How many years have you had minis?

[Reble]

I really, really need everyone's prayers for a healty 2010 foaling as well as guidance for where to go forward with a plan for where to go with my program. Sorry to have babbled. As far as the original thread: GOING ON THREE YEARS NOW.

Lots of

for you and others for a healthy foaling season..

Thanks for sharing....

 

[minie812]

Well I have had Biggies off and on up until 2007 when the car accident ended any thought of riding again and we started with a rescue mini in 2003 and have had upwards of 23 but I sold quite a few this past year as my energy and health HAVE to come first, Two mares left this past sunday and were bred to Fiesta. Sold a colt and he left 2 weeks ago and then I have little Tater that will be leaving within a few weeks

but she is going to a great home with Little Rosie and I am down to a more manageable level. Still a couple little stallions left but in no hurry as we have three little mares due within the nx couple months. May breed a few nx year maybe not

 

[Shortpig]

I got my first Mini's in 1995, first foals in 1996. Haven't ever really showed though. I still have my original horses and two of their foals. No longer going to breed. Done with that. Hoping to get more into driving this year and gelding my boy.

These horses will be with me forever.

Maybe this is the year I show a gelding who knows.

I did start riding when I was 5yo and had to give it up about 15yrs ago because of an incident with a Mule I was training.

By the way, he won.

 

[MindyLee]

Got my 1st mini in 2004. Now I'm up to 7 total but only allowed 6 (hanging onto 09 filly for the time being) and had my 1st show in 2005. Only show at 3 shows a year, fun club show, AMHR show, and the local fair.

x2 sr stallions

x4 sr mares

x1 yearling filly

 

[Relic]

ln 1982 my husband thought l didn't have enough to do

so while l was waiting for my youngest daughter to be born he got me a mini stallion then another and another. When we had to many minis on the 8 acres we lived on we bought a quarter section set it up the way we wanted and have kept a steady herd of around 40 head...we started to show in the early 1990's and haven't stopped since...though l was hoping when the girls left home the showing would stop but nope didn't happen the way l wanted..my youngest doesn't and never has wanted anything to do with horses and the oldest is horse crazy and can't seem to stop..

But life is good wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[sedeh]

Got my first big horse in 1976 but then had to go to college so sold her in 1977. Got back into big horses after college in 1984 and fell in love with Dressage. Moved up to Oregon in 1991 and discovered the wonderful trails and was big into horse camping and trail riding. Bad accident in 2001, broke my ankle and heel bone. After 3 surgeries in 2 1/2 years I was finally off crutches. Got my first minis in 2004 and started showing in 2005! Tried AMHA, AMHR and PtHA and loved showing PtHA so there I am still!! Now up to 14 minis with 2 more on the way!! I enjoy the breeding and showing and now driving!

 

[REO]

Big horses, all my life.....but we sold our last ones a year or so after we got into minis.

Minis, 17 years.

Showing, 16 years.

But we have not shown all that much any more. I wanted to concentrate on my breeding program. But I would love to show again some time!

 

[Dr. Pam]

Bought our first two miniatures at a dispersal sale outside of Chicago in 1986, a mare and a gelding. Used them with my 4H club for 5 yhears. Started showing after we moved to Ca with that mare's daughter in 1995, then the kids all started showing in 1997. Hard to believe we've been in it so long with so little impact. We are not "in" with anyone, we are not affiliated with a major trainer--we have had a total of 17 babies. We haven't had a stallion until Mike bought me Big and Black for Christmas.

We have won some, lost some, and introduced miniatures to dozens of kids. Not much, but we're still here.

 

[eagles ring farm]

Bought my first full size horse in 1972 had her for 11 years and added a few others along the way boarded then then

then sold and had no horses in 1983 till 1994 bought 24 acres and started a boarding business

and trail riders did that till 2004 when we got our first miniature gelding just to learn to drive

fell in love sold the full size horses and all minis since

so 1st mini 2004 and started to show in 2004 also

right now we have 8

1 stallion

2 geldings

4 broodmares

1 -2 year old mare

but 3 foals on the way so that # will change again soon

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Got my first mini when I was 5 years old - a mini donkey that is!

And isn't it amazing how times have changed? He wasn't gelded, he wasn't trained at all and my parents put me up there on him with no riding experience, bareback, using a halter, no bit.

Not surprisingly, he threw me eventually and I broke my arm.

that was 38 years ago.

Got my first mini horses in 2005 or 2006 I believe - would have to look for sure. And started showing the following year.

This will be my first year not to show and it's going to KILL me! I will really miss it.

 

[Kendra]

My grandparents bought our first 3 miniature horses in 1981. I showed for the first time in 86, when I was 6 years old, but the rest of my family had been showing for a few years before that.

 

[sfmini]

We got our first mini in 1981 and started showing the following year and haven't stopped since.

I will never forget taking our little stallion to show at the Ohio State Fair. He won the 32 - 34 Senior stallion class. Judy came out, handed me his trophy and ribbon and went back for the championship. I read the trophy and about choked! It read AMHR National Champion Senior Stallion 32" - 34"!

Blew our minds, we didn't even know we were at the nationals, just the state fair!

 

[dreaminmini]

Well, we got our first mini, a 3 year old gelding, in the spring of 2008 and then spring 2009 we added two more, a two year old filly and a yearling gelding, to the family. That way we have have our own

We first started showing in 2009 and we had a great time. Even braved Nationals and that was an eye-opener

Can't wait for this year to start!

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I had full size horses before Minis, but I bought my first Minis in 2001 and then had my first foals born in 2002. I guess that is 9 years now! I haven't shown at all yet, I haven't had the time to try it out.

 

[REO]

Jody, who was that stallion?

 

[sfmini]

Never well known, but his name was Dutson's Nightcrawler. Coal black with dapples, we showed halter, color, liberty. Got kind of frustrated in halter, kept coming in 2nd or 3rd. Some darn horses named Boogerman and NFCs Manipulator kept beating him

He was also reserve national champion solid color at the fair, in a very large class, close to 60.

 

[REO]

Neat!

Thanks for the info Jody!

 

[wildoak]

Tony wins

LOL.

Have ridden and owned QHs most of my life, since about 1960, and have a grown daughter who still rides and has aspirations (if not the budget yet

) to show again.

We bought a miniature colt from Tony in about 1996 or 97 just to play with, gelded him and Katie went to on show and win all kinds of titles with him before we sold him. Bought a weanling mare soon afterwards, then my husband (NOT a horse person) and daughter went to the Monastery Sale with no trailer & no intentions, and came home with three mares! It was a fast ride from there to about 30 horses, we've shown, raised some nice babies and enjoyed every bit of it along the way. We are at just over 30 right now, with 8 of them geldings. Looking ahead, my plan is to pare down the breeding end and concentrate on a few nice horses to drive and show, and maybe breed a mare or so a year.

Jan

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I was lucky enough to be raised with horses -Mom literally rode when she was pregnant with me- so I've been into biggies all my life. Rode in utero, in a baby backpack, then pillion behind mom (I still have memories of sitting in front of her and being allowed to hold the reins and guide the horse for the first time- such a big deal to a toddler!

) and then led from the big horse on my first pony. I've been showing since I had that first old-style Shetland and only stopped for a few years in high school and college when my Arab had to be forcibly retired.

Mom and I attended the two mini shows at the local fairgrounds each year and always said we wanted one someday but were both happy with one horse each so we never looked into actually getting one. I did some driving with my big horse back in the mid-90's.

Then I met Kody in 2004 and there was no question he had to come home with me. No matter what his physical problems were, that horse is my equine soulmate and was meant to be with me.

Of course I plunged back into showing and haven't looked back. It nearly killed me having to sit out the 2009 season when Kody injured himself.

I've met plenty of nice minis for sale that I didn't want and a few that weren't for sale which I did want, but I was still perfectly happy with one mini until Kody hurt himself. I could never replace him and don't want to try but I did need something else to focus on to keep me positive so I now have another mini colt a friend allowed me to have as a project. Two plus my retired big horse is definitely my limit!

It's hard enough to split my time between the two I've got; more would drive me crazy and dilute what I love so much about training these little guys.

So big horses- 28 years.

Minis- 6 years.

Showing- all my life

AMHA/AMHR/CDE- 6 years

Leia

 

[Minimor]

We got our first minis the fall of 2001 and started showing them the next summer, 2002. Our first show was one of the local fairs that we've always enjoyed so much.

I was born into a horse family so grew up with the big horses--and actually had a Mini (Shetland/POA cross but she was Mini sized) when I was a little kid--but after she was sold it was all big horses for many years. Mom started showing in Morgan classes in 1966 but I didn't show the big horses until 1976--we showed them for nearly 20 years before taking a break from it--didn't start back to showing until 2002 with those Minis.

I have to say the first time I went out in the ring with the Minis I felt kind of silly--there I was showing with people that I'd shown with when we were taking the Morgans out, and I just felt out of place! But, I enjoyed it too, obviously, since I'm still doing it & am now out of the big horses except for one Morgan mare.

We got our first American Shetland in 2008 and then have added more ponies since then--we showed the ponies for the first time last year & I found that I really enjoy showing them, they are much more fun than the Minis, just because of the rail work--it's more like showing the Morgans again! We'll be taking the ponies out again this year--I'll be showing 6 ponies and maybe 1, 2 or 3 Minis. Had been thinking 3, but now am more inclined to say just one or two.