Can I keep a mini horse in my backyard? How much room do they need?

Laws and training are going to vary depending on your physical location and the help you are looking to get from a therapy animal. It would be best to contact any local groups near you that either offer therapy services, or do training to speak with them directly. They can point you in the right direction of how to obtain or train a horse through their program or another similar one.

Hello. You have drawn some nice plans, but if you are wondering about the cattle pen, I would go with the 20 x 30 if you can. No one ever wishes they had built a smaller pen, but everyone wishes they had a bigger one & kick themselves when they think back to the original plans. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Dog: I personally recommend that they live indoors, it's safer for them inside and they always will be sheltered from the weather. If the dog is kept outdoors, the kennel needs to be big enough that they can stand in it, turn around, lay down, and stretch out as well as move around. There should be a roof on it, and the sides should be made of a metal mesh to allow air flow. Horse: Typically horses are kept in stalls. A 12x12 foot stall is suitable for a 1000+ pound horse. Rabbit: They are kept in hutches or cages, and the minimum recommended living space is is 12 square feet (1.1 square meters) with the addition of a larger area of 32 square feet for exercise. Bird: They are kept in cages, and it should be big enough to allow the bird to fly freely through the cage and have plenty of room for toys and enrichment.

Rider weight should not be more than 20% of body weight of the horse. You need to find a proficient light weight teen or adult to train them, I suppose. If it was a European shetland pony 120lbs would be ok for training, but American Shetlands and minihorses are very lightly built so I think 120lbs is a bit heavy.

Hello, as the owner of several overweight minis, I share your pain. Your pictures do not show a particularly heavy horse, so you have a good place to start. If you have ever been to a mini show, you have to wonder how they get those horses into such amazing shape. Very careful diets are 1 component, exercise is the next & maybe the most important. Those minis are worked, either by hand, or treadmill, or automatic walker non-stop during the show season. You will also need to be very judicious with the hay. Feed no more than 1.5%-2% of his body weight. No grain or pellets, period. And when he goes out on pasture, place a grazing muzzle on him. He will still be able to pick up a bit of grass, & of course drink. Do this, & your mini will look great in a few months. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, and thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Coming from a fellow Siberian Husky owner, I think you could do great with this breed. I can tell you’re already thinking about how to provide enough mental and physical stimulation, which is the most important part of having a high energy breed. They can do just fine in a smaller house, as long as they’re given enough opportunities to run! Keep in mind though, that many huskies are escape artists, and often find their way out of fenced yards. I personally had to invest in an invisible fence in addition to the chain link, to keep my little runaway contained! The invisible fence taught her to stop testing the chain link. Your dog will likely need to have some good stimulation before and after your work days if it is kept in the fenced area alone, such as chasing a ball or going for a run. Good luck in your endeavors to find the right dog for you! :-)

Hello. As long as there is very little grass where you let her out, she is better off being able to move around then being stalled up. If the grass does come up, you will need to severely limit her time on pasture to just an hour or so in the afternoons, or turn her out with a grazing muzzle. You might want to have her tested for Equine Metabolic Syndrome/Insulin Insufficiency, too. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.