MINIS - The Potato Chips of the Equine World

[chandab]

I've had horses for over 20 years and just love to be around them,

whether I ride or not...

Last January (2005), I had 5 full-size horses (one was for sale)

when I brought home my first mini Dakota, Buckeroo-bred stallion.

Since then I have added 3 mini mares. I am loving the minis and want

to bring more home. I plan to train them to drive when they are old

enough. I so enjoy just loving on them.

Any way, I still have the same filly for sale, hopefully, I'll get

her sold soon. But, now I'm thinking that I want to sell off a couple

more of the full-size horses. My equine dentist loves my 9 year old

mare and may be interested in purchasing her (when she brought it up,

I didn't have plans to sell the mare, but now I would be more than

willing to sell to her). I just sent an e-mail to a friend offering

to sell her my dun gelding; she had inquired about the filly, but

decided she didn't want a mare (so waiting to hear back). I won't

sell my senior gelding, he was my first horse and I love him too much

(besides he's well-trained under saddle); and I hope to keep my sorrel

gelding to replace the senior gelding as my saddle horse (started

under saddle this summer). [We raise cattle and use horses to move

the cows to and from summer pasture; so I'll always need/have one

horse, but I don't need 5 saddle horses.]

So, how many of you made the switch from full-size to minis?

Anyone regret it? Just curious.

CHanda

 

[Leeana]

We always leased horses before we got into Mini's.

We owned 2 horses (my dads) and then i was VERY into barrels so we leased Barrel Horses.

I made the switch, really without even knowing i was going to. I purchased Coco and from that time on the Big horses just didnt interest me anymore. Currently i have a Paint filly that im trying to sell and that is it for me in Big Horses.

No regrets, i liked to ride but it was never my thing. The only reason i stuck with it as long as i did was because my friends were doing Barrels & Poles. I'm not a big fan of ridding anymore either. Mini's are more my thing and i dont regret it one bit.

All horse people have a breed they love ...for some its Arabs, sme its QH's, Some TB's ...for me its Minis & Classics.

Leeana H.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I know this is a little off topic from your qustion but I always wanted full size horses. When it actually came down to the final decision, I felt I wasn't experienced enough for a horse that was bigger than me. So I got my minis. And I have no regrets. I may want a big horse someday, if I ever get back into riding, but for now, I am quite content with the little ones.

:

 

[ThreeCFarm]

:saludando: I did! I have a knee injury (due to a QH mare) that makes it painful to ride now. I REALLY REALLY REALLY miss it, but I still have my favorite big horse mare, so sometimes I suck it up and take her for a short ride. There are days when I just can't resist it. I drive the minis, but the feeling just doesn't come close to riding.

We made the switch because we just weren't riding much anymore and we had very limited space. The minis "fit" us better in many ways now. We still have two big horse mares and we'll keep them until they die. We've had them for 14 years, so we're kinda attached!

:

 

[Estelle]

I have the best of both worlds one of each! :bgrin I could never sell Fancy, she's my baby...and I have had her since she was 4 and is now 11 and barring some unforseen horrible thing will be with me until it is time to put her down..I dont ride nearly as much as I used to, but I do like to hit the trails and see the scenery and wildlife and to just relax out there....I just got my first mini several months ago and she wasnt at all what I was told she was i.e. trained LOL she's cute, but not what I bought into when I got her...I just dont understand dishonest horse folks, but ahh well that's a whole other subject LOL She is going to a new home Friday and I made sure it was a good one and that the woman knew exactly what she was getting in Sage. She is going to have her own 12x12 stall, 2 pastures one a dry lot that leads into her stall and one for her to be on grass. The woman may teach her to drive or she may just keep her as a pet. She wont be bred again (she was a broodmare from what I can tell before I got her) and will mostly enjoy being loved on. The woman has 2 other horses that are in there 20's that she got as yearlings so Im pretty sure she has a life home there which is great. She is only several miles from me and Im welcome to come see her anytime.

Even though Sage was not what I was told, she did really get my interest in minis going..and I now have a mini mare coming this weekend that is all trained to drive and I am so excited I cant stand it! :aktion033:

 

[chandab]

We made the switch because we just weren't riding much anymore and we had very limited space. The minis "fit" us better in many ways now. We still have two big horse mares and we'll keep them until they die. We've had them for 14 years, so we're kinda attached!

:

The not riding much anymore is one of the big reasons I'm thinking of selling most of my full-size horses. I love horses and being around them, but if I'm not going to ride, why have 5 saddle horses lounging around in the pasture? I can love on minis and get the "horsey fix" with less expense for feed, less chance of major injuries to me and I have room for more minis than full-size horses (although, acreage isn't a major problem, we raise cattle, so have lots of acres; although, only a small portion is mini safe).

 

[tracyCCF]

I got my first mini , as a gift to myself, back in 1988, and at the time had 8 tennessee walking horses. Since that time, minis multiplied, and the walking horses declined down to one ( my pet, an older mare that I had had since a weanling). I thought I would never buy any more big horses, no need to. I enjoyed the minis and showing, so why would I need to.

Well , I went to a friends husband's training barn. I rode one Performance walking horse, and I was a had lad.

I now have 6 TWH show horses, that all live at various trainers homes. So I thought, ok still no big horses at home, all is well. My niece , who is a wonderful girl , turns 13 this year, and guess what she wanted for her birthday, you got it, a Quarter horse. Never did I ever think I would buy a quarter mare. But I did, so now I have a big horse at home too. I think lots of mini owners get out of big horses, to just find themselves buying another one. At least I did.

 

[Flyin G Farm]

We raised AQHAs for several years....unfortunately I had several major incidents during that time so of course my hubby freaked out and wasn't wanting to see me get hurt any more. We had gotten 2 miniatures for my mother in law, and she was out having a great time with them. We had an opportunity to get a horse that had been there done that to teach us how to show and we never looked back. We had all of the AQHAs sold within a couple of years...we did hold onto a couple for my hubby to ride...but he just wasn't into it either. I don't regret it AT ALL! I love the little ones

:

Tracy

 

[nootka]

My first horse was an Arabian, and she and I "grew up" together. I later added a QH gelding, but sold him not long after as he needed a more experienced rider, or just a different one.

I got the minis almost ten years after my Arabian, and though I loved the old girl, I did finally sell her to a nice home where she gets a lot more attention and I don't have to worry about keeping her fenced from them. She's 22, now, and I do miss her and big horses, but this property is not suitable right now for full sized horses so maybe sometime down the road I will get another one, but I don't miss it as I have friends w/big horses if I need to ride now and then (and I do sometimes get out on the beach).

Liz M.

 

[Sandee]

:saludando: I did! I have a knee injury (due to a QH mare) that makes it painful to ride now. I REALLY REALLY REALLY miss it, but I still have my favorite big horse mare, so sometimes I suck it up and take her for a short ride. There are days when I just can't resist it. I drive the minis, but the feeling just doesn't come close to riding..........

Sorry to hear you miss riding. Do you drive?

I had rode and owned big horses on and off all my life. At 50 I took my first jumping lesson. I've also shown most of that time. A couple of years ago I was having knee trouble and decided it was time to give up on riding but still wanted the "horse fix" so we purchased an older mini gelding. He was a been there done that guy and taught us to drive. At 18 he can still out manuver most of the minis showing in obstacle. The first time I entered him in an obstacle class, he worked well up to the cones and then decided that I just didn't know what I was doing so he took over. He whipped around those cones at such speed I was just barely controling the reins - he was really "driving".

It was so exciting that I had to have more. So now we have a 3 year old stallion that does halter and just started driving and a yearling filly that shows even more promise for the future.

Would I have been able to keep on showing in my 60s with a big horse? Probably not. The arthritis in my hands and the rest of me makes braiding etc. a real chore. So what about body clipping - I sit on a chair and my guys are pussy cats. Comparing one to the other - 1000 lb. on your foot or 250 lbs - I can feed three minis for the price of one big horse and the "ouput" of 3 minis isn't near as much as 1 big horse;and my hubby will drive when he refused to ride.

Do I miss RIDING? Only for moments; then I think how my boys can scare the pants off me when they go whipping around in the cart. It's thrill enough to be able to control their power!

:

 

[shane]

me!!!!! ive always had big horses, up until last year i had my thoroughbred mare 16.2 i was so in love with her , and molly my irish draught, she was a professional jumper ,they wwere a lot of hard work and because of my arthritis i couldnt ride as well as i used to, also the work involded was to much on my joints, i then got a lovley wee driving pony,who nearly killed a friend of mine whilst out driving decided to go full gallop,as it was my six year old daughters pony i decided against keeping him, i was too scared for her saftey, then i got twinkle, it was so weird because before i got him, my hubbby said we should call him twinkletoes, this was before i even saw him,then when i got him i discovered his sire name was twinkleboots!!!! and looking back on his papers his great grandsire name was twinkletoes, so talk about a coinsidence

 

[Jill]

I have made the switch pretty much!

We got our first mini in November 1999 -- a very young weanling colt. Right off the bat, he came with his own small pony colt. At that time, I knew I would love having minis but thought "there's no way I'll have as much fun with minis as I do with my riding horses."

We got our first mare in May 2000, followed quickly by our second mare in July 2000 and the rest is history!

We still have our two now aging riding horses, though we really shouldn't call either of them "riding horses" at this point. They are basically fat, lazy, hanging out with their buddies horses.

At some point in the future, after my two big horses aren't around anymore, we may want to get some Tennessee Walkers just for fun. Right now, though, I kind of live, eat and sleep MINIS!

 

[Miniv]

We did it BACKWARDS! :lol: Back in the 1980's we heard about minis.......and we were city/suburbians!

In 1990 we bought our first mini after some research.......and it's been a learning experience ever since.

And about five or six years after that, we got our first full-sized riding horse.

MA

 

[targetsmom]

I have had big horses for pleasure for over 45 years and still have a 20 year old Pinto gelding (in avatar). He has had 2 colic surgeries and is very lucky to be alive, and of course has a home here as long as he wants. I still ride occasionally and even took him to a fun show last fall. At my age (60) I can't imagine adjusting to a new riding horse when Target is no longer around. Our first mini (where have you heard this before?) was obtained as a companion to Target. We bought a Pinto mini gelding in January 2004 because we were still showing Target at recognized Pinto shows and we figured we could take the mini along and show him too. Of course, now we have SIX pinto minis and we show them and leave Target home. Our farm is named after Target (On Target Miniatures) and we are raising pinto minis that can be registered and shown with PtHA. That narrows our selection a lot, but we still find plenty of opportunities to add to the herd!

 

[ThreeCFarm]

:saludando: I did! I have a knee injury (due to a QH mare) that makes it painful to ride now. I REALLY REALLY REALLY miss it, but I still have my favorite big horse mare, so sometimes I suck it up and take her for a short ride. There are days when I just can't resist it. I drive the minis, but the feeling just doesn't come close to riding..........

Sorry to hear you miss riding. Do you drive?

LOL Sandee, look at the last sentence of mine that you quoted!

: Yes, I drive!

 

[EAD Minis]

I will NEVER get out of my biggys even though i love the minis. I own a haflinger filly and a mini gelding and I couldnt imagine not being able to ride.I feel so bad for the people who cant ride any more :no: . Glad to hear u enjoy your minis!!

 

[love_casper]

OMG!!!!! :new_shocked: I was going to start a thread just like this tonight, actually i was heading towards the "new topic" button, when i saw this!!!!!

anyways, I have a Quarab mare, "Rosie Mesa" (or affectionately called Macy), that i have had for almost 2 years (our 2 year aniversary is coming up july...something... I have to look up the date.) that day we give her a little birthday party, as we don't know her real b-day, so we celebrate our aniversary. i will have her till the day she dies. she was my first horse, so yeah, she's my baby, and I ride her every single day, no matter what. even when i'm sick, or it's cold, or its rainy, or whatever, unless she is sick, lame, whatever. so i had plans of being a famous horse trainer, working with troublesome horses, doing natural horsemanship, and breeding my favorite breed: MORGANS!

well, i was going to do all that stuff when THE MINIS HAPPENED!!!!!! yes, the minis happened. yeah, i didn't even know of the mini breed's existance at all until i fell in love :538: with one at the barn where Macy is. then i began looking up the mini breed, seeing more pictures, and totally loving these tiny horses. then i began to think...well, maybe someday, when i own a ranch full of big horses, i'll have a mini just for fun. (and here is where it all began) but then, with a ranch full of big horses that get to play with each other in the pasture, that mini will feel left out. so i'll have a ranch and training facility with TWO minis. (well, we all know what happens from here!) i just wanted to, for curiosity sake, check out the price range of minis. you know, just for future reference. so i typed into google "miniature horses for sale" and somehow came accross this lilbeginnings. saw an add for some reasonably priced mini mares, and clicked on the link. just to see what price they can be mind you. just for fun. of course, i wasn't really loooking for a mini, but i mean, i had to take a look. so i'm scrolling down Cindy's web page, and what do you know! i see those eyes! those gorgeous eyes that screamed "TAKE ME HOME!" and, well, here i am, 9 months later (took me 4 months to do barn work to pay for her) from when i saw those eyes , here i am. me, ex-future-biggie-trainer, now with a mini mare, and a weanling on the way. we haven't found a weanling yet, but are getting one this summer.

talk about potato chip minis!!!!!! the once "i'm gonna be the best horse trainer ever" is now the "i'm gonna be the best mini breeder ever"

addicted: completely. but i am not going to stop riding and forget about the biggies like everyone thinks. i will someday have a ranch, and i'll have three biggies (one for me, mom, and dad) i still want that morgan someday, but all the biggies and my sweetheart Macy will be living on acres of pasture owned by my mini farm.

funny how things workout.

:

 

[CAM]

We started with Arabians and have slowly made the switch to minis however, not a complete switch. We have our 15yo Arabian mare Misty that was our first Arabian and we have a yearling black pinto half-arab colt and a weanling bay pinto half-arab filly. We have the colt for sale at this time but really hope to keep the filly. It will all depend on if we sell our house this summer and move into the 460 acres we are set to purchase. The big deal then will be to not fill up all that space. *LOL*

We have 1 stallion, 1 colt, 3 fillies (one sold but is here through the summer) and two mares in miniature now which is just perfect for us. Oh, and I can't forget our sweet 12.2+h Welsh/Arab cross pony that is in her 20s. She is our weaner for our large babies. She even lets them nurse off her for comfort and is a keeper for sure. Both the Arab mare and the pony are broke to ride with the pony being my daughter's horse.

 

[Magic]

I've made the switch. :saludando: Well, mostly... we still have two full size Paint geldings that we plan to keep forever, but they have been living in Wyoming at a brother-in-law's, on 250 acres. I doubt they miss us, lol! After we are moved and settled in, the geldings will come home and we will ride once in a while.

I've been riding most of my life, but the minis are really what have my heart.

:

 

[sugarboy]

GREAT QUESTION!!

I had run a riding stable for 15 years and had up to 17 riding horses at a time then I decided to give it up due to the costs, insurance etc. We kept just 2 or 3 riding horses for our own enjoyment. 3 or 4 years ago my best friend got into breeding miniature horses and I absolutely fell in love with one in particular. We bought him, he was a bay and white pinto stallion and he was so proud and to me gorgeous, okay so he's not halter quality but we didnt care. Anyway, everyone said " YOU CAN'T HAVE JUST ONE!!" I said yeah right, I'm all set with the one. Okay so

: , 6 mos. later Im shopping on the internet for the NEXT ONE. I found him Christmas eve night and purchased him right away, he was is Kentucky and We're in Maine so my daughters birthday is January 6th and although we couldn't give him to her personally I wrapped a photo of him and put the horse name and information on it along with "Congratulations" and her name. She was absolutely Speechless! It was SO precious! Okay, sorry off the topic. Okay so then I bought a pinto stallion this March and thought, Okay one a year I can do that. But then just last month we found a beautiful Black "Rowdy" bred mare and her 2 mos. old blue roan filly. So were up to 5 miniatures and I really only have a interest in buying more of them, and not the larger horses. We have a 22 year old Arabian mare and a 3 year old Paint filly that I'm training to ride, Im finding though that between taking care of the kids, the house, work and the home I'm running out of the time and energy that I used to train and prepare our riding horses for shows. I enjoy the mini shows much more, its generally easier. (No saddles to polish, chaps to clean etc.) And, its fun for the kids

The neat thing is that the kids don't need super expensive outfits and tack and even if they have never ride they can still enter a show, tell me that isn't a fantastic thing for these kids.

So yeah, we have made the switch for the most part to the mini's and we have 1 miniature that drives beautifully, one that is green and one that is just learning ground-driving. We love the driving so much that I really don't miss riding the larger ones.