Your first minihorse = tell me about it.

[Sam]

HI all again. I was looking through threads and posts here and there is so much knowledge. How old were you when you got your first Mini, and how did it happen? I’m sure there are stories here about getting them as a young person, or wanting and having to wait until you were an adult.

And if you have any photos of you and your first Mini would be a lot of fun to see.

 

[Cayuse]

I have had horses and ponies all my life, some of my first memories involve horses. I was in my mid fifties when I decided to get a mini horse and learn to drive because I have arthritis and riding was becoming too much. That was three + years ago and it has been an adventure. My husband was not on board with this decision AT ALL until we went to see Peanut who would eventually become my first mini. I was not keen on Peanut as he had some issues, but hubby said he "saw something" in the way Peanut and I interacted and he really pushed for the sale. Long story short, hubby had a better eye than me for horses that day and Peanut was exactly what I needed. He is a challenge, but a great teacher and buddy.

Hubby then became a mini convert and now has one of his own. This time I picked HIS mini ​

 

[Sam]

What a neat story @Cayuse. Extra neat that your hubby helped pick Peanut and now has a mini of his own. I’m glad you could stay with horses in spite of your arthritis.

Can you post a photo of Peanut and you if you don’t mind posting photos of yourself.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I got Dapper Dan when I was 49. We had horses all the time growing up, but he was my first horse as an adult. I knew I wanted to drive and bay is my favorite color, so I only looked at bay horses. Dapper Dan lived with 3 other stallions. He was 5 at the time and barely halter broken. We've been through a lot and learned a lot from each other. Now he is 22. He drives, has been to shows, visits schools and nursing homes, and entertains grandchildren. His little face is getting gray but he still frolics like a colt. This picture was taken the first day after he got off the trailer. Other miniature horses have come and gone but Dapper Dan stays till the end.

 

[Zarah]

Oh Marsha, Dapper Dan looks so good. I like that it’s okay to get them after one is well grown up. Is there a custom to have the hat and the trailing scarf material when dressed up for special occasions when the cart is in use?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

We were dressed up for a parade. Some carriage disciplines require a hat and lap apron, but we were just making a parade presentation. I have attached all sorts of elaborate stuff to Dapper Dan over the years. Thank you for complimenting him.

 

[minihorse]

That is a great dressed up carriage and you're looking particularly fine, too. Dapper Dan is a good name for such a nice looking horse.

 

[giggles]

I've always liked horses and horse riding but as a child wasn't allowed to own one. At 19 I went to America from UK and did some horse riding there. I returned to the UK 3.5 years later but had a baby to take care of and no money for a horse. Then my work as a foster carer took all my time so it wasn't a good time to have a horse. November 2013 I moved to Australia, ended up renting a perfect place to have a horse 3 years ago. We worked hard to fence the property and talked about having a horse on the same property. We ran it by our landlord who agreed to us having a horse. A friend across the street called my partner with the information that someone wanted to rehome a miniature. When my partner called up about it the person wanted a lot of money for this horse. So we waited and waited, then the neighbour across the road called us with 2 miniatures that she had been given. Both had lived together for many years and very spoilt but the owners had got too old to care for them. Our neighbour decided to keep the older one as he is VERY old and looked out for another mini for us. After a couple of days she came across a mare that needed rescuing and put the mare with the gelding to watch them on her property for a few days before bringing them over to us. That was about 18 months ago. We became the proud owners of Tiny and pebbles. Back in September we came across someone selling possible in foal minis. We went to look at them and found out that they are unhandled horses. She purchased them back in January 2018, put them with her mini stallion and left them to do their thing. There was one we fell in love with and just needed to get her out of where she was. We paid top $$$ for her. I tell people I have rescued a horse from a rescue as this person calls herself a rescue. But we got her home after one of this persons friends manhandled this poor horse into the float. She is such a scared little thing. I have worked on her some and have touched her a few times. When I go to touch her she shakes so bad, but she will learn that we are good people and she is in a good place. On Boxing Day she came within a foot of me on her own! she has never done that before, usually walks away from us.
So after wanting a horse since being a kid, I got my first one when I am in my 40's.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Great story, giggles, and it's so true that we often have to pay stupid owners to get horses out of bad situations. My sister and I once bought 5 horses from a stupid woman. I took a stallion and she got 4 mares. 3 of the mares had leg deformities, as did the stallion. But the stupid woman just kept breeding them. I ended up putting the stallion down, after gelding, then xrays showing his deformity, which made him unsound. My sister ended up putting down one of the mares and two went to pet homes. Free, of course. So glad you got horses at last!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Im another that has had horses all my life. I was 28 when I got my first miniature , I now have four. As many here have mentioned, Its a bit like a bag of chips, you cant just have one.

I actually brought a little colt once he was weaned. Along with him came a 3yo shetland . I still have both along with two others. The little shetland was broken in about 6 years ago. He has been out on lease and has taught kids to ride. A friend of mine helped me break him in and unfortunately she is no longer with us, so makes it hard to sell him.