These equids differ from horses in both their nutritional and management needs

Miniature Horses, donkeys, and mules might resemble horses—but they don’t eat, think, or thrive like them. Managing these equids means thinking differently compared to having horses. From nutrition and metabolism to behavior and handling, they need care that fits their unique biology.

A Look at Miniature Horses

Miniature Horses (Minis) are the smallest horse breed in the world. The American Miniature Horse Association sets the maximum height for Minis at 34 inches, measured at the base of the last mane hairs, and adult Minis typically weigh 150 to 250 pounds.

Feeding and Nutrition for Miniature Horses

Ashley Fowler, MS, PhD, director of research at Kentucky Equine Research, in Versailles, says “Miniature Horses love to eat; therefore, it is easy for owners to overfeed (them), especially if they are used to feeding full-size horses.”

Minis should maintain an ideal body condition of 5 on the Henneke Body Condition Scoring system. Most Mini owners either overestimate or underestimate their Mini’s body weight, says Fowler. “I usually eyeball their weights,” she says. Because weight tapes can be unreliable and barns don’t commonly have scales, she recommends a useful calculation for body weight based on body length and girth measurement:

Estimated body weight (lbs) = (9.36 x girth measurement in inches) + (5 x body length in inches) – 348.5.

“There has been very little research done on Miniature Horses,” Fowler continues. “Therefore, the feeding recommendations are based on the standards for other equine, balanced with  experience in working with Minis. Ideally, Minis should consume 1.5 to 2.0% of their body weight in forage daily.” If a Mini weighs 200 pounds, that would translate to 3.0 pounds of hay per day. Just like their larger relatives, working and lactating Minis have higher nutritional demands and need to consume as much as 3% of their body weight in forage daily.

Because of the small amount of hay recommended for Minis, Fowler strongly suggests weighing hay to ensure you are not over- or underfeeding your Mini, emphasizing that each horse should be fed as an individual based on his specific needs.

Feeding and Obesity

In terms of mineral, vitamin, and protein requirements for Minis, Fowler says, “They are the  same as large-breed horses, just adjusted for differences in body weight. A vitamin-mineral supplement or ration balancer can be offered  that will not interfere with caloric content.” In addition, she says Minis have the propensity to become obese. They should not have free access to graze lush pasture grasses or be fed hays high in nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC)