Miniature horses are smaller than regular horses, usually less than thirty-five pounds. Because of this, they need very specific diets that are tailored to their needs.
Their length of life is six to twelve months, which means they need more nutrition then the rest of the horse community. Feeding them is a bit of a challenge as they are sometimes only up to eat once a day on top of being foot dependent.
There are two main parts to their nutritional support: dry food and liquid food. The liquid food is usually something that smells good and tastes good so you will want to give it time to work before you take any action.
The main problem horse owners face is knowing what foods are for whom and when they should be eaten. This can become a frustrating cycle of not giving enough or taking too much into the regimen at one time.
Contents:
Alfalfa pellets
Miniature horses are known for being heavily browsers. This refers to them eating leaves, flowers, and grain left over from other crops.
Alfalfa is a common horse food. It is a starchy food made from the dried seeds of alfalfa. It is most common in the U.S., where it is usually fed as hay instead of plain alfalfa.
The other food types horses eat are leaves, flowers, and grain. Feeding too much of one type of food can cause your horse to be over nourished or even starve to death.
Only one kind of food should be provided per day! Too much can cause your horse to suffer from overnutrition or Overfeeding Syndrome (OAS).
Oat pellets
Oat pellets are one of the most popular foods for miniature horses. They are similar to oats in that they replace a portion of your horse’s diet, but oat pellets are different than regular oats.
Oat pellets were developed to be a lower-maintenance food. Since it was calculated to be a smaller size of oats, there were less ingredients used in the food compared to regular oats.
Because the food was lower-quality oat, there were fewer necessary vitamins and minerals present in the food. As a result, my horse did not have as much gain in weight or level of enrichment when eating it.
Corn pellets
Miniature horses that are fed corn pellets are often advised to turn a corner in their pen and find a new home where they can eat them.
This is due to the possibility that they did not have enough access to them as part of their diet. Some horses may never have had a chance to turn a corner in their environment.
Having horses that can eat the corn pellets can be helpful for two reasons: It prevents hoof problems due to lack of nutrition, and it helps keep their pens or stalls clean as they finish eating the corn.
While there is no evidence that shows how many calories an inexperienced horse needs or whether or not they need additional food, having enough food and taking enough time to feed your horse will help with keeping theirs healthy.
Grain mix
While miniature horses do not necessarily need to be fed grain, they may be attracted to it when provided. If you are feeding balanced feed, make sure it is for the horse that looks for it.
Grain-type feed can consist of oats, pasta, or even cereal. If you are feeding concentrate feed, make sure to check your horse’s appetite and for any signs of diarrhea or poor weight gain.
Make sure your horse is well socialized before introducing grain mix into his diet. Miniature horses are more likely to have trouble eating some of the foods they find exciting such as leaves, vegetables, and even chocolate if they are newly retired.
Also make sure to observe your horse’s coat as he consumes the food.
Pasture mix
Miniature horses are best suited to pasture mix heaven. If you are looking for a horse with a very sweet nature, then pasture mix heaven is the right food for horse food.
If you are looking for a horse with a high energy level, then feed your miniature horse meat and not vegetables. A miniature horse needs about 20–30% of its weight in vegetables in order to be healthy.
While vegetables may seem like an odd food for a horse that weighs only about 12 pounds, vegetable sources such as wheat, potatoes, and peas are very common and found in large quantities on Horse Food Internet.
Another important part of Horse Food Internet’s diet is supplements. Kinesiolyis is an important component of the Miniature Horse Diet produced by Horse Food Internet.
Green feed mix
Green feed is becoming more prevalent as a dietary staple for miniature horses. While it is not a replacement for meat, it can be added to tasty foods to make them more palatable.
Green feed contains dried or chopped plants. It is typically used as a second food source for mini horses. They do not eat as much food when they have too many things in their system, like veggies and fruit.
Because green feed is not as abundant in the horse’s diet, it can cost slightly more than standard food. It can be difficult to tell the difference in color and shape between the two foods.
Some plants contain traces of minerals that your horse may need to eat-for example, seaweed does! Seaweed may seem strange, but it may help raise mineral levels in the horse’s system.
Sugar cane feed
Miniature horses are sometimes fed sugar cane or sugar beet as their food. This is possible if you buy them at a livestock sale or from someone who keeps them as a pet.
Sugar beets are an expensive food so it is common to buy horses that have not been eating well. Many times this is enough for the horse to get some protein and carbohydrate in his or her diet.
Some horses do not like the taste so some owners opt to give it mixed in with other foods or leave it out. Either way, the horse gets enough of the nutrition to keep him or her healthy.
Molasses mix
Many miniature horses are fed with a molasses and/or coconut mix called coconut Grail. This is very similar to the mixed grain and veggies that dogs are sometimes given as food.
This is a very cost-effective way to feed your horse as he grows. A small bag will last several months!
While this is his sole source of nutrition, it can make a difference in his growth. His legs may be getting too long or tall, like adults, they may be having trouble getting up off the ground.
His weight may be going up even though he is not eating much because of all of the fun stuff he is doing with his new body parts! His coat may be becoming thick or maybe coming out in places because he’s growing larger inside.