Pet Lovers

[spiderw]

I adore miniature horses !!! If I lived in an area where I could have one, I would . They are so adorable and sweet !

[phoenixbrd]

That is so precious, two cuties....looks like they have been given a gold colored manicure on their hooves!

[catter70]

Sweet.

[kindred cats]

@Kachina624..........Doesn't get much better than those sweet mini horses!! That photo would make a lovely holiday greeting card.

[Kachina624]

@kindred cats. I thought the same thing.

[ECBG]

Adorable!!!!!")

[CamilleP]

@Kachina624Are you familiar with miniature horses? I was wondering if anyone knew if they are as metabolically prone to founder as Shetland Ponies are?

Those two little palominos are adorable, that photo deserves to be blown up, framed, and put on a wall, preferably above a mantle over a fireplace. I would never tire of looking at that picture!

[Kachina624]

@CamillePWhen I lived in West Texas, I had a close friend whose parents raised minis. They had 30-40 of them. I never heard them mention any predisposition to founder. Genetically they are horses, not ponies.

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Did you know you can take a screen shot of any picture you find anywhere on line, email it to one of the companies that make big enlargements on canvas and have a nice large copy made? I've done it and the print, 16 X 20", was crisp and clear.

[CamilleP]

Thanks, @Kachina624 . I live in what is, most likely, the horse founder capital of the world, and my half-Morgan 4-H mare and my Shetland Pony both crossed the Bridge earlier than I would have wanted due to chronic laminitis, so I'm particularly sensitive to that problem. OTOH, my mare's half-Arab gelding son never ever foundered, even though he got plenty fat on pasture, so I know genetic predisposition plays into it. Breeds that are often thought of as "easy keepers" are more prone to founder than those that have a more normal metabolism. I had a grade-school friend whose father raised Thoroughbred race horses, and they never foundered, nor did my friend's 4-H Quarter Horse mare. My 4-H leader bred Arabians, again, no foundering. So that's why I wondered about Miniature Horses, I'm glad they don't seem to be as prone as Shetlands. Of course, it's possible that veterinary science has improved preventative steps, such as the right probiotics in the diet, or a vaccine against the organisms in the cecum that cause the out-of-control fermentation that results in the inflammation products in the bloodstream that settle into the laminae and cause the swelling and tissue damage that leaves the hooves so damaged and the horse permanently lamed. I certainly hope progress has been made, it's a terrible disease.

[GinaV24]

That's fabulous @Kachina624