Best Way to slim down a mini?

Oh goodness. Yes, she could definitely stand to slim down xD it will probably make her feel much better as well. Right now she's running the risk of cushings disease or something similar. I do realize though, that she isnt QUITE as heavy as she looks, because of her winter wooleys. Even in her summer photo she appears to be in need of losing a good 25 pounds. Don't you just love have 'too easy' of a keeper? XD

This is my mare's summer weight, approximately 225 lbs and 34" tall. This was when she was at her fittest just being let down into 'pregnancy mode.' I considered her to even be a smidge bit too heavy at this point.



Generally speaking a miniature horse (not shetland) should be trim and fit looking, with no excess belly or flank, and a graceful neck. Depending on their build some may be a bit heftier (your mare looks like she might be) but they still shouldn't have 'apple butts' or large, cresty necks.

This is our mini mule who is overweight and displaying the same belly that your mare presents. She could probably stand to loose 15 pounds or so.


This is probably the optimal weight for your mare. Our little gelding looks to be built similarly to yours (though butt high) and is at his ideal weight in this picture. Streamline without a bulging belly, but by no means thin. He was in pasture condition just as your girl is in the photo.


Hopefully that helped! Your mare is VERY cute.

@tigggr1570: Thanks, she is even more red now that she is in her full winter coat, the one I have of her pictured was in like November. I love flaxens!

@Endiku: Thanks a bunch, I agree she could loose A LOT of weight. The pics you have help a bunch, that gelding does look like her build, she's not so much the modern/arabian type as she is the what we call around here the "classic" pony type. I hope to get her slimmed down like that.

I love her to death, we use her in our petting zoo and people constantly tell me she's cute, but most of them have never seen a mini.
She was my first ever horse, I have had her since she was 2, she 8 now and has been on the heavy side since we got her and I really want to work her weight down now that she's learning to drive.

Driving is wonderful not only for slimming them down but also for muscling them up. I couldnt believe the difference in my pudgy,nooddley (haha) mare once she had a few months of driving training under her girth.

Just go slowly and make sure that no gaps are left in your training, and driving will become a VERY good tool for helping her get in shape. I absolutely love her face and I happen to like the classic minis much more than the modern show types ;) Sour is about as fine boned as I can stand them, and I'm often worried that her little toothpick legs are just going to snap xD

Yes, my vet was the one who told us to drive her in the first place, I think my mare enjoys it too.

Lol! I would say Sour has a nice amount of refinement, but I agree I love the hunkier almost Shetland-like minis, Echo has always been more on the beasty side

Once during our summer petting zoo at the local fair I had a young kid arguing with me that he wanted to buy Echo, he was offering upwards of 2 grand for her -which is a quite a bit more than we paid for her- and he was competing in the Mini Draft Pulls and wanted her to pull with! It was ridiculous, he kept coming back and offering me more to buy her off of me... lol he really wanted her!

My friend said that she wanted to buy a pulling mini so we could pair hers and Echo just to see if we could beat the kid at his own game, of course we have yet to do so XD

XD its amazing what those little guys can do! I've always loved seeing them do the draft pulls.

Unfortunately Sour isn't the sort that is even close to heavy boned enough, or willing enough, to do that sort of thing. Ask her to pull more than about 150 lbs and she'll just turn her head and give me a baleful 'you don't REALLY expect me to pull you right?' look xD Our shetland though, is a beastly at pulling. He weighs about 450 lbs (granted, he's a bit overweight. Heh...) and will pull a cart with two adults and make it look easy. He's the heavier sort as well and I absolutely love it! Your mare reminds me of him, except he has a big old clunky head while hers is very refined and cute xD



We have a lighter built shetland as well, and she's gorgeous but too fine boned for my taste in a shetland. Long backed too. She drives but is very...prissy about it xD

Lol, From the pictures of Sour, I could see her doing that.
That Shetland driving is a handsome guy!
Its funny most of the time, Mini's seem to be either adorable/attractive or odd/awkward looking. There is a couple who breed and deal minis in our area -where we got Echo- and they have about 20 minis at any time, we drive by or go to look and it seems there are just so much variation, but everyone has their own preference luckly! I myself like the minis who, like you said, don't look like their going to break like a toothpick! XD

Try a grazing muzzle on her.

Endiku, I see no comparisons between your minis and her pony. None at all unless we count height.

Weigh your hay. Weigh your feed. Don't feed sweet feed. Feed grain low in sugars. Lunge, lunge, lunge. Invest in a belly sweat.

Seriously, don't look at the belly. Bellies lie. Look at her ribs, her topline, and her hips. Can you feel her ribs? I have a mare who was EXTREMELY underweight with ribs protruding, bones just everywhere. Yet she had a huge belly and no worms.

Stop looking at the belly and saying, "Oh she's fat".

That's all I have to say

Totally off topic and useless sorry, but I just read the title of this post as "Best way to drown a mini?" lol that's cruel, but gave me a chuckle after misreading it

Belly or no belly, there is a comparison.