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The first pony we welcomed home to our hobby farm was Mixie back in 2017.
She’s a 32-inch miniature Shetland pony with an estimated birth year of 2000.
Mixie pretty much bosses everyone around and is full of stubbornness.
She gives an extremely loud, raspy neigh each morning so that you can hear her from inside the house.
Her way of saying, BRING ME MY BREAKFAST!
Shall we say it becomes one needy barnyard in the morning?
Once at the barn, Mixie will give you her diva head toss, a reminder that she is the queen bee.
We have built and continuously rearranged this hobby farm around her needs.
I found Mixie on a Craigslist ad.
I went to meet her and, for $350 with no negotiations, she was coming home with me.
It was love at first sight.
A lifetime of poor diet management is most likely the reason for her health issues.
I will be honest I did not really know her maintenance and care would be such a process, but I think it is how we bonded so well.
Because of Mixies hoof health concerns she requires extra care with monthly hoof trims, occasional pain medications, and boots with comfort pads.
For her EMS concerns she requires a managed diet, supplements and as of fall 2024 she now takes a daily medication to help manage the insulin levels.
My advice for you if you are considering a miniature Shetland pony is to be prepared for cuteness, a side of sass, and do your research on diet management.
Mixie is my heart pony with a forever home here, and I have no regrets about bringing her home. She is one fantastic companion, like I said, MY BEST FREAKING FRIEND!
Mixie inspires me to be strong on my bad days because I have seen how strong she is on hers.
A BIT ABOUT MIXIES HEALTH CONCERNS
Laminitis can be caused by an infection, virus, stress, overeating, obesity, or metabolic disorders like equine metabolic syndrome or Cushing’s disease.
When laminitis sets in, there is a decreased blood flow to the laminae that causes the tissue inside the hoof to swell.
The problem with the swelling is that the last bone in the pony leg, the coffin/pedal bone, is no longer being held firmly into place inside the hoof, and it can begin to rotate.
In simpler terms, inflammation is happening inside the pony hoof that is very painful and sometimes fatal.
I have been trying to educate myself on laminitis since 2017 when Mixie had her first winter flareup here, and I’ll admit that laminitis is a frustrating condition for both the animal and the owner.
Mixie also has Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) this affects her inability to regulate blood insulin levels.
In fall of 2024 the veterinarian decided to put Mixie on a daily medication called Prascend.
Prasend is normally prescribed to horses with Cushing's Disease, which Mixie has tested negative for multiple times now, but we have high hopes it will help improve her high insulin levels.
Mixies EMS condition is one of the culprits when it comes to her laminitis issues.
She also has issues in cold weather because sometimes the cold makes it difficult for her to get good blood flow/circulation to her hooves, we call this winter laminitis.
Mixie has her hooves trimmed by the farrier every four weeks, and she's also been x-rayed to check her hooves conditions.
Weight management and diet are the number one thing we have to consider when caring for Mixie.
She is kept off the grass as much as possible on a dry lot, and on an all-hay diet year-round.
Hay is sometimes soaked as precaution.
Plus, she does not get many treats, and if she does, they are no or low sugar.
Her daily diet includes a lower quality Timothy grass hay three times a day, with a metabolic mineral pellet, and powdered hoof supplement.
For hoof pain management Mixie sometimes needs to wear her boots with foam padding.
We also just set a plan in place to have her on Gabapentin and Equioxx in the winter months if needed.
As for fecal water, this is another frustrating condition, where she continuously drains fecal water out of her rectum, and it requires daily bum washing.
This is not a fun or easy task in the cold Minnesota winters.
Plus, fecal water has caused her to suffer from some inflammation in the liver, but thankfully these inflammation concerns are not fetal.
Mixie tries many probiotics and products for her fecal water issues, currently she is on a Saccharomyces probiotic and a vet prescribed medication with our fingers crossed it helps.
Mixie is my best gal, and when it’s time to tell her goodbye, it will be a hard one.
XOXO
Emily
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