# Why did you choose a mini over a pony?



## Sheryl (Aug 7, 2011)

Back in 2006 /07 I careleased a driving mini for a year. He was really great and i had so much fun driving him! He was a great confidence builder as due to a previous riding accident I was pretty frightened of horses, although i loved them of course. Lil Don could be a real pistol, but was well trained and always safe. I took a few driving lessons as I was pretty clueless, but felt like I really got the hang of it with him. I went through a very sad time, death of my little sister then, and that sweet horse gave me a lot of hours of comfort and solace too.

I returned to riding and just couldn't afford to board two horses, so I ended the lease. i have been loving riding, and I have been riding regularly for the last 4 years, but the driving bug has never quite left. I pretty much exclusively trail ride and love getting out and about - i could see doing that with a driving equine too!

I don't want to train my full size riding horse to drive, so now that i have a little land I am wanting to get either another mini, or a small pony to enjoy driving with. My big horse is coming home from the boarding barn soon and he would enjoy a buddy too... and i would enjoy an equine that eats a little less than a 15.H horse! Where i live now there are dead end streets and i even have enough land to build a small driving course on. I am near a very long horse/bike trail (Tolt for you locals!) but the blockades to keep cars out look like they will block a cart. It is pretty dang hilly too, but I at least have roads to drive on.

Ok, i admit that I want a hyper bike which is a big attraction for the under 40" equines. I have been thinking of a small pony instead though because here in Western Washington there are alot of hills which is alot harder for minis. I do have some road driving available that is mostly flat, but it would greatly extend our range if we could take on decent hills.

I tried showing but thought it was boring (with my riding horse) but I could see doing ADTs or even CDEs driving, especially if i have friends to do it with!

Anyway, i am curious to hear from people who have either considered a pony instead of a mini or perhaps that have both even... what do you see as pros and cons?


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## Minimor (Aug 7, 2011)

Well, after having big horses, Morgans mostly, all my life, I got Minis first (10 years ago) because I rescued a couple starving little "ponies" and then found out they were Minis when the former owner handed over their AMHR papers. I enjoyed them so much I added some more Minis....then 3 1/2 years ago I got my first pony--an ASPC Shetland--and then I was hooked. I've since added several more Shetlands and I just love them. Back when I bought my first Minis (not the two rescues, I'd have rescued them no matter what) if I had known then what I know now I would have my dozen ponies and no minis other than the rescues. I do love my Minis but I enjoy the ponies so much more. They are that little bit taller (mine are 39" to 43") longer legged, better moving (longer/higher action with more fluidity), they are smarter and just all around more fancy. More FUN.


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## Sandee (Aug 7, 2011)

Ok, I used to ride but older went into minis and started driving and LOVE IT! The mini we started with taught us to drive. He is so push button and easy that now my grandchildren are learning to drive with him. I next got a "show" horse who also happened to be a stallion. He now drives too but he's very lazy and only goes Western. My mare turned out to be the most versital of them all. She does all the classes. She will drive in any frame that is asked. With the grandkids she goes Western. She even went up into a Pleasure class at Nationals last year and managed to place. She really should be Country pleasure but she (and I) love to do Roadster.

A year ago I decided that I wanted a high stepping horse that belonged in Pleasure. We purchased a double registered Mini/Shetland. He looks like a Saddlebred but fits under the 38" mark. He is FUN, fun, fun to drive.

So which would I get ---wow, hard decision. I wouldn't trade anything for my mare as she's so reliable but the 38" guy looks impressive. I would imagine that with proper training for trails that he would last much longer than the "normal" mini. So if it's back trails you're planning on then I'd go for the bigger pony.


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## shorthorsemom (Aug 7, 2011)

I rode full sized horses much of my life. A few years ago I had a bad wreck while riding a horse. I knew I would never ride again but I still wanted to have horses.

I choose a mini because I still wanted a horse but wanted it too small for me to be tempted to ride.

I tried ponies thinking my kids would enjoy a pony, but one was difficult to handle and the other died of complications from Cushings. My minis are terrific and gentle and a whole lot of fun to play with and I enjoy them so much. They are very smart and willing and I am so glad I choose minis, I am here to stay..

I have a trainer helping me and I enjoy cross country driving with one of my boys on our farm.


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## Marsha Cassada (Aug 8, 2011)

Mine have all been minis, not ponies, but I can say that the longer I drive the better I like a little taller horse. My smallest was 28 3/4" and he was a litte powerhouse. But short legs make short strides. The one I like driving best now is 35". MUCH smoother and we can really cover ground. I'll probably stay with around 35" as I feel it is a size I am comfortable handling. But I'll bet a taller pony would be a blast to drive; I'd like to try one some time.


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## susanne (Aug 8, 2011)

To be honest, each of my three chose me...I wasn't shopping, but they found me anyway.

My favorite size is the maximini -- Mingus is 38 inches with his hooves freshly trimmed. I believe he will measure over 99 cm measured at the withers, which would put him in with the ponies in ADS.

This is a very important aspect to consider: as much as I love the borderline big B minis, if they measure over at a CDE or ADT, they will then be the smallest amongst the ponies. Unless the event is big enough to have a small pony division, he will be competing against Hafflingers and the like.

With a pony, you will need a navigator (and a cart that will carry two), so the small ponies can have quite a handicap. For some, this is no issue; for others, this is a deal breaker.

I know of one big B mini who always goes as a VSE, but who measured over at one CDE. They had to scramble to find a lightweight navigator at the last minute. The horse did just fine, but you might prefer not to have the stress of measuring in a borderline horse.

As long as you are looking "from scratch", I personally would look for either a VSE that is clearly under 99 cm OR move up to a pony who can easily haul two passengers over a marathon course.

If nothing else, this is something to keep in mind when shopping.

Good to see you back, Sheryl. With or without a horse, you need to join us at our 2011 Beach Drive at Long Beach, August 19-21.


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## ClickMini (Aug 8, 2011)

Sheryl, you are very close to me as I live between Monroe and Sultan. Maybe you'd like to visit over here to see some of mine and how I set the place up for sharing between big horses and minis/shetlands.

You can email me at amylacy1 at gmail com (put together for the address. I will be unavailable until next week, but maybe after that.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Aug 8, 2011)

Hi Sheryl, long time no see!



I still have pictures of Kody and Don from our visit and would love to go driving with you again.



I can't believe it's been that long; I still think of your sister every time the radio ads come up for that cancer walk in the fall and say a little prayer for both of you.

Susanne said a lot of what I was going to about being careful with the maxi-minis if you want to do CDE. For me, the attraction of a mini is the sheer "look how tiny" factor and so the B minis have never really appealed to me beyond admiring them in someone else's barn. If I want a larger equine I'm going to go straight for a REAL larger equine like a nice Welsh or something!



There are some _very_ nice 35-37" minis out there that do great at CDE, but being a tiny person myself I've been happy with the 33-34" minis that I prefer to see in my pasture when I'm not driving them.

However for you and what you have in mind, a nice 36-38" mini might be just the ticket. Get one that is built fairly powerfully, put them in a Hyperbike (did you know Bob now makes a "C" sized shaft for the larger minis/small ponies?) and hit the road. A bigger mini like that could be kept with your full-sized horse without as much risk of injury and would still have all the ease of care of a true miniature without getting into "I need a navigator" territory.

I certainly think the ponies can be awesome but they are often bred to be hot and refined and that to me is not the best combination for trail driving. And the ones who are built perfectly might still be pushing that 99cm at the withers thing!





In the end however, get what you think you'd most enjoy. And welcome back to the forum!

Leia


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## Jill (Aug 9, 2011)

I drove my morgan horse prior to driving any minis or ponies. I had a blast driving him, however, the first time I drove a friend's mini, I was "hooked" (lame pun). I couldn't get over how much faster it was to hook up a mini, AND how much better the view was when driving



Now I have A and B size driving minis. Probably enjoy the B's more. I do own a pony, but he doesn't do anything except gossip with his friends and wait for us to serve him his meals.


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## maggiemae (Aug 10, 2011)

I must be misunderstanding - when I pulled up the rule book for ADS combined driving events at the beginning of the 239 page document it said that single horse, pony, or VSE a groom is optional - is that not the case?


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## Jetiki (Aug 10, 2011)

maggiemae said:


> I must be misunderstanding - when I pulled up the rule book for ADS combined driving events at the beginning of the 239 page document it said that single horse, pony, or VSE a groom is optional - is that not the case?


Is this what you are referring to? A and C are dressage and Cones and B is marathon. (copied from ADS website)

2.9 At ADS recognized events, a groom is optional for single horse and pony drivers

in Competitions A and C only and also in Competitions A, B and C for VSE Division single classes only.

Class Number of Grooms Proper Position

Horse Four in Hand 2 Behind the Competitor

Pony Four in Hand

VSE Four-in-hand 1

Horse / Pony / VSE Pair

Horse Tandem Behind or beside the Competitor

Pony / VSE Tandem

Horse / Pony Single Optional

VSE Single


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## Jetiki (Aug 10, 2011)

ok, the formatting didn't hold on that table. I hope its understandable.


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## maggiemae (Aug 10, 2011)

Yes,

Maggie is 37-38" she is going to be close depending on when she was trimmed. Will we need a groom? If so - she will never be able to do this. Is there an advantage to having a taller horse?


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## maggiemae (Aug 10, 2011)

PS Every since I've been thinking of working with Maggie to drive her in CDE shows I pulled up the rule book (about a week ago) it took a whole week to read it and some of it still isn't clear - am I stupid or is it just kinda complicated?


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## RhineStone (Aug 10, 2011)

There is a Rule Change Proposal on the table right now that Sm. Ponies (over 99 cm to 120 cm) don't have to carry a navigator. Go to the ADS Home Page, and there is a link to the RCPs which are open to comment until Aug. 31. I have commented on other VSE RCPs (that didn't pass committee) on Leia's website, such as Muffy Seaton had proposed raising the KPH to 10. Right now, IMO there is a disadvantage of having a bigger VSE as the KPH is too slow at 9.

There is not much that isn't complicated about Combined Driving Event rules in general, and that is mostly because people don't understand how they are operated, especially if they are used to open and breed shows. They are NOTHING alike, as CDEs are more like ridden Eventing. Attending a CDE as either as groom or a volunteer (even more so than a spectator) before you attempt to drive in one helps the understanding process and then the rule book makes more sense.

Myrna


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## hobbyhorse23 (Aug 10, 2011)

They are optional for single horses in dressage and cones. EVERYONE except single VSE's must carry one on marathon and any sort of multiple hitch (big or little) must have one at all times.

Leia


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## hobbyhorse23 (Aug 10, 2011)

Sorry, was viewing from my cell phone and didn't see the second page of replies! *grin* I didn't mean to be redundant.

No, it's not just you. CDE's are complicated and it's very helpful as Myrna said if you can volunteer at one first or go to a clinic with your horse to learn how to do it. The officials are very friendly and willing to help and there are no stupid questions! I'm glad you're reading the rulebook though as that's the most important thing you can do.

Leia


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## disneyhorse (Aug 10, 2011)

Originally, I chose the miniature horses over full-size horses because the carts/harness are less expensive and easier to store.

However, I have moved to the Shetland ponies because they move a lot prettier! The Modern Shetlands just take my breath away, and after driving a Modern the minis seem just so boring.

Andrea


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## Mini~Madness (Aug 10, 2011)

Personally I am a mini girl, but my advise to you would be to shop around and try both the mini & the pony and decide from there. Good luck and happy horse shopping!







Sheryl said:


> Back in 2006 /07 I careleased a driving mini for a year. He was really great and i had so much fun driving him! He was a great confidence builder as due to a previous riding accident I was pretty frightened of horses, although i loved them of course. Lil Don could be a real pistol, but was well trained and always safe. I took a few driving lessons as I was pretty clueless, but felt like I really got the hang of it with him. I went through a very sad time, death of my little sister then, and that sweet horse gave me a lot of hours of comfort and solace too.
> 
> I returned to riding and just couldn't afford to board two horses, so I ended the lease. i have been loving riding, and I have been riding regularly for the last 4 years, but the driving bug has never quite left. I pretty much exclusively trail ride and love getting out and about - i could see doing that with a driving equine too!
> 
> ...


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## shelterwood (Aug 11, 2011)

My two cents here: I "accidentally" rescued my two mares as a yearling and two year old a year ago. My husband is not a horse person (what was I thinking??), and we have just a few acres, so minis seemed like a good compromise as I had ridden and driven large equines my whole life, and really loved driving. I was told by the woman facilitating the rescue that these mares would be B size minis, which I was okay with because I figured that would equal a slightly stronger horse with better weight pulling capacity, and my husband is a big guy so if he ever wanted to drive, then it would be fine. Well, my mares have matured to between 39-40", which is fine with me because I'm just a trail driver and have little interest in formal showing. I would like eventually to get a forecart and do some farm related work with my girls, even skid some small logs, so I am thrilled that they are taller, stouter mares. I have driven A size minis of my friend's, and have to say that I do enjoy the longer stride of the slightly larger pony. One issue I'm having with this size pony is that equipment seems to fall on either side of their size range. For instance, mini cart shafts are too short and narrow, while "pony" size carts and harnesses are a bit big. I am looking at customized equipment that specifically fits these odd sized ponies. Hope that helps some.....

Katie


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## RhineStone (Aug 11, 2011)

shelterwood said:


> One issue I'm having with this size pony is that equipment seems to fall on either side of their size range. For instance, mini cart shafts are too short and narrow, while "pony" size carts and harnesses are a bit big. I am looking at customized equipment that specifically fits these odd sized ponies.


Anytime you get a horse (pony) that is basically below Cob-size, custom is the way to go. I haven't met too many off-the-rack pony OR mini harnesses that fit anything. You can get closer when you work with a reputable harness maker, but cheap equipment almost never fits anything and you end up spending more to get it to fit. Been there, done that. Won't do that again.

"Buy quality, cry once"

We just bought a Section C Welsh 12.3 hand pony mare, and we are LOVING her! No concerns about overfacing, plenty of power, but still not _too_ big (and she moves like a "real" horse.




) Actually, when we show photos of her, we have had friends that have a hard time believing she is only 12.3. We also have both A and B driving minis, and the length of leg, reach, and power is incomparable in the Bs vs the As. And there is _less_ concern about overfacing with the Bs, but it is still easy to add too much weight, especially in a crummy surface. The small As are great for beginner drivers and kids, but eventually I felt like I "outgrew" them (challenge-wise) and wanted more horse. The difference between driving a small A and a big B is like a Shetland Pony and a Warmblood, especially in obstacles. "Borderline" minis can have characteristics of either As or Bs depending on the individual horse, some are "wimpy" and some have more power. Ponies are a little more to "handle" in facilities, feed, transportation (you need a real trailer, not a "mini" van...



) and actual training. Although I don't believe in treating _any_ horse like it isn't a 17 hand warmblood, the minis are easier to "deal" with.

Myrna


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## hobbyhorse23 (Aug 11, 2011)

RhineStone said:


> The small As are great for beginner drivers and kids, but eventually I felt like I "outgrew" them (challenge-wise) and wanted more horse. The difference between driving a small A and a big B is like a Shetland Pony and a Warmblood, especially in obstacles. "Borderline" minis can have characteristics of either As or Bs depending on the individual horse, some are "wimpy" and some have more power.


Good points! I can see how with a true A mini (like under 33" and not one with a super-charged personality) a forward driver might easily get bored. I've been lucky- Kody is wimpy when it comes to physical pulling power because of his hind end conformation but he's always been amazingly forward and fun to drive so I've never felt any lack except for not being able to take passengers and having to carefully watch what kind of cart I hitch him to. I'll admit some envy of my friend's sturdy B mares as they have the same "Warmblood in a tiny package" feel but have a LOT more power and she never has to worry about overfacing them in the course of routine driving. I like the 33-34" minis personally as I don't want to have to compete with the big-moving Shetland-bred B's at the registry shows but they sure are nice!

Leia


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## targetsmom (Aug 11, 2011)

I chose A minis because 1) I am old and 2) I am small (under 5" and under 100 pounds)... and maybe a bit wimpy. So with my size, pulling power isn't really an issue and I doubt I would feel perfectly comfortable driving some of the ponies I have seen. (Love to watch them though). I am hoping that our new mare - Buckeye WCF Last Dance - will be the perfect compromise, as she is a tall A, and moves like a dream, yet (in the 30 hours she has been here LOL!) seems to have just the perfect temperament - brave, sensible, smart, and very loving.


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