain or pellets. We feed both. Feed 2 to 3 times a daily. We also give them a hand full of alfalfa twice a day. Divide your feedings. Do not over feed. Fat horses are neither attractive or healthy. All horses need to be able to go out to play every day. It is best to let them play on a dry lot not a grass lot. Good Luck.

Linda Evans
Just Won Training

PERKED EARS, SQUARING LEGS, TYPES OF CLIPPERS

Hi there

I love that you have this section to ask a question. If you could please email me back. I am 16 and have done really well showing in youth! But I always have problems in getting their ears to stand up, getting AND keeping their attention, and picking up their back feet. Is fear the answer?? I have seen trainers hit their horse or smack it around a little. I have also seen them use lighters. How do I get those ears to stay up? Also, I have a problem keeping their attention and what I like to call the "wild look". For example, I see horses that don’t misbehave and kind of have a scared look in their eye. That’s why I am asking if fear is the way to go? What do you do?

And do you have any suggestions for picking up their feet? I don’t have problems with the front feet, but I have an overo yearling that hates his back legs touched.

I also have one more question.....is there any way to position the horse to make sure when you place its feet, it wont be too stretched? Like what I mean is, is there any way to know that when squaring the horse up, it will BE SQUARE and not stretched out? How do you judge how far to place the feet?

And sometimes, the knees on the front legs touch and the hooves point out. How do I get the hooves to be straight?

I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOR HELP!!!! BEING A YOUTH, I NEED ALL OF THE HELP I CAN GET.

THANX AGAIN

ASHLIE

WWW.PECOSEAST.COM

P.S. WHAT BRAND CLIPPER DO YOU USE?

Hi Ashlie,

Wow lots of good questions. Here goes. Getting a horse to pay attention to you with alert ears takes training NOT FEAR. Please don’t ever listen to a trainer that uses cruel methods to get an animal to submit to them. We use a lasso halter that applies pressure to their poll. We stand in front of the horse talking to him and walking from side to side. The horse should follow you with their eyes and heads. Their ears will be perked because they are paying attention to the trainer. If they become distracted and look away from me, I snap on the lead sharply and state the command “here”. You can use any word, just make it the same word every time and say it in a firm tone. Practice this and soon your horse will keep those ears perked when you need him to show. We also use candy wrappers and small tic-tac shakers to get their necks to extend.

Your horse may be very sensitive to being touched on the rear. Brush your horse every day with a nice soft brush working from his hips down his legs. Then lift his foot for a moment and then put it down. Do this with every leg. Soon you will desensitize him and be able to pick up any foot and hold it as long as you need to.

If your horse has his front legs that touch, he probably has a narrow chest. Your Ferrier can adjust the feet with each trim to help this a little. Try exercising him on hills and if he is old enough to learn to pull a cart use this to build his chest up.

Getting your horse to set up square is easy. It can be done from a lead or hand setting. Set the back feet first. When hand setting up your horse, set the back hoof closet to you square with the outside back hoof. If the hocks are in use your hands to square them at the joint.

Then set the front feet. The Cannon bones should be straight up and down if the lean in either direction your horse is either under himself or stretched. Step back and look. He the horse is not square, adjust the front feet forward or back.

We use Double K clippers.

Good luck this show season.

Warm Regards,

Linda Evans,
Trainer Just Won Training.

MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT GROOMING AND LEAD TRAINING FROM ASHLIE

I see in your clipping section, that you use a 10 or 15 on the body. But I saw at the amha shows trainers and exhibiters slipping the body with a 30, the forehead with a 40 -and the muzzle with a 50. Is that what everybody is doing it now?

--And I also was wondering how far to clip the bridle path. I see people clipping almost half way down the mane and it looks pretty good, but I am not sure.

--Also about the mane, how short should it be and how thin? It seems horses these days have thin short manes. How do you get them that way?

--Also, how far up do you shave the muzzle? Do you shave it to where the noseband of the show halter fits? Thanks for all of your help again, I am just trying to be as up-to-date as possible.

ps In the last email I sent you, you answered back that you could set up a horse with the lead. How is that?

Ashlie

Many of your questions above are the reason many owners chose professional trainers to prepare their horses for the show ring. Each horse is different with different color, hair texture difference, hair growth differences, different body shape and different head shapes. These questions can be compared to the same reasons people don’t get their hair clipped the same way. Experience preparing many different horses teaches a trainer how to know what “look” will be best for each horse. Trainers learn to hide flaws and to accentuate the positive features in a horse by grooming each horse to meet the needs of that horse. Clipping short, leaving more hair, clipping the bridle path lower, leaving it higher, shortening the mane or leaving it full and thick, shaving the muzzle high or leaving it lower, placing the nose band higher or lower are all decisions a professional trainer makes for each horse based on that horse. There is no one rule fits all. The best way to learn if you do not show a lot would be to see if a trainer in your area would let you come and work for them on your off school time so you can be around pros and learn from the pros. Many trainers will help you also if you have a horse in training with them.

--To lead train them to set up, you stand in front of them and with your hand on the lead near the show halter you back the horse until his back feet are set. Then with gentle pulling pressure you slightly turn the head to the opposite side and pull the halter. The foot on the opposite side of the body will move forward. Then do the same for the other side. I use the command foot and point to the foot I want the horse to move. Once they learn this, your gestures will be very subtle. The horse will move to your voice, hand gesture and or lead pressures. It’s like steering a car. Practice makes perfect.