Spotlight On The Breed: Miniature Horses
by M. Y. Mim
Do you have one of those kids who insists, probably as you did, too, that "All I want is a horse and I really want one!"? You might make your child's wish come true, even if you only have a standard suburban yard, if you consider a Miniature horse.
Owning a mini means learning everything about horses except riding. Owners must pay attention to daily horse care, nutrition, health care, mucking stalls, horse showing, and training. Many minis are housebroken and frequently in their owners' homes.
Above all, Miniatures make wonderful pets and companions.
What makes a mini a mini is size: Miniatures cannot exceed 34 inches (86 cm) at the withers, which the American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA) defines as located at the last hair of the mane.
As early as the sixteen hundreds, these tiny equines were bred as pets for the European nobility. Records from the court of the French King Louis XIV, circa 1650, note the presence of tiny horses among the exotic creatures in the king's zoo. Paintings and articles featured the Miniature horse by 1765. In England , Lady Estella Hope and her sisters carried on a breeding program from original English lines into the mid-nineteen hundreds. Many of the smallest Miniatures in the United States are from the Hope line.
Unfortunately, not all early Miniatures were the pampered pets of royalty. Many found themselves working as pit ponies in the English Midlands, Wales, and Northern European coal mines.
The Falabella miniature horse was originally developed in Argentina in 1868 by Patrick Newell. When Newell died, the herd and breeding methods
passed to Newell's son-in-law Juan Falabella. Juan added additional bloodlines including the Welsh Pony, Shetland pony, and small Thoroughbreds. With considerable inbreeding he was able to gain consistently a small size within the herd.
South Africa 's Miniature Horses were developed in that nation and are known as the South African Miniature Horses, a recognized breed in its own right. Mr. Wynand de Wet of Lindley, South Africa, started in 1945 with two Shetland mares and a stallion. Through strict selection, their offspring became smaller and in 1991 Mr. de Wet bred a mare that was only 26 inches (66 centimeters) tall.
©2008 Image Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Brockett Film Fauna, http://www.brockettsfilmfauna.com/ provides trained animals to the film business.
As Miniatures may be found all over the world, so do they come in all possible horse colors and perform in all types of horse activities (except riding).
Miniature Horses are seen in performance classes: halter obstacle, hunter jumper, showmanship, costume, liberty, and driving. A variety of driving classes are popular at the more than 250 AMHA sanctioned horse shows nationwide, and include pleasure driving, roadster driving, obstacle driving, single and multiple hitches and fine viceroy.
Increasingly, Miniature horses are being trained as guide animals for the blind. The Guide Horse Foundation believes the Miniature Horse is particularly well suited to guide the blind because:
Their long lifespan. Miniature Horse can live to be more than 50 years old. with the average lifespan being 30-40 years. According to guide dog trainers, guide dogs have a useful life between 8-12 years.
They are cost effective.
They are more easily accepted in public. Many guide dog users report problems getting access to public places because their dog is perceived as a pet. Most people do not associate a horse as a pet, and Guide Horse users report that they are immediately recognized as a working service animal.
Their calm nature. Guide Horses undergo the same systematic desensitization training that is given to riot-control horses.
Horses' superior vision. Because horses have eyes on the sides of their heads, they have a very wide range of vision, nearly 350 degrees. Horses are the only guide animals capable of independent eye movement and they can track potential danger with each eye. Horses can see clearly in almost total darkness.
Focus. Trained horses are very focused on their work and are not easily distracted. Horses are not addicted to human attention and normally do not get excited when petted or groomed.
As a prey animal, horses are naturally safety oriented, constantly on the lookout for danger. All horses have a natural propensity to guide their master along the safest most efficient route, and demonstrate excellent judgment in obstacle avoidance training.
Even Miniature horses are noted for high stamina. A properly conditioned Guide Horse can easily travel many miles in a single outing.
Good manners. Guide Horses are very clean and can be housebroken. Horses do not get fleas and only shed twice per year. Horses are not addicted to human affection and will stand quietly when on duty.
Rancho Loco stallion,
"WF Sweet Revenge." The stallion "Champion" at Wisteria Mini Horse Farms. The Arabian Miniatures show enormous beauty, grace and doe-like fragility despite their strong constitutions.
And for all these reasons, Miniatures make wonderful companions for everyone, Because of their gentle, affectionate nature and small size, a Miniature Horse is an excellent choice.
Sources: American Miniature Horse Association: http://www.amha.org; The Guide Horse Foundation: http://www.guidehorse.org; Horse Channel: http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-breeds/p...niature-horses; Kentucky Horse Park:
http://www.imh.org/museum/breeds.php?pagei...&alpha=One; Small Horse Press: http://www.smallhorse.com/
Mini Horse World: http://www.minihorseworld.com; Small Horse Press: http://www.smallhorse.com/; Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_horse
About the Author: M. Y. Mim is a free-lance journalist based in Santa Barbara, Ca. She may be reached at [email protected], or through her agent R. Almqvist, 805-705-5349.
The Author wishes to thank Mr. R. Almqvist for his invaluable assistance in making this article possible.
by M. Y. Mim
Do you have one of those kids who insists, probably as you did, too, that "All I want is a horse and I really want one!"? You might make your child's wish come true, even if you only have a standard suburban yard, if you consider a Miniature horse.
Owning a mini means learning everything about horses except riding. Owners must pay attention to daily horse care, nutrition, health care, mucking stalls, horse showing, and training. Many minis are housebroken and frequently in their owners' homes.
Above all, Miniatures make wonderful pets and companions.
What makes a mini a mini is size: Miniatures cannot exceed 34 inches (86 cm) at the withers, which the American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA) defines as located at the last hair of the mane.
As early as the sixteen hundreds, these tiny equines were bred as pets for the European nobility. Records from the court of the French King Louis XIV, circa 1650, note the presence of tiny horses among the exotic creatures in the king's zoo. Paintings and articles featured the Miniature horse by 1765. In England , Lady Estella Hope and her sisters carried on a breeding program from original English lines into the mid-nineteen hundreds. Many of the smallest Miniatures in the United States are from the Hope line.
Unfortunately, not all early Miniatures were the pampered pets of royalty. Many found themselves working as pit ponies in the English Midlands, Wales, and Northern European coal mines.
The Falabella miniature horse was originally developed in Argentina in 1868 by Patrick Newell. When Newell died, the herd and breeding methods
passed to Newell's son-in-law Juan Falabella. Juan added additional bloodlines including the Welsh Pony, Shetland pony, and small Thoroughbreds. With considerable inbreeding he was able to gain consistently a small size within the herd.
South Africa 's Miniature Horses were developed in that nation and are known as the South African Miniature Horses, a recognized breed in its own right. Mr. Wynand de Wet of Lindley, South Africa, started in 1945 with two Shetland mares and a stallion. Through strict selection, their offspring became smaller and in 1991 Mr. de Wet bred a mare that was only 26 inches (66 centimeters) tall.
©2008 Image Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Brockett Film Fauna, http://www.brockettsfilmfauna.com/ provides trained animals to the film business.
As Miniatures may be found all over the world, so do they come in all possible horse colors and perform in all types of horse activities (except riding).
Miniature Horses are seen in performance classes: halter obstacle, hunter jumper, showmanship, costume, liberty, and driving. A variety of driving classes are popular at the more than 250 AMHA sanctioned horse shows nationwide, and include pleasure driving, roadster driving, obstacle driving, single and multiple hitches and fine viceroy.
Increasingly, Miniature horses are being trained as guide animals for the blind. The Guide Horse Foundation believes the Miniature Horse is particularly well suited to guide the blind because:
Their long lifespan. Miniature Horse can live to be more than 50 years old. with the average lifespan being 30-40 years. According to guide dog trainers, guide dogs have a useful life between 8-12 years.
They are cost effective.
They are more easily accepted in public. Many guide dog users report problems getting access to public places because their dog is perceived as a pet. Most people do not associate a horse as a pet, and Guide Horse users report that they are immediately recognized as a working service animal.
Their calm nature. Guide Horses undergo the same systematic desensitization training that is given to riot-control horses.
Horses' superior vision. Because horses have eyes on the sides of their heads, they have a very wide range of vision, nearly 350 degrees. Horses are the only guide animals capable of independent eye movement and they can track potential danger with each eye. Horses can see clearly in almost total darkness.
Focus. Trained horses are very focused on their work and are not easily distracted. Horses are not addicted to human attention and normally do not get excited when petted or groomed.
As a prey animal, horses are naturally safety oriented, constantly on the lookout for danger. All horses have a natural propensity to guide their master along the safest most efficient route, and demonstrate excellent judgment in obstacle avoidance training.
Even Miniature horses are noted for high stamina. A properly conditioned Guide Horse can easily travel many miles in a single outing.
Good manners. Guide Horses are very clean and can be housebroken. Horses do not get fleas and only shed twice per year. Horses are not addicted to human affection and will stand quietly when on duty.
Rancho Loco stallion,
"WF Sweet Revenge." The stallion "Champion" at Wisteria Mini Horse Farms. The Arabian Miniatures show enormous beauty, grace and doe-like fragility despite their strong constitutions.
And for all these reasons, Miniatures make wonderful companions for everyone, Because of their gentle, affectionate nature and small size, a Miniature Horse is an excellent choice.
Sources: American Miniature Horse Association: http://www.amha.org; The Guide Horse Foundation: http://www.guidehorse.org; Horse Channel: http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-breeds/p...niature-horses; Kentucky Horse Park:
http://www.imh.org/museum/breeds.php?pagei...&alpha=One; Small Horse Press: http://www.smallhorse.com/
Mini Horse World: http://www.minihorseworld.com; Small Horse Press: http://www.smallhorse.com/; Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_horse
About the Author: M. Y. Mim is a free-lance journalist based in Santa Barbara, Ca. She may be reached at [email protected], or through her agent R. Almqvist, 805-705-5349.
The Author wishes to thank Mr. R. Almqvist for his invaluable assistance in making this article possible.
