How many years have you had minis?

[Lost Spoke Ranch]

I've owned and shown horses since 1971. Quarter horses for about a decade and POA's (Ponies of the America's) before that.

We owned and have been breeding miniatures since 1993 and initially had no desire to show. When "Catch" was born he sparked our desire to show, so we've been showing intensely and at top levels of AMHA/AMHR since 2005 in both halter and now driving. It's been a great adventure!

Dawn

 

[ohmt]

My great grandparents started in the minis in 1979 I believe. They just bought a few that year and the couple years after. I think the first foal crop they had was in 1981 or 1982. That foal crop included ARC Lollipop. For those that don't know of him, google his name! He is the sire to a lot of the First Knight mares that are producing World Grand Champions and he is the sire to AMHA Ntl Grand Champion Jr and Sr mare, Runnin Bares Classy Comment. After that they were hooked and always had 4 or 5 stallion and about 50-60 mares.

My great grandmother still owns a few mares, but my grandparents have pretty much taken over. They started breeding minis in 1989. I started managing the farm in 2000.

We don't show-hopefully I'll be able to get into the show ring this summer. That is if work and school allows...

 

[Miniv]

This has been a fun thread......

Larry and I bought our first mini in 1990. Participated in our first show in 1991 (where we first met Mark Bullington). By that time we had TWO minis.

In 1992 we were moving to larger acreage in Central Oregon and we owned 6 minis with two of them pregnant AND we were definitely bitten by the "show bug".

In 1994(?) we coordinated our first horse show for the Northwest Miniature Horse Club (AMHA).

Over the years we accumulated a dozen club year end high point awards for our youngsters and stallions.....plus a couple of Regional Championships......all with AMHA.

In 1998 we became active with AMHR as well.......(We discovered the Arenosa bloodline at that point.)

1999 was a HUGE year for us --

-- I coordinated another AMHA show for the Northwest Miniature Horse Club by myself! (That one proved to be interesting as Larry was in full throttle with transporting and Brianna was a two year old....so I strapped her into a stroller for that one!)

-- Portia Sue (and her then husband, Robert) took our AMHA stallion, "Alamos Locomotions Bay Escapade", to Reserve Grand Champion Futurity (Performance), plus Top 10 in Country Pleasure.... He also was awarded a bunch of year end awards with both AMHA and our Club for Driving and Liberty.....(We didn't bother showing him much in halter because he'd already gone Top Ten in that as a Yearling.)

-- Lori Gugliamo took our young Arenosa stallion, "Bristol El Dorado", and won 3rd at the AMHR Nationals in Halter. He also received all sorts of Year End High Point Awards, including Hall of Fame......... He literally won a Halter Championship in EVERY show Lori took him into.

AND THEN WE PULLED BACK FROM SHOWING....... We burned out? Part of it was that I was so focused on being a mom. I'd wanted to be one for SO many years.......

In 2003, we had leased out one of our geldings, "Columbia Gorge Gwideon" to a dear friend of ours. Her youngest daughter wanted to show him in driving. (They earned a lot of gelding money that year! LOL) Brianna was 6 years old and she wanted to experience "showing"........So, our friend, Denise Bernt, told us to come on over to the show! We knew that "Gwid" was bomb-proof and ready...... We tried to prepare Brianna for the experience, but being the Prima Dona she pushed us all off and with very little experience she plowed into her first YOUTH GELDING HALTER class...... (Mark Bullington was announcing for that one too!) Bri won a ribbon........I think it was the second from the last one awarded. LOL.

In 2005, Brianna and I took a weanling colt over to the last AMHA show of the season in the back of my mini van. She wanted to show him in the OPEN Weanling Colt Halter class! What was hysterical was that it took the local show office staff some time to acknowledge that a child could still show a WEANLING COLT..... Bri and our colt, Jeffie, were the ONLY exhibitors......so it was primarily a learning experience for all involved.......(AND a PHOTO OPP!!! LOL!)

After that, we only showed at the Oregon State Fair 2007 (AMHR)......with our Arenosas.........We took Championships with all of our horses there........

If we can swing it from several different directions, I would love to say we will be back showing at SOME level this year! Frankly, I MISS IT!

 

[Tab]

August 1997!

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

Got my first mini in 1995 and by 1997, I had 23. I dont know how the heck that happened.

Had Arabians, and Saddlebreds since 1955...and now I am aging myself. Gave the last 4 arabians to our son, when we went into miniatures.

 

[Jetiki]

I got into minis in 1993 when my QH mare went lame. I was visiting my neighbor she said here this colt could use some attention while your mare heals and I was hooked. I started showing her horses in the youth classes and still show for her today. I have my own horses too, its been a long fun ride. My goal is to one day be able to afford to go nationals. I love the minis and no desire to ride anymore. Give me a horse, a cart, and a harness that fits and I'm good to go.

Karen

 

[Connie P]

We have had minis for 16 years now - we used to show but not any longer as I just do not like it at all. We strive to produce horses that show and win (our filly CLP Starlight Jewel was the European Champion Junior Mare last year) but I will not take them out myself anymore.

 

[Ellen]

How fun! We have had and raised Arabs since the 80's, I then got into dressage and we sold off all but a few Arabs in 1995 and I got a better suited TB for dressage. And it was at this time we got our first mini gelding. We loved them and in 1999 we sold all but 1 riding horse and the minis tooks over. We have upwards of 30. Right now we have 13 AMHR/ASPC, Classics and Foundations. I love everyone!

 

[joylee123]

[SIZE=12pt]Biggies 1968, minis 1989

[/SIZE]

Joy

 

[Taylor Jo]

I've had Biggies on and off most of my life since I was 12, but then went years without having one while raising my kids then got back into it when I got into my fourties. But,

we got our first mini back in 06, and I had a biggy. Then a year later sold the biggy and that mini and the biggy and bought 2 more mini's. NOW...... I have 7. Mercy!!!!!! Just can't have 1.

TJ

 

[MiLo Minis]

I bought my first Mini 26 years ago this spring, a cute lil red pony that could walk under my full size horses. Five years later I bought a little mare to go with him and started showing him at carriage driving. A couple foals and a few more mares later I started showing at the Fairs and then the breed shows at the Fairs and AMHR shows. I have been showing Minis now for 14 years.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I was into western and english riding up until the age of 15 (in the early spring of 2005), when an accident in Volleyball practice left me with two VERY damaged knees and since then I can't ride very long at all, otherwise it hurts like crazy. I was very depressed that whole year because all I could do with my horse was groom him, care for him and watch him play - no riding at all. Come that October - I saw my very first Miniature Horse weanling. . .long story short my parents purchased him in the hopes that I would cheer up and have the "drive" to go outside and play with him - thus helping my knees to heal with exercise. . .which it did!

You can't stay away from a baby long and oh boy Sampson was my baby! He was my only one until myself and my fiance decided we of course had to get MORE! In December 2008 we purchased Azul & Allula as weanlings from a farm in North Carolina. Then in March of 2009 we purchased Ranger from Alabama. Next came Missy who was purchased in Georiga in May 2009, followed by Sassy who was purchased in October of 2009. Last but not least was our latest addition to our farm. . .Tiny Tim who was purchased by the same breeder as Sampson back in 2005. . .turns out they are cousins!

We love the miniatures and we plan on being in with them for the next 60 years - God willing, of course!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I got Dapper Dan 8 years ago. He was a 6 year old stallion that had never even had a halter on. I showed him in AMHA driving class the next year (as a gelding). There were only 2 driving horses that year, and we got a blue with one judge and red with the other. I've only shown in driving classes 3 years.

I like to have 2 horses, as that is my limit to work with and maintain. Dapper Dan is here forever, but horse #2 comes and goes. Dapper Dan is hard headed and strong willed. Since he is here to stay, I have used #2 to search for an easier one. Hopefully I've found him now.

I'd like to do more showing in performance classes, but the reality is I will probably continue with parades, nursing homes, and local fairs.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Got my first horse, an Arabian, in 1980. Got our first Mini in 1998, a weanling colt. Kinda snowballed from there... got our first Ponies in 2007. Now we have mostly AMHA/AMHR Minis. We do have five ASPC/AMHR Minis and two straight ASPCs. The colt will proabably be able to hardship R, the filly, no way.

She's already 39"!

 

[Versatility Farm & Training]

My family bought our first minis in 1986, I started showing 1987. I've been doing this all my life!

 

[Katiean]

We got our first mini in 1972. He was given to us and Dandy was a Black Pinto. This little guy was worth his weight in gold. He was a wonderful babysitter. The stable I kept him and my other horses at didn't charge me board for him because I allowed their granddaughter to take him out on lead line. She rode and had her own big horse. But she loved Dandy as much as we did. He passed in 1979. We didn't have another mini until 2006. We started showing in I think 2007. May have to stop showing because of show costs.

 

[ruffian]

Wow - I've been in this for 28 years!! First mini was a little black colt from Soat lines. Soat's Lil Ink Spot. He was a cutie, but boy have things changed over the years.

 

[Littleum]

I went to my first Miniature horse show in 1992.

The Bethany Show in Bethany CT.

It was a story in and of itself. It was FREEZING cold, POURING rain, WINDY and the ring was just some yellow tape in a field. It went downhill from there. That show was epic. I laugh now about it. No one was laughing then.

I placed 1st in Yth Halter Mare 13-17. I was the only entry. I was the ONLY entry in that class the ENTIRE year and won the NEMHS high point in the class. I found out when Tom and Lorraine brought home my trophy and ribbon from the banquet... had no idea. Neither did they.