Oh boy, oh boy....let me count the ways I don't agree.....
ONE flake of hay is good for 6 meals for a mini
? What does she want to do...STARVE them?? And small amounts of Alfalfa should only be given during breeding season or for exercising or showing??
Sounds like she needs to read up on miniatures -- or better yet actually have "hands-on" raising them. My minis got a minimum of a flake or two of pure Alfalfa in the morning, and one at night -- so they could chew all night. And NEVER, I repeat NEVER did I ever have an over-weight miniature. I also fed a high protein grain to all -- no less than 2 cups per horse, and generally 4-8 cups for mares in foal, or lactating. Again, no one overweight. Now, here in Florida my horses were on dry-lots, so their total nutrition came from whatever I fed them. I'm sure "pasture" would have made a difference, but I'm still shocked at what she says about these special little ones.
And I disagree about the protein requirement. I think the higher protein diets are better for the horses, so less hay bloat/swollen bellies in foals and underweight horses. It's why I always fed a high protein -- mid range fat grain with Alfalfa. That extra boost of protein in alfalfa helped with tummy soothing too, so only had one case of colic in all the years I bred horses -- and it was in a mare here for breeding.
And in the dental section....I just give up! Prone to teeth problems because they have the same number "and size" teeth as a large horse? Really? A large horse would starve to death if it had to eat with the smaller teeth a mini has. Certainly a bad statement, since I'm quite sure a draft horse has bigger teeth -- hence a bigger mouth -- than a mini. They'd be pretty funny looking horses if their mouths were as big as a full size horse's. I only had 1 horse retain a baby tooth (cap) and my show horses would have been thrown out if their mouths were full of "over-crowded teeth". Can you imagine the bite they'd have. Not to say there are not bad bites out there, but careful breeding and selection of horses for breeding can play a great part in breeding a proper mouth.
I do believe in good dental care in the minis, as they too get hooks on their teeth and need filing down appropriately, so we had yearly dental check ups for all the horses. Generally, only a few out of 45 horses actually needed work done, but it was worth it's weight in gold to have a professional equine dentist look at them.
I do like that she has explained the importance of monitoring the little mommas as they near delivery. But there are comments I don't agree with.... of course! LOL
Sand is a major factor in health here in Florida, and I fed Psyllium granules one week a month to all horses year round. I could get a generic psyllium from the local Purina store that was considerably cheaper than the Sand Blast or Sand Clear that is advertised.
And saying they have a life span of 30 years or more seems a bit much. Yes, some horses can live into their 30's, but my experience with minis is that even with good care most of mine went before they reached 30. I know Falabellas have lived into their 30's and a few into their 40's, but they have a different physiology than the American miniature -- less ribs, a heart the size of a full-size horse not a smaller version, and other physiological differences that can give them a longer life span.
Well, thanks for posting this Chanda. I'm sure I got tooooo blunt with my comments, but I think this Vet would do better if she actually raised miniatures herself and could actually experience things. I think she'd find that they are generally a healthy bunch, and require as much love and attention as any horse no matter of the size. The only thing I agree with pretty much in total, is knowing how important it is for someone to be in attendance at the delivery of these precious little ones, as they can have problems during delivery -- even if they've delivered several babies by themselves over the years. Sometimes, just a quick "adjustment" during labor/delivery can save the life of a newborn. It's worth the sleepless nights to get these little ones safely to the ground.
Okay, off my soapbox!
But, I'm happy to stand corrected if you disagree.