As I mentioned in Part 1 of my article series on the subject of pica, horses have a natural tendency to graze. As a matter of fact, wild horses can graze up to 16 hours a day on a fertile open range. But when they start to eat non-food items, that’s where they can cause themselves a lot of digestive problems. And their owners a lot of grief (not to mention vet bills).

Today, I’ll take it a few steps further. I’ll tell you about another common non-food item horses try to eat, and what the best treatment for this chilling challenge might be.

You’ve heard me say before that a horse that won’t eat is a strange horse. While that’s very true, there’s another side to that coin: horses that eat the wrong things. One of the more frustrating equine behaviors to deal with is the eating non-food items, technically referred to as pica. In this two-part series, I’ll share some things that I’ve observed over the years that may help you if your horse develops this problem.

Welcome to Part 2 of my series on miniature horses. Minis are a tad different from regular horses. And today we’ll talk about dental issues, hoof care, and horse training. I hope you enjoy it.

Miniature horses can be trained to be family pets, herders or guides for those with sight impairment (they are not suited for hearing impaired persons.) Horses must be extensively tested and accepted into the guide horse program. They must measure less than 26 inches tall at the wither, must be determined to have structurally sound legs, be in good general health, demonstrate stamina and must pass an intelligence exam.

Training miniature horses as house pets can be as easy as training a dog or pig (another notably intelligent animal.) They can be taught to use a large litter box, eat at the table, fetch items, sleep in their own quarters, open and close doors, among other tasks.

A few years ago, a miniature horse that was house trained and served to assist her master, a woman with special needs, was featured on numerous television shows and became famous. Since then, the world of miniature horses has erupted in popularity, both for their adorable stature and utility. Miniature horses require special nutrition, housing, dental care and grooming.

Feeding

One of the biggest health risks among miniature horses is their habit of overeating. Unlike many full sized horses, miniatures must have rationed grain and hay available twice to four times daily, as they will often consume all they are offered. Clean water should always be available. Pasture feeding should be limited to grass that is maintained and kept trimmed (more on this under Exercise)

To my readers,

I’m going to be changing servers this weekend, so Horse IQ will be down at some point during the weekend of April 14-15.I’m hoping to have all of our technical issues rectified by the end of the weekend.

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