Thursday, October 9, 2014

Are miniature horses safe from coyotes?

Yes and no. 

When they are in a herd of about 5 or more, and depending on how big the coyote population is. They will keep each other safe. Now that dose not mean that the coyotes will not try to go for a baby when the horses adults aren't looking. And in weening season those brand new weenlings are most at risk if they do not have an adult horse, or guard animal like a mule with them. Even then with only one guard you will still want them closer to the barn. Or close to your home where you can hear a ruckus. 

At Ferrand Triple K Farm, with our herds of 8 or more we have very little worries about coyotes but even we have the odd attack when they coyotes just have nothing to eat because of drought. We have lost only 2 babies in our 20 years of breeding. Both in times of drought, both because the babies where weened away from the adults. On the first occasion we didn't have a guard animal, hadn't learned about it yet, and we got a mule. Now my old Quarter horse Fritz is the guard for the weenlings and he loves it. On the other occasion only 3 years ago we had an extremely bad drought and their was nothing for the coyotes to eat so they took a risk. That morning we had one dead baby partially eaten and 2 dead coyotes. Now the weenlings are with Fritz in a turn out by the barn. 

Full grown Stallions that have bred, unlike mares, will chase down threats and fight them head on. Mares of all ages, the youngest being 1 year, will gather into a large group and chase predators as a giant mass of stomping running feet with the babies trailing behind them. This is a learned behavior that I have no idea what mare started it on our farm. They may have learned it from the stallions but so far other breeders are telling us its pretty unique.   

If you only have one mini and a lot of coyotes take them inside at night. One mini can do a lot of damage to one coyote but against a pack of 5 the mini doesn't stand a chance. 

Are miniature horses typically friendly? Do they bite and kick?

This is a loaded question. Yes, they are typically friendly, happy, silly animals that play pranks and run away laughing. But yes, they do have the ability to bite and kick. Let me explain.

Our first key with horses big or small is that they are all mentally 5 years old. They learn, are intelligent, but throw tantrums, have fits, and make a big seen that will humiliate you in public. And that may include hitting, kicking, and biting. 

Lets start with their education. On our farm while not every horse may be perfection for the vet or getting there feet done, we teach them that there is no reason to kick at us. Mini horses mostly kick when they are cornered and afraid. Our horses know that we are never going to hurt them, so even when they don't want their wormer and we have to corner them, or push them into a trailer, they know they are not in danger and don't even think about kicking. It is also a mater of having that animals respect. Kicking is a major response in horse culture. It would be like a person punching at your face. What on earth did you do to make another person made enough to respond that way? Now think what where you doing do make your mini react that way.  

Respect is a very big factor for all horses and that includes mini horses. A mini will treat a human as a predator or as another horse. A frightened horse will alway chose to run than fight (stallions not always included). If you are being kicked at, or the most likely culprit with respect, bitten then the mini you have dose not respect you as the herd leader and is putting you in your place like they would with another horse. This could be because you do not spend enough time with them, that you are afraid of them, you did something major they are angry about, or you just don't act like a herd leader should. 

One thing to make note of, and I know very few people are willing to find out, is if your mini while kicking fully extends their legs or are they just butt bouncing. If they act in every way like they are going to kick you but never extend their legs out they are just sending a warning. Look for that warning! 

warning 1: They swing their butts around between you and their head
warning 2: They will start to put their ears back and bounce their back end like they are going to kick but never extend. This could be your final warning to leave the area if its a mare. With a mare you could get all the way up to striking distance before she may struck out at you. 
warning 3: They may back up with ears back to that they are closer. This is your final warning before the kick! Once they are backing up in your direction they mean to make contact because they are done with you not listening to all their warnings. You will see this in stallions more than mares and once they start backing they can back quickly so watch out. You only see this in mares when they are trying to protect a baby.  

Baby minis on the other hand are just like human children. They test you to see what they can get away with. They have accidence and while playing kick out and actually make contact. I had a little girl one time rare up on my back every time I sat in the pasture. She wasn't being mean or being dominant, she wanted to play with me like she did the other babies and since we had bonded so well she didn't realize that we couldn't play like horses. And like children, when a baby mini (or an adult) dose something bad you need to correct them. They may run away after a smack but they will think about what they have done, see if it happens again, and when it dose they will run away and come back again.  All horse understand that their are consequences to their actions, that is the way of the herd, they also understand  fair punishment. Just because they got a smack doesn't mean you are no longer friends. They also understand the difference between a punishment and a beating.  

Now some horses have just had horrible lives and they fear everything and see every situation as though they will be eaten if they do not fight for their life. Sometimes this could all be mental, horses can have mental disorders like people do. But most of the time it comes from abuse and in these cases I can only recommend the people new to horses let a professional handle the horse. In cases of abuse we are talking years of hard work that can all be unwound by a single mistake. 

Sometimes, if the mini in questions starts biting and kicking out of the blue, it could be a result of pain. I see this most often in cases where harness buy a 30" mini for their 8 year old to ride because they rode one at the fair. Minis are not meant to have kids ride them, that is what the shelters are for. Then they argue that the horses at the fair didn't mind it, and my reply always is "you don't know what the owner did to them to make them alright with it. Any that I have seen are head shy from beatings, under nourished, and probably to sick to put up a fuss." When a ridding mini starts to make a big fuss your kids probably to big to ride them. If this is not the case then they may have thrown their back out, hurt themselves, or a host of other things that would make even a human cranky. That is when you need to call a vet to make sure. 

But for your mini that is both healthy in body and in mind, you don't let them get away with things they should just because they are small and cute, they are friendly and affectionate. But they may try to take a nip at a friend of yours that they don't know to see if they can get away with something their. They are 5 year old children, just because they listen to mom doesn't mean they will listen for the babysitter. Some that are not as familiar with my husband will test him all the time, mostly the babies to 3 year olds, but the older girls that have had more experience with people treat him with the same respect they would treat me.