# Lets see your "special" miniature horse..



## Leeana (Nov 20, 2008)

We all know we have that "one" special miniature horse that means everything and more to us...the one that just does it for us.

Mine is not exactly a miniature, but it is my foundation shetland gelding, Royal




:wub



. He was my first actual show horse, out of all horses standing in the pasture / barn right now..he has been here the longest, although he was not really my first miniature horse / pony, Coco was of course. Royal just does it for me, he is way way special to me. If he were human, he would be a male model, he knows he is all that and more. He is much more then just another show horse to me, much much more. I can love and snuggle on him all day long and he will just nudge my side, i love that. I have this horse spoiled to death, but he can still turn heads when he enters the show ring. I really cannot think of a way to describe his personality...he is a very feminin boy, he is so proud and really thinks he is all that and more and will stand watch over "his" mares in the other pasture all day, but that is all a disquise..he is really a big sissy (i cannot think of any other way to put it).

He will just stand and watch and wait for you to come to him and do something with him, he can be such a pest. I use to think he was "hot", then i learned he really was not hot headed...just to smart for his own good.

I love him to death though, he is very very special to me. This coming year i think will be his last show season (he is only 9, though), he is one that is not just going to be turned out to pasture to exist...i enjoy having him in the barn and that is where he will stay.

He is such a neat boy, i can chase him around the pasture for 10 minutes with a lunge whip snapping photos and then just walk right up to, put my arm over his neck and walk him right to his stall...he is just to cool.

He has his quirks, he really can be a pain in the butt when it comes to introducing new horses, especially boys, he would be THRILLED if i sold everyone and it was just him and me, sorry Royal old buddy..that is not going to happen lol. He is awesome with the babies though, i remember last year when i brought two weanling colts him, he took it upon himself to protect them..maybe that will be a job for him next year and on, the baby setter when it comes weaning time, i bet he would like that.

..i think he kinda likes me too



:wub


----------



## Mona (Nov 20, 2008)

Thi is my "heart horse"..."Dawn". She is a 2006 BTU granddaughter, and silver bay roan in color. I have NO idea why I fell for this girl the way I did. She is solid, I prefer pinto, but she somehow wormed her way into my heart pretty much right from the time she was born. Her personality just can't be beat and she has had this sweet, laid back, relaxed personality since she was born! She LOVES attention, is not pushy or bossy, and will stand patiently awaiting her turn. She goes out of her way, and away from the herd, to be where I am.



I just don't know what it is, and I don't really care either, as she has certainly stolen my heart!



She is one I am actually considering maybe having trained to drive, as she just seems so unflappable!

These photo were all taken of her this past summer, at 2 years of age.






Here she is giving our little 1.5 yr old grandson a "ride".











The 3 boys were playing in the pasture, and were boisterous, which my horses are not used to. They all went the other direction, except for Dawn....she had to get right in amongst it all!










Then she took one of our other Grandson' feathers and proceeded to chew it up to eat! I had to dig it out of her mouth, and poor Jonathon was in tears over his feather being eaten by a horse!


----------



## topnotchminis (Nov 20, 2008)

I have one!

My gelding MCA Buck Suede. He was my first mini, and I became a fan of them after him! I am the only person he listens to( he gets an attitude with anyone else). We just have that special bond, I wouldn't trade anything for him. There are just certain horses who touch your heart. He was actualy the first horse I ever owned, and now my herd is going, and wenow have 5 minis! He is my horsey "soulmate"!


----------



## topnotchminis (Nov 20, 2008)

Sorry double post!


----------



## Lucky-C-Acres-Minis (Nov 20, 2008)

Oh gosh, they're all pretty special to me, but yes there are those that "stand out" above the rest.. Looking through our group there's three that stand out and I just can't pick one of them, so sorry, but you'll have to put up with stories on all three





First would be our little Misty, aka Fantoms Mystic Star Catcher... A friend (and member here) saw that my sister was looking for a broodmare and emailed me with a GORGEOUS solid buckskin mare, who happened to be in foal.. Needless to say it was instant love when we saw this gal's photos, she was stunning, one of those you just knew you had to have... So we set up a date to drive out to Indiana to see her/pick her up if we liked her.. A couple days prior to the trip, April 1st to be exact, I get a phone call saying she had foaled a gorgeous, tiny buckskin pinto filly!



We drove up and again it was instant love with not one but both of the girls.. Little Misty was sooo full of herself, I don't know how so much attitude and prissiness could be wrapped up in such a small little horse lol Unfortunately our time with her momma was cut way too short, a week after bringing them home we unexpectedly lost her, leaving a week old orphan filly behind and us at loss on what to do.. Vets gave us tips, I read and read and read articles, books, I posted here for advice/help, and thankfully with the support of the family, friends and the advice from everyone here and our vets our little girl is now a VERY sassy coming 3 year old... We had our ups and downs, but she never gave up and neither did we, she fought, we fought, and her whole ordeal brought our family closer.. She's not perfect, but she's perfect in our hearts.. She;s the smallest on the farm, standing a whole 27" tall, but boy don't tell her that, in her mind she's 7 foot tall and bullet proof lol

Baby:











Most recent:











The next would have to be my beautiful girl Star, who sadly is no longer with us.. She was my first miniature horse and the one who got me hooked... She was my best 4-legged friend, always there when I needed to vent, needed to cry, or just needed to 'get away'.. I still cry when I think about her and not being there when she needed me, still feel like I let her down, though I know there was nothing I could have done for her, I lost her to colic last October, I was 70 miles away on campus when mom sent me an IM about her, when I read it I knew I wouldn't see her again.



You can read the story about her on my website or in the Miniature World Showcase, August 2008..






And finally we have my new love, Doc, aka Oak Parks Oh Im Awesome.. I truly do believe that this guy was definitely meant to come live here and help heal my broken heart after losing Star.. He's only been here a short time but boy does he have me wrapped around his hoof



I don't know where to begin with this guy, he's just so, well perfect lol You'd never guess he's a stallion as he's sooo quiet and so easy to work with, you call his name and he comes trotting and looking for attention, he could stand there for hours while you love on him.. He has this look he gives me that warms my heart, when I kneel down beside him he puts his head over my shoulder like he's giving me a hug. Tonight I was knelt down, face to face with him, talking to him and then I put my head against his and he let out a sigh, and it just made me feel happy that he was content and happy too... It's almost like we have that same bond that Star and I had.. .So Chesa, if you're reading this, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!






(photo above courtesy of Chesa)

And my fuzzy lil guy tonight:


----------



## lilmiraclesfarm (Nov 20, 2008)

This is my Special little horse. When we went to look at her she lived with two biggies who chased her. She was dirty and had a halter embedded into her face. You couldn't get near this little mare. With a lead rope around the owners shoulder this little mare bolted the minute the gate was unlatched. We had to run her into a barn and corner her just to put the lead rope on.

She was jumpy and didn't trust anyone. But there was something about this little horse that I found very special.

Took her home and the first thing I did was free her of that halter. After that I took months just trying to gain a little trust from her. Once I began to do that I started using clicker training on her. She immediately turned around and had such a drive to work. I began teaching her to halter herself, to follow me and to let me touch her. The more I asked her to work the more she trusted me.

Me and her instantly just had such a strong bond. I felt what she was thinking. Just last year I felt such a huge sensation on breeding her. Found a stallion I loved and brought her to the breeders farm. She behaved like a perfect angel. She even got away from the kids walking her and ran straight into the barn to the breeder and just stood for her.

1 week after she was there for breeding I went to visit her. Instantly I knew she was bred. Her heat lasted 13 days and we were afraid it was a transitional into winter heat, but I still felt she was bred.

Months went by and she did indeed start to grow. Well since the day I dropped her off I told everyone she was going to have a filly. Once she started getting close to the end of her gestation I was telling everyone she was going to grace me with a filly on my birthday. But what are the chances of that happening right?

Well sure enough my little mare had a little filly just a half hour before I was born. It was amazing. A true gift.

Earlier to find out from a psychic that me and this little mare have had past lives together and that is why we have such a strong connection to each other.











Her Filly: Goodmorning Beautiful


----------



## Watcheye (Nov 20, 2008)

Lilmiriclesfarm the head on your mare is just exquisite!!!


----------



## StarRidgeAcres (Nov 20, 2008)

Watcheye said:


> Lilmiriclesfarm the head on your mare is just exquisite!!!


Have to agree 150 percent!! Wow!


----------



## christina_ski (Nov 21, 2008)

Here is my special horse, JMS I Ain't No Drama Queen, aka "Queenie"






How I wound up with her is a wierd story. My friend bought her dam bred, because she wanted the mare. And really didn't care about the foal, or like the sire to the foal. I had only met this mare once right after she got her (then I went back to CA for awhile), never seen the stallion she was bred to. And the mare wasn't the friendliest thing in the world. There were several mares I really liked and liked their previous foals. But I was stuck on her baby. I kept telling my friend this is my foal, I have a feeling this will be my next horse. I told the mare my order lol (Chestnut pinto filly) Later on We had a bet that this foal would be a solid black colt (Dam was solid bay, sire was black pinto with one blue eye) When she was a few days off of foaling, I made the joke that wouldn't it be funny to get a chestnut pinto filly with blue eyes. Just laughed it off.






(One day old)

Well got a phone call 2 days later and guess what! A loud chestnut pinto with blue eyes was born! She hadn't checked what it was but thought with all that color it had to be a colt, nope it was my filly! And her registered name Drama Queen came from the fact her mom foaled at just short of 1yr gestation. I did not get to meet her until she was a month old, and she had got her moms shy personality. Were you couldn't get near her. My friend was going to sell her due to her attitude (and she had no intention of keeping the foal in the first place) but I told her to hang onto her for me and and see what I could do with her.






(2 months old, first clip)

I sat out with her everyday for an hour to a few hours for 2 weeks (which is what helped out our bond alot I think, I had to earn it). And she would come closer and closer. And one day she came over and layed down right next to me, flat out with her head on my lap and fell right asleep. Me and her have been inseperable since. Everything I have ever throw at her she has taken to like a fish to water. Nationals that year as a weanling, nothing scared her, little kids, traffic, cars, puddles, flags, plastic bags, mats, other horses everything there nothing bothered her one bit.






(Area 4 show, Liberty)

She was nothing to train for halter, and she keeps her ears forward and she is alert/expressive the whole class. She loves to run and play in liberty and stops on a dime (And sometimes comes to me) even her first time in the class. She was trained for halter obstacle in a week and you can pull her out of the pasture right now and she does it all off the slightest command. She took a bit in her mouth like it was nothing, and you can ground drive her off her halter with just 2 lead ropes. She has been jumping over anything and everything she can since she was a foal. And I even had a youth showing her this year, and they did well together (It was the girls first year showing, Queenie get her hooked on the show bug) I have high hopes for her as my next all around show horse. In 2008 as a yearling, at every show during the year she placed under every single judge in color, Amatuer/youth/open halter, liberty and open/amatuer halter obstacle, (even in some larger classes, she placed 4th out of 19 at an area show in liberty) The only class she did not place in was 1 obstacle class, at it was my fault










(Area 4 show 2008)

Her only issue is she doesn't think she is a horse, in her mind she is person forced to live outside. And LOVES people! She is in your lap wanting scratches and to be loved. And has never met a stranger at a show. She is going to be a big girl, her mom was 34", her sire is 31.75". She is going to be 36"-37". She was 32" all year, and this winter she is just growing like a weed she was pushing 34.5" last measured and that was in October fresh trimmed OH!

Anyways, enough ranting









. Great horses everyone! Its always awesome to find that one special horse that bonds with you like no other horse every will.


----------



## miniaddiction (Nov 21, 2008)

What a neat thread! Mona I loved your term "heart horse"... I would love to share but unfortunately my "Heart Horse" belongs to someone else now


----------



## Celtic Hill Farm (Nov 21, 2008)

this is My Aura Girl...






I got her my freshman year on holloween! Not only was i starting highschool, i started high school with my donkey. She has always been there for me. LOL, she even helps me catch Leia. she will herd her into the corrner. She is a great donkeys, fun and puts up with alot. she tells me to go to bed... literally... if my light in my room is on, late at night, she will brey, and brey and brey, untill it goes off!


----------



## Shari (Nov 21, 2008)

What beautiful minis everyone has.

My special one, would be Maggie of course.



Here she is body clipped.






And in winter..


----------



## targetsmom (Nov 21, 2008)

We are very happy with all our minis but there is one that stands out - Aloha Acres Fashion by Magic (The Princess). We bought her as a weanling for her bloodlines, beauty, and movement, but are now totally taken with her personality, intelligence, and versatility.

Beauty - here is one of the original baby photos of her that led us to select her.






Bloodlines - Her sire is FWF Blue Boys Magic Man and we already knew and liked Leesides Nantucket Blue and loved the photos of Aloha Henry 143 (both paternal half brothers). We love all of Magic Mans' get that we have seen, but many have won their World Championships and other awards after we bought Princess. Her dam is Fallen Ash Farms Goodbye Girl, dam of Fallen Ash Scouts Thief of Hearts, Aloha Acres a Girl by Design, and Fallen Ash Scouts Dream Girl (all National Top Ten or better, or producers of same).

Movement - This is a recent SHORT video, not the one we had back when we were making our choice. She hasn't lost her ability to make our jaws drop though. We especially like her long stride and ability to extend, which may not be obvious here. Short video clip

Personality & intelligence- Since we bought her sight unseen, her quirky personality was a wonderful surprise, and also one reason she has never been sent off to a trainer. We couldn't bear to part with her! She always wants to be the center of attention - hence her barn name THE Princess. She never walks when she can strut or prance She is also extremely intelligent, which has been a challenge in training her. Sometimes I feel I have to get up very early in the morning to stay one step ahead of her! But she also knows why she is in the show ring, and who the judges are, are rarely makes a mistake when it matters (despite the fact she might be acting up 5 seconds before entering the ring). Note that I didn't say "sweet" but "quirky"... And she just oozes personality.

Her versatility is impressive - and I am proud to have done all her training myself. We show mostly Pinto and she has her Pinto Championship (in 2006) and ROMs (35 national points in each) in halter (over 250 points), trail (175 points), driving, hunter, jumper, and even color. She was High Point Mini (9 classes to count, including 4 in driving) at 3 of our 4 Pinto Shows this year and has over total 650 points. She has also been in the Miniature Horse Breed Demo at the MA Equine Affaire, did a timed cones course against teams of big horses as part of a demonstration this summer, and can also stand for hours with her buddy Ruby while children pet them in our local Farm Fest. Oh, did I mention she is only 4 years old?

Demonstrating her jumping ability at a recent show:


----------



## stormy (Nov 21, 2008)

Here is my old friend Stormy. He is 28 years old this year, not many teeth left, grey around the muzzle but still knows he is THE number one horse on the farm Stormy was the first mini I ever had the privelage to drive and show though I did not own him at that time. Many years later when I was looking for my first minis to buy, I contacted his owner and talked them into selling him. He has sired some amazing horses and one of his great grandsons is in training right now. He has been in parades, shows, to retirement homes, given wagon rides to 4Hers, and was part of Michigans sesquacentenial (sp) wagon train across the state.


----------



## Kendra (Nov 21, 2008)

This could get long!





My grandad bought Image at the NFC dispersal sale, along with 4 other young stallions. They were all promptly gelded at our house! Grandad started him in harness, thinking to get him driving and offer him at our open house and sale we were planning. The first time he hooked him to the cart and drove him out of the arena, we all said, put him away, he's not for sale, there was already evidence he would be a great driving horse. The year after that I started showing him. I started back at the beginning with his driving training, and with Grandad's help went through all the steps with him. Good for both of us as it was the first time I'd started with that green a horse and Image has never been accused of being the brightest bulb. It took literally months for him to figure out that he was supposed to jump both ends over the jump, he would jump with his front end, and then walk through the jump with his hind legs.

Just a couple weeks before his first show we had a minor wreck. I think he was stung by a bee, he leaped sideways, putting one wheel of the cart over a bush and tipping it over. He didn't seem very perturbed by it, but I was worried about him and took it very easy after that. Our first show was in 1996, I was 16 and it was a learning experience for me. For the first time, every ribbon (or lack of ribbon) was a reflection on what I'd taught him, when we levelled our first obstacle driving course, I was upset, not because he had misbehaved, but because I hadn't prepared him well enough. At that show he also won his first (and only!) halter trophy for Reserve Senior Gelding (I still have it on my desk!) and, for the first time, I asked him to GO! We were in the barrel race, I stopped worrying about him so much, and I distinctly remember the moment I thought "well, this is a safe, enclosed environment, there's no one else in the ring, lets see what he can do!" and on the homestretch I sent him on .... he was, without a doubt, the fastest, smoothest horse I'd ever driven!

That fall, my brother's horse, who we'd both been planning on showing at the AMHA Nationals, came up lame, so Image went. He wasn't ready, and the only top ten he won was in 7 and under showmanship with my youngest brother (and that only because there was 10 in the class - after showing and standing still in huge showmanship classes with me in 13-17, and John in 8-12, by the time he got to poor little Mike, he was NOT a happy camper!). However, he held his own in his roadster classes, and I remember a trainer, after watching Youth Roadster, telling me "you were robbed", that I should've placed. Which was fun!

Image loved to go fast, roadster was his class, as well as barrels and stakes. He once hit 2 cones in the stake race, and with 10 seconds in penalties, still won ... soon though, everyone was practicing their barrels and stakes, trying to beat him, which made for a lot of fun competition in our club!

In 1998, my last year as a youth, I flew down to Reno for the AMHA Nationals ... the highlight was when we placed third in Youth Roadster, which was both super exciting and kinda disappointing, as he didn't win a trophy, but had done so well! However, since I had to leave and go back to college before the Grand & Reserve Roadster class, it was probably just as well! The best part was when one of the judges came up to me in the bathroom soon after the class to tell me she'd placed him first.

When the Calgary Stampede started awarding the Canadian National Champions, I was very excited when he won Reserve Champion Single Pleasure Driving, and earned his very first neck ribbon!! And even more excited when he won Canadian National Roadster Horse, a title he would hold for the next 5 years.

At one show I remember, he was Grand Champion Single Pleasure under both judges, Grand Champion Roadster under both judges, and got a Grand and a Reserve in Country (back when cross entries were allowed).

One year we had brought him in to Aggie Days on a cold March Wednesday, to do a driving demo for the kids. Saturday when we brought him back to drive again, he was lame on his left hind. The vet and physiotherapist figured he'd slipped on the ice and hurt his SI joint. After a couple months of rest and treatments I was soon driving him again, but it was a problem that often recurred and needed attention.

Another time I'd just finished driving him when we noticed his eyes were reflecting orange ... the vet said we better bring him in (they don't mess around with eyes!) and by the time we got there he was obviously unable to see. The vet said his eyes were full of broken down amino acids, and that his pupils were snapped shut. The priority was to get his pupils open, because otherwise they can stick shut. So home we went, putting Atropine to dilate his pupils and antibiotics in his eyes every 2 hours. I was so relieved when his pupils opened by about 10 o'clock that night, and the next morning when he was his usual, rambunctious self, asking for his breakfast with his head over the stall gate, I figured we were out of the woods. But when I turned him into the round pen (he had to stay out of the sun) while I cleaned his stall, he promptly walked into the fence. Luckily, during my immediate frantic call to the vet, they said it was probably the protiens blocking his vision, and that we would have to wait for it to clear. He was blind for the better part of a week, and then still had to stay out of the sun because of the meds. We bought him a fly mask, and the first time I was able to drive him was just amazing ... I had been doubting for a couple weeks that I'd ever be able to drive him again, and then there we were, flying though the hay field, with him throwing in a couple little happy bucks, and me with just the biggest grin on my face. Since we'd by then come right up to our first show of the year, which that year was the Canadian Nationals, I wasn't hoping for much with almost no conditioning, and was just so happy to be showing him. We pulled his fly mask off at the gate (we were lining up outside, showing inside), and the two of us may not have been the best in the ring, but we were definitely the happiest! That first class, where I think we placed 4 and 5, is quite possibly my favorite show memory ever, just being so grateful to be in the showring with my horse who was loving it as much as I was. When we squeaked into the Roadster championship class on a second, I realized that we weren't out of it and really drove, and Image once again ended up Canadian National Roadster Horse. Icing on the cake!!

Along the way Image won his Superior Event Horse in Open Roadster, and an Honor Roll buckle in AOTE Roadster, as well as some National Top Ten's through the years.

We battled his lameness for years, keeping him sound enough to show, but the hauling became pretty hard on him ... he'd be sound at home and then not by the time we got to the show, and it broke my heart when I had to scratch him, though often he was just lame enough that I knew, and so long as I drove him at 80% he wasn't sore. I remember coming out of the showring with 2 Grand Champion ribbons, trying not to cry because I knew we were coming to the end.

I agonized over showing him his last year .... we were just taking him to the Stampede, our closest show so that the trailer ride wasn't bad, but I was afraid that I was doing it for me, and I didn't want to hurt him just because I couldn't handle leaving him home, or worse yet, because I wanted to win. Finally, I enlisted the help of Bonnie Fogg. She told me lots of interesting things ... that the reason he doesn't get along with other horses is because he thinks he's better than them, that he wanted to know "where the music went" (we stopped putting him in Liberty, which he loved, when he started having soundness issues), that he's a clown and that he's a hero - if he knows what you want him to do, he'll do it to best of his ability. I already knew that.



But she also said that he wanted to tell me that I better stop "giggling with my friends" at the shows and take it seriously, or we "wouldn't win". I took him to that last show, and we needed it, I think, for both of us to realize that he couldn't do it anymore. Oh he placed okay, seconds and thirds, but it was obviously the end of an era.

It was hard to make the decision to retire him, but it was harder when the next summer, when we were going to shows without him, and he wouldn't let me catch him for months. Everyone told me he was just enjoying his retirement and didn't want to have to work, but I know that he was mad at me for going to the shows without him. Finally, that fall, I brought him in to teach my 4H kids to ground drive. He took it very seriously. He'd always been good at adjusting for the skill level of his driver, going carefully and slowly with a beginner, and fast, strong and opinionated when I drove him. After he started working with the kids, I think he felt he had a job again, and that helped his transition to retiree a lot.

Image's last show was in 2005. This summer I realized how much I still miss him at the shows, there was a driving horse there that reminded me so much of Image, there I was crying my eyes out while unhooking my current driving horse - who is a pretty great horse in his own right! I went home with this idea that I'd bring Image to a show, why not? I'd been driving him every month or so since he retired from showing, and he was okay for a while at home, be worth a try. But when I went to drive him, he'd deteriorated a lot. He was lame, but that's not the worst part. My impatient, energetic, enthusiastic brat of a horse, never pawed while I was harnessing, stood still and never tried to bite me while I hooked him, was happy to walk, and never once tried to take over and tell me where we were going. I drove him a few times, put him on some more joint supplements, and finally accepted it .... he is not longer a driving horse, and if he's okay with that, I guess I'll have to learn to live with it as well.

NFC Illusions Image













(hehehe, look how young and skinny we both are!



)


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Nov 21, 2008)

Oh Kendra, that story has nme dripping tears on my keyboard. What a lovely tribute to a beautiful horse.


----------



## MiLo Minis (Nov 21, 2008)

I have had many horses big and small in my life from Sunny, who got me through my teenage years alive and sane, to Peach, the 15 year old Quarterhorse mare with 11 previous owners who laid down in the sun in her paddock a couple years back at the age of 33 never to get up again, to Brooke, the incredibly incorrigibly intelligent Thorobred, and several in-between or among, to the many Minis - Rocky the great, Ari with his sweet and quirky ways, Dream with her soulful brown eyes, Lady who has grown to love and trust when no one could blame her for not, to mention a few faves, but there is ONE that stands head and shoulders above the rest (although not in height) and always will.

You have all likely met him before as I may have mentioned him the odd time





MiLo's Willie Be Good.






I bought this horse for $150 as a scrawny, worm infested, rainrot encrusted weanling at an auction as he was just soooo tiny and cute and so obviously needed someone to love him. He was my first Mini and started my love affair with the breed. He is a do it all kinda guy that jumps, does obstacle and drives - all in a spectacular way! He is not the best conformed horse on the farm but he is the one who draws everyone's attention when they visit. He has more presence than any horse I have ever encountered. He KNOWS he is it. He is very arrogant and sure of himself and yet very easy to handle. He knows when a kid or beginner is in the cart and acts accordingly. When we are driving all I have to do is think about what I want him to do and we are doing it. He is feather touch light in your hands. He never says no and gives it his best try every time. He has so much strength and heart and, need I say, I LOVE HIM like no other.


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Nov 21, 2008)

I am enjoying every story and every horse!


----------



## Frankie (Nov 21, 2008)

Well, it's not like this is any kind of a secret,,,,,



I am sure many who even noticed I am posting, or have,,,just by seeing my name know that special horse I am going to say is PRINTS!!

Prints was born here on Memorial Day 3 years ago. She quickly become the 2005 Forum Baby. Not that it is always a good thing, it was because I needed so much help with her, it was pretty much a daily thing. If I didn't post about her I would get pm's asking me if something had happened to her. It very much took this entire forum to get her through many, many days. If not for those here, it really could have been different.

Not only does she have ME wrapped around her little feet, she has a few members wrapped as well.

In short,,,,,,,really this is WAY short.

Prints was born with no sucking reflex. I fed her every hour for days, even through the night. She was tubed several times, tore out stitches, dehydrated several times, choked a few times, joint ill, then refused to eat period. I tried ever idea under the sun to get her to eat and some ideas were pretty far out there. After weeks of all this she decided to maybe nurse, mom had no milk.





That horse was thrown into the cab of my truck countless times as an emergency to get her to a vet. Her numbers from tests were way bad for a long time, was told several times to let her go. Uhhhhh, not an option.

Anyway,,,,has been GREAT since. She very much has an attitude and Bonnie will tell you that,,,,,(she helped tons),,,,Prints wants it this way, no other way, and wants it now. She is not a boss mare, she is a spoiled rotten, to the core mare.

Not that that would be my fault or anything.



After my human kids,,,,,,yeah, she's next. She and I always do great together and I am sure always will,,,,,,,because she has me right where she wants me.


----------



## minimule (Nov 21, 2008)

Mine is and always will be Savannah. She was the first foal born here out of my first mini ever.

We bought her dam, Belle, from some folks that had bought her to produce color. They bred her to a sorrel stallion and got a sorrel colt. Next a b/w stallion and got a sorrel colt. Went back to the sorrell stallion and sold the mare. I bought her and we got the cutest, tiniest black and white filly! She was in your lap from day one and has been since.

At 2 years old, she coliced. I made the decision to go ahead with surgery. She came out fighting! The vet and anyone that saw her admired her and fell in love. If it hadn't been for all the staples in her belly she probably would have been bought (if I had let her go!



).

She was my show horse even though she wasn't up to the standards that are there now. She is the short stocky type, only 28". Her best event is halter obstacle. She will do anything I ask her to. At one show, they had the "caraousel" for the first time. They had taped off 2 spots and the horse had to "step" over it as the obstacle. Well, Toot was too short to just step over so she had to jump each leg of it. It was pretty cute to see her trying so hard. She still loves her obstacles and enjoys going out whenever we can.

We lost her 3/4 sister to colic when she was 2 years old too. She just wasn't the fighter the Toot is.

Last year, she had a major accident and lost her left eye. She has become a little more standoffish but I don't blame her. She runs and plays just like normal and I'll still play obstacles with her but she will NEVER leave us to live with someone else. She is 8 this year and I hope she has a long life from here on out.


----------



## ErikaS. (Nov 21, 2008)

After selling my sweet 16hh TB, I ached to have a horse again. It had taken me until I was 25 to get my first horse and I did not want to go horseless again even though I was not going to be able for the next nine months and some after. I had seen some minis and decided that was the way to go. I found a small farm that bred a few minis a year and the breeders introduced me to their weanlings. That's when he picked me. The fuzzy grey weanling came up to me and my step-daughter and stayed with us to be petted. Funny thing is he was exactly what I saw in my mind that I wanted before I even met him. He is now my Trigger. Not show quality, so what, but sweet, calm, lovable, gentle and sometimes a little naughty. I could not have asked for a kinder horse.


----------



## Candice (Nov 22, 2008)

I have owned and known many wonderful horses thru the years. The one owning the biggest chunk of real estate in my heart is my tiny (25") gelding Ruckus. I purchsed his Dam in foal with him and he was the second foal born on our farm. He was only 16" at birth but had the moxy and attitude of a horse 10X his size (still does). I'll never forget the vet coming in and picking him up to give him his tetanus shot and saying "Wow, he's gonna be tough." very sarcastically. Four tries later he finally managed to stick him. Everyone tended to underestimate him because of his ultra tiny stature.

Now he's coming on 2 and probably pretty close to done growing and everyone who meets him either here on the farm or out and about, falls head over heels in love with him. Its impossible not to. Not only is he cuter than the dickens, he has the sweetest, most charming personality. He is my "Happy Place".



Ruckus as a baby with my son Nicholas




Ruckus out in the field




Ruckus playing with Sam




Ruckus and Me


----------



## StarRidgeAcres (Nov 22, 2008)

The stories and pictures are just awesome! Very heartwarming.





I have lots of fur babies to love, but one that has just stolen our hearts and will never leave our farm is Mira. Star Ridge Acres Golden Miracle was born April 5th, 2007 at 283 days gestation. Many of you may remember my many posts (usually hysterical) about trying to keep her dam from going too early, which she had a history of doing.

When Mira came out she was healthy looking and had energy; but we had the vet out and it was decided she needed to go to the hospital. She was 13" tall and weighed under 10lbs (that's the lowest their scale went). Her story is on her personal page of our website, but basically she was just so underdeveloped that she couldn't survive without intervention. And actually, they only gave us a 20% chance that she'd survive even with hospitalization.

But she pulled through and today, other than her stature, she's pretty much normal. Well, as normal as Mira is ever going to be!



She's all of about 24" at this point and will probably mature at around 26" or so. Probably never big enough to breed, but don't tell her that! She's all about showing off for the boys!



And she has the personality of a 38" mare! She's a total #%&$ and pushes everybody around. She will pin her ears if you don't cough up the treats fast enough and she'll push herself in between you and any other horse to make sure she gets all the attention...oh, and treats!

Another funny story about Mira is that she doesn't actually know her name is Mira. One of the side effects of one of her problems as a baby was that she had constant diarrhea. So we started referring to her as Poopy Butt. Well, we must have done it so much that she thought that was her name because that's the ONLY thing she answers to!!!



I took her into Liberty class ONCE and will never do it again! I tried...and tried...and tried to get her attention to catch her by calling her Mira, but no dice! We finally got DQd and so I said "Poopy, come to me!" and that little $#%& turned on her heels and came right to me.





Mira, aka Poopy, was shown as a weanling at Nationals and to our total surprise and pleasure she brought home a top ten in a class of 23!



It was a huge accomplishment for her and us. She was the smallest in the class by far but she looked pretty darn good!



We actually had no measurement on her for Nationals as her official card said "less than 24 inches" as that was the smallest their stick went!



She was probably around 22".

But I wouldn't change a thing. We spent over $8k getting her on the ground and then keeping her alive. Will I ever get that back?  No, but she brings us lots of joy and that has no price on it.

Here are some pics:





















Her dam is 29.5" and her sire is 33.75".


----------



## normajeanbaker (Nov 23, 2008)

I own 4 Mini's myself and love all 4 to death. All are special to me in their own way and I cant imagine parting with any of them. However, I have 2 that hold a very special place in my heart.

The first one is *Norma Jean Baker *("Sassy"). I bought her 7 years ago as a pretty shabby looking 2 year old. She has turned out to be the best money I have spent. She was my first Mini I bought on my own and the one who fueled my interest and love for the Miniature Horse breed. She spent 4 years as a Halter mare and was beaten only 2 times. She spent 3 years in the show ring driving and never saw below 2nd place. She is a horse who lives for and loves the show ring. She is quiet and nothing exciting at home, but swells up to think she's 17 hands when she knows she is going to a show. She is smart enough to know when all games are off ad it's show time and when she can be her goofy, silly self. She is "the real deal" when it comes to being a show horse. She has that important show horse quality of _wanting_ to be a show horse more then anything in the world. In 2005, she gave me a filly who has won me over, and then stepped right back into the show ring and never skipped a beat. The decision was made to retire Sassy after this show season. She has given me 7 awesome years in the show ring and we have done very goal I set out to do. How the mare who lives for the show ring will handle not being loaded on the trailer and heading to shows has yet to be seen, but I really look forward to showing future "little Sassy's" in the years to come. If they have half the heart and WANT she has, they'll make it just fine. I am forever grateful to this mare and feel as if she owes me NOTHING, while I owe her everything. I have always kept it to myself that this mare who won so much with me was nothing more then a $200(no, thats not a typo) shaggy unattractive coming 2 year old who I saw something in. She proved me right and I feel lucky to have her in my life




















The other Mini I have who is very special to me is a horse out of the above mare. *VPS Just A Tad Bad*("Callie") is a 2005 silver bay mare, who somehow made me fall in love with her. The stallion she is by has thrown some pretty tough babies, and this one is no exception. She has been one of the most frustrating horses I have worked with, but also the one who has taught me the most. In the fall/winter of 2007 she got very sick and it was questionable whether she was going to pull through. I think it was then I became so attached to her and learned just how tough she really was. She is a tough mare with alot of fight, and pulled through. We are still working on being able to do obstacles at home AND a the shows(cause you know, the obstacles at the shows are MUCH more scary then the EXACT ones you have at home) and this fall I was finally able to get her long lining without her having a meltdown. I get the most satisfaction out of this mare. You have to put so much time and effort into her and truly understand her, but there is no feeling in the world like it when she finally "gets it" and you know it's because you did it right with her. She is a sensitive mare, that if you treat her right and she trusts you, will give everything she has to you. If you hurt her, scare her or she doesn't trust you, she shuts down and you might as well forget about doing anything with her. She has all the talent in the world and I wish she'd think well enough to be a driving horse, as it all comes so easily to her, but she just isn't there mentally yet. She's got more natural talent on long lines with her legs then most of my Saddlebreds did and she makes you stand there and say "wow". But, as frustrating as it is, she just isn't ready to pull a cart behind her. She is a mare, that if you TELL her, she'll shut down and you are all done. However, if she trusts you and you ASK her, she'll try her hardest to give you everything she has. She was my first foal born here, and although she has been a TOUGH case to crack, I cant imagine her not being here and am grateful for what she has taught me along the way.
















~Jen~


----------



## Candice (Nov 23, 2008)

Parmela,

I remember when she was born. What an amazing little girl. I loved seeing all of those photos, especially the one with, I'm guessing that is you holding her. What a doll. I agree, money well spent.


----------



## GOTTACK (Nov 23, 2008)

Mira is just adorable and I could not resist doing the following photos of her:






and






and






and






Lisa


----------



## GOTTACK (Nov 23, 2008)

Forgot to add 1 picture of Mira in prior photos, here is the added picture:






and






and






Lisa


----------



## StarRidgeAcres (Nov 23, 2008)

Candice,

Yes, it was money well spent. At the time, with the hospital crabbing because they wanted their money RIGHT NOW and how hard it was to come up with that type of money on such short notice, and the stress of her every single day taking a step forward and a step back...well, I thought I might have a nervous breakdown.



But we made it and she made it and now she's a total crack up!



It was worth it.





And Lisa,

O M G!



Those pictures are just beautiful and will be treasured for sure! I can't thank you enough. They made me cry, they are just so beautiful.





Thank you, thank you, thank you.


----------



## twister (Nov 23, 2008)

I have loved reading all the stories about your special minis, some even brought tears to my eyes, all brought smiles



I have 7 minis and each one is special in their own way but one is my "heart" horse too. That is my Jazz aka Cross Country All That Jazz. When I first saw him he was walking into the ring at an auction sale and even though I didn't go there to buy a horse I thought I must have him, something in him called to my heart so I bid on him and he was mine



I called my husband to bring the trailer and we loaded up in pouring rain and set off home. When we were fairly close to home disaster struck and the trailer came off the hitch, thank goodness my husband was driving as I know I would have panicked but he kept his cool and managed to stop the van and trailer without flipping either one. I jumped in the trailer to see if Jazz was alright and he was happily munching hay like nothing had happened. It was then we found that the pin was missing and of course we couldn't carry on without that so I went to my friends house just around the corner and she brought her truck and we managed to hitch the trailer to that for the rest of the trip home. We don't know what happened to the missing pin, maybe someone took it but I have been vigilant ever since checking and rechecking that the pin is there before we leave home, on arrival at a show and before we leave to return home etc. In 2 weeks we went to our first show and Jazz went Grand Champion Gelding, he is such a ham, he shows off when he is in the ring because he thinks he is all that and of course in my eyes he is. Not just for what he has achieved in the show ring (HOF Halter 2008) but because he is my snugglebug, he has this special look when he arches his neck and looks at me that I know he wants a snuggle



He is so good and kind with everybody, I take him on visits to nursing homes, he was a mascot for one Nursing Home this year and last for their walkathon to raise funds for the seniors rooms. He has also visited the one my Mother is in and last time he was there he went on the elevator without fuss. I just love this little guy


----------



## SirenFarms (Nov 23, 2008)

Well my special mini would have to be my soul mate in horse form, Triple C's Mikey's Little Harley Moon, aka harley. I have had horses since i was 3 yrs old. starting with a 18 yr old welsh pony mare named Bristol Fantasia. Moving on to Missouri Fox trotters qhs and quarabs. in 2003 i began looking for a new horse, because at the time i had sold my Missouri Fox Trotter mare. I had gone to some mini farms with my trainer, because she was a farrier. We had gone to Triple C Minature Horses in refugio tx and i had really loved what i saw there. I had fallen in love with a buckskin mare named Tinkerbell and because of that mare a the farm had always stayed in the back of my mind as a possiblility. After looking at countless farms i decided to try and find Triple C's again. So on a trip home from seeing my doctor in houston, i convinced my family to stop by and look at the foals or anything they had for sale. At this point my parents were completely against me getting a miniature horse. they didnt see the point. But we stopped anyway. I asked about tinkerbell, but was told she was sold. so we went out to look at the foals she had. sitting in the back of a paddock of weanling fillies was a little black appy colt standing a mere 26 inches tall. somthing about him captured my eye. it was like every horsey childs dream of owning there very own black stallion and mine was standing right in front of me. After we got home my mother asked me if anything at the farm had stood out to me and i promptly told her of the little black colt.

well lo and behold that xmas my parents and i took a trip back up to triple c with a trailer in tow and brought home the little black colt.

at first he scared me to death because he was crazed and very nippy and was everything my mother expected a shetland pony to be. he would charge my father and rear up on him. bite me and was pretty much a royal holy terror. All it took was one time of him rearing up and kicking me in the shoulder for me to decide that this horse was not goin to win. So the work began.

After months of working on him to try and get him manageable he finally accepted that he didnt have to be bad and scared. that he could be loved on and be sweet.

After all of this.. he began greeting me every morning at the fence with a whinny and a swish of his tail jumping around.

i have never had a bond with a horse so strong as i do with this little horse. he is my best friend and will never leave me. he was my first miniature and what started my obsession with the small equine. my first show horse, my first first place ribbon and my first love. I love this horse so much. so without further ado.

TRIPLE C'S MIKEY'S LITTLE HARLEY MOON
















Portrait model i painted of him






and at our last show


----------



## MinisOutWest (Nov 24, 2008)

my best friend was Levi, he is the picture on the side. here is my article from the Pinto Horse magazine I'd like to share, be prepared to cry. Levi's Story- A Bittersweet World Show I still miss my best freind so much, but I have Duke now and he has helped a lot. Thanks for letting me share.


----------



## MiniforFaith (Nov 24, 2008)

I haven't read threw everyone's post, but this is a great thread... I love all 4 of my fur children. So, I feel I have 6 "kids" instead of just the 2 legged ones..



I have been very down, because of a lot of things, but one is that with the way I am working, I haven't spent much time with my "babies".. I just came in from the barn for our midnight visit..(which being on 3rds) doesn't happen much..And my "heart mini" made me feel so much better.. She has a way of always doing that.. Posie is my special horse. I am not sure if it was because of her severe colic after only having her a month or what, but we have a bond that I didn't know that you could have with a horse..She has been upset with me since adding our newest addition.. But he doesn't like all the fuss, and she knows that. I am just shocked that she has changed in her behavior.. Not as much with me but the others. She isn't at the bottom of the todem pole anymore.. But she is the first to greet me, and is glued to me.. She loves my hugs, and lets me cry on her mane..She wasn't raised with children, but she loves Faith and it is like she knows the difference between little 40 lbs 7 yr, and my 5ft, 9, 165lb 13 yr son.. She is so gentle..She is my golden girl..(her nickname from the very expensive vet bill



)

Enough rambling on, my sweetie, my Miss Posie:











She is eay on the eyes, in my heart too..


----------



## kayla221444 (Nov 25, 2008)

TrailersOutWest/MinisOutWest said:


> my best friend was Levi, he is the picture on the side. here is my article from the Pinto Horse magazine I'd like to share, be prepared to cry. Levi's Story- A Bittersweet World Show I still miss my best freind so much, but I have Duke now and he has helped a lot. Thanks for letting me share.


WOW OH! . That is a very touching story! Sorry for your loss though, I know how it is to lose a best friend! But am glad that is worked out for you Beau And Phantom! Nice job on all the accomplishments


----------



## Flyin G Farm (Nov 26, 2008)

Here are my special girls...while I love all of my "kids"...and there are certainly a few more that I would really have a hard time being without...these 2 have me wrapped around their little hooves





First is Little Americas Soshowme Buckeroo, national champion, reserve national champion and 6 time top 10 (most of her wins are in pleasure driving and roadster, with 1 top 10 in her color class). She is the first horse I have gotten to take to nationals and she made it quite an experience...and even if she had bombed and didn't place, it wouldn't have mattered...I'd love her just as much. She is quite the little princess and she knows it...she knows she has me RIGHT where she wants me and I'd do anything for her. In fact, we got disqualified in one of our driving classes because she got what she wanted...she had been doing a number on my farm table as I was harnessing her...because how dare I actually tie her up to harness her...that would horribly offensive...I mean she's practically a person!...she would just "help" make sure my table was arranged just right...and make sure the candy I had was going to work for her...and yes, I know...she really should just be tied



Well...she decided she needed some red licorice...I thought nothing of it...in fact that is one of her FAVORITE treats...well we went in our class and according to one of the judges we would have been 1st under all 3 judges but they had to DQ us because she was bleeding from her mouth...so I freak out...we go outside where Annette (HHP) and my hubby are trying to figure out what the deal is...and my hubby says "what did you feed her"...so I reach up...smell her mouth...and sure enough...strawberry twizzler...whoops



Guess I won't be doing that again. So anyway...here is Cat...my special girl...who is in foal for her first baby in '09...so I know for a fact I'm going to be a WRECK!











My other special girl is Flyin G's American Beauty, a George daughter. I bought her dam in foal with her...her dam is a gorgeous BOB daughter who really has no use for people for the most part...when Chloe was born I couldn't touch her...couldn't get near her...it took me a good 8 months before we could even get close to her...you would NEVER in a million years guess that she was that way now! I showed her for a couple of years also, she was Cat's stall mate so the 3 of us were very close and had a good time being not very serious...I think they probably both think they are people...they've both let themselves in my house to check things out...so we can't leave any doors open if they're near a door coming into the house...they are spoiled rotten and it really is all my fault they're brats about it...but I can't help it! My hubby lovingly refers to Cat as "Cat the Brat"...I haven't heard him come up with anything for Chloe...I just call them my little princesses



Oh, and Chloe is bred as well...for a Summer foal...so I'll get a little bit of a break before I completely stress out again!











Tracy


----------

