Just what IS the "SMALLEST" horse?

[disneyhorse]

Many of the breeders are avidly against miniature horses that measure over 34" because they feel the breed should be breeding for the SMALLEST horse. They may feel breeding for a taller, leggier horse is detrimental to the breed.

Is there a line that should be drawn? What SIZE is the overal goal? Isn't it fine to stay in a height range of about 28-38... a range of ten inches, that gives a miniature horse for everyone? The 28"-31" horses for someone who just likes a small, cute animal and the taller ones for the performance lovers?

Those breeding for the SMALLEST horse... I think maybe it's a little bit mislead sometimes. Is our goal a horse that can fit in the palm of your hand?

I think (personally, and this is of course my opinion) that our responsibility as breeders is to maintain the current sizes of our horses, but the goal should always be QUALITY. I think sometimes people get blinded by that. They gripe because a judge picks a taller horse, but that taller horse is almost ALWAYS better quality overall. Quality is to be judged higher than size, and I believe that is the judge's proper ethics. The size issue should only come into play if two horses are equal quality. That is how I interpret the rulebooks to be.

Size is relevant... as lovers and owners and breeders of the Miniature Horse, we DO have the SMALLEST horse out there in the horse world!

Our ponies are the smallest horses, and we ARE breeding the "smallest horse" even if they are 37" tall!

That's my perspective on the "size" issue.

Andrea

 

[Voodoo]

Personally I don't see anything wrong with breeders going for the tiny horses, as long as they are using quality stock and getting nice well proportioned horses. I am a lover of the tiny ones and have even used them as driving horses. The only difference being that you may need to drive a team instead of one or four instead of two, but hey we all know they are like potato chips and you have to have lots of them any way :bgrin . On the other hand I don't see a problem with those who like the taller horses either, as you said we still have a breed full of the smallest horses out there. I think it's personal prefrence really, as for the judging I really don't know as I was never really into showing. All I really care is that the breeders be concencious (Sp?) of the stock they are breeding so as the years go by hopefully we are getting the highest quality in all sizes.

 

[kaykay]

heres the thing. its not an either or proposition!! that is what makes miniatures so great. there is a size for everyone! my smallest is 30" and my biggest is 46". And i have just about everything in between there lol. I think we all get way too caught up in the whole size issue.

I will say when i first started i worried constantly about wether my foals would go over. Or maybe a mare would go over 34". (and one did) I was caught up in the whole "only horses 34 and under are miniatures"

Once i let go of that i felt like i had so much more freedom and fun with my horses. I wasnt stressing and constantly measuring because I didnt care anymore.

I just like well conformed big moving horses. And if that comes in 30" or 46" doesnt matter to me

 

[New2Minis]

I agree that size is not everything, healthy happy horses are more important to me. A friend of mine commented on my 2 minis, that they were too big at 31" and 32"..........Some people who are not educated on Mini's think they have to be a dwarf to be consider a "true" Mini........My preference is the size I have...JMO.

 

[~Karen~]

Just my own novice opinion, but I see it the way "Voodoo" sees it. Quality is the utmost importance, the health of the horse, reguardless of it's size. I see it as kind of like dogs, some people may be picturing that one day they could have a horse in their town house in the city if they chose to do so if the breed was small enough. There are people out there that want to be noticed, and if it meant to have a rare palm in the hand horse, that would be what they want. This may be where all the hype is stirring from?? When it comes to showing and registry, I agree about a good conformation should be #1 priority. If downsizing the breed without jeapordizing the health is capable, then I say, to each his own, a size for every taste.

~Karen

 

[Buckskin gal]

But the Miniature horse isn't only about size..the Standard says the objective is to breed for the smallest possible PERFECT horse. No where does it say to just breed for the smallest horse :no: In a class, the smallest most perfect horse may be 34" but it could be 30" or even 36". We have to keep in mind that when the Standard was made it was nothing about breeding dwarfs...there isn't anything perfect about a dwarf! Keep everything in a resonable perspective and there won't be so many problems. JMHO Mary

 

[Joyce]

I prefer the smaller sized AMHA horses myself and always tried to size down when picking who to breed to who. Personally, I prefer minis to be 26" to 31". And I want good conformation and good personalities.

Guess I want alot !!!

Joyce

 

[Buckskin gal]

May I ask, is the 46" a typo or did they change the Standard for minis? Last I knew the top size for a AMHR mini was 38"...gosh I hope they aren't any bigger. Mary

there is a size for everyone! my smallest is 30" and my biggest is 46". And i have just about everything in between there lol. I think we all get way too caught up in the whole size issue.

 

[disneyhorse]

I think she was referring to "small equine" in general and not "miniature horses" specifically. The cutoff show height for shetland ponies (which are SMALL EQUINE!) is 46" at the withers.

Andrea

 

[kaykay]

thanks disney! yes i have a shetland that is 46". so all i meant was i have horses ranging in size from 30 to 46" See to me they arent "those are minis and those are ponies" they are "my horses"

:

 

[runaway ranch]

I always breed for quality first. If I can get a tiny quality miniature that great. However, is some grow to 36 or more, I still love them.

 

[Dona]

Many of the breeders are avidly against miniature horses that measure over 34" because they feel the breed should be breeding for the SMALLEST horse. They may feel breeding for a taller, leggier horse is detrimental to the breed.

Is there a line that should be drawn? What SIZE is the overal goal? Isn't it fine to stay in a height range of about 28-38... a range of ten inches, that gives a miniature horse for everyone? The 28"-31" horses for someone who just likes a small, cute animal and the taller ones for the performance lovers?

Those breeding for the SMALLEST horse... I think maybe it's a little bit mislead sometimes. Is our goal a horse that can fit in the palm of your hand?

I think (personally, and this is of course my opinion) that our responsibility as breeders is to maintain the current sizes of our horses, but the goal should always be QUALITY. I think sometimes people get blinded by that. They gripe because a judge picks a taller horse, but that taller horse is almost ALWAYS better quality overall. Quality is to be judged higher than size, and I believe that is the judge's proper ethics. The size issue should only come into play if two horses are equal quality. That is how I interpret the rulebooks to be.

Size is relevant... as lovers and owners and breeders of the Miniature Horse, we DO have the SMALLEST horse out there in the horse world!

Our ponies are the smallest horses, and we ARE breeding the "smallest horse" even if they are 37" tall!

That's my perspective on the "size" issue.

Andrea

While I personally PREFER the smaller minis, I'm fine with minis ranging from under 30" up to 38". There is enough variance there to satisfy everyone (or there should be)

:

But I don't agree with your statement that "taller minis are almost always better quality". Nonsense! Taller certainly does NOT equal better. The taller minis/Shetlands ARE usually more "refined" giving them a longer look in the legs & neck....which is what usually wins in the showring today. (note: Refinement alone does not equal quality) I've seen many absolutely stunning under 30" minis who are top quality with as perfect conformation as you can get on a horse. What the tiny ones don't have yet tho....is that extreme refinement of most of the taller minis. The smaller they are, the harder that is to achieve. But it is coming. Just look at the difference in the smaller minis of 20 years ago...and the ones who are winning today. There have been great strides made by dedicated breeders. And that is what it takes.....years & years of dedication to improve a breed. The under 30" minis, as a whole, are never going to have the extreme refinement of the Shetlands or some of the taller "B" minis, but that certainly doesn't mean they aren't "Quality" ...... They are just a different "type".

You may have a 28" mini with perfect legs, bite, gorgeous head in porportion to body, nice upright archy neck, etc.

Put him next to a 38" mini with perfect legs, bite, gorgeous head in porportion to body, nice upright archy neck, etc.

The 38" mini will naturally be more refined and "horsey" looking.....but that doesn't take away from the fact that they are both TOP QUALITY minis.

Unfortunately, we have not yet accepted a "type" standard in the Miniature Breed....so we have Miniatures who resemble muscular Quarter Horses, some who resemble heavy Draft Horses, some who resemble lanky Thoroughbreds, some who resemble Hackneys, and some who resemble refined Arabians.

:

Just because a Miniature may not have the look of a Hackney, or Arabian .....does not mean it is lesser "quality". It simply isn't the "type" that you typically see winning in the show ring today.

 

[disneyhorse]

I'm sorry Dona, I didn't mean that a taller horse is always better quality. I meant that WHEN a person gripes after a class because they feel the judge merely picked the horse because it was taller, the judge picked the horse because it was better quality (most of the time, anyway, as judges are only human...). I hope that clarifies what I meant, it was situational. Lots of times people just feel a horse got slighted in the ring because of size, and cannot actually see the QUALITY (barn blindness). People who feel judges should pick the "SMALLEST best horse" will use that as their excuse when a judge picks the taller (better quality) horse.

Andrea

 

[Buckskin gal]

Yes I figured there must have been a mistake because she did say "that is what makes miniatures so great. there is a size for everyone! my smallest is 30" and my biggest is 46". And i have just about everything in between there lol. I think we all get way too caught up in the whole size issue."

Only miniatures were mentioned

: Mary

I think she was referring to "small equine" in general and not "miniature horses" specifically. The cutoff show height for shetland ponies (which are SMALL EQUINE!) is 46" at the withers.

Andrea