Why minis?

[JPiantedosi]

I notice that ALOT of folks on here have mini's. What drew you too them? I have seen alot of mini's around, and have even seen a couple of teams pulling small carts.

I have never really been around any, and assume that may have something to do with my I just dont get it.....

So, Why Mini's?

Jim

[beccachow]

I never thought twice about them until my friend next door got some. Then she bred them. And...well...



...and then there is...



...and then she bred again, and well...



That last little fellow went to a home in Florida where he is a therapy horse, as in meeting nursing home residents and such.

One thing I like is that they require very little pasture as opposed to the big fellas, and of course feeding them is a fraction of feeding the big boys as far as hay amounts.

I am thinking when I finally get too old to take care of the big boys, some little ones would fill the horse void.

[Harmony_Meadows]

Minis are great for folks who either don't ride anymore or don't ride at all that want to interact with horses. They are easy to care for, require much less feed and are, for the most part, much less expensive to have than their large counterparts. They make great companions to larger horses and are a lot of fun to drive. They are a great alternative for small farms, and people who just generally want the smaller option. And they are just so darn cute!!!

[lamoncha lover]

LOL
I was of the mindset..what GOOD are they? Never could get the attraction.I like to ride!
Then I started getting a bit older. 100 pound grain sacks became a thing of the past. Stacking tons and tons of hay...I just don't want to do it anymore.
I was saddened to think maybe some time in the future..and maybe not quite so long from now..I would miss that horse bond. I got 1 little mini Misty to kind of "check it out" Hmm not too bad...soon several rescues and a young showmare followed.
Been wanting a baby for almost 2 decades. Can't rationalize breeding A BIG HORSE. i don't ever plan on breaking a horse again. Won't send one off for training, and don't want to ride green. But I want a baby, bad. So 2 of my minis are bred. I don't have to feel bad bringing another foal in to the world as they came bred, And I don't have to get on an unbroke horse. They still nicker, whinny, buck, thunder hooves, nuzzle, have liquid brown eyes, soft muzzles and smell like horses. They aren't going to eat my pasture down to dirt..or tear it up so bad with their little hoves.
I still have horses the big kind. And still plan on riding. But the day that I can no longer doesn't seem nearly so dismall. I plan on being the grey haired granny that drives a pair to mini's for her groceries. Not so bad after all.

[6e]

I got them for quite a few reasons. One was we lost our big pasture and with the continuing drought, they can be kept on a lot smaller space and eat a lot less. They're smaller and easier to handle for someone getting older. They can be kept in smaller stalls and so are space saving in that regard.
I can't ride any more due to my knees just won't tolerate it any more, but I can sit in a cart. So that was a big plus. I also have little children and so that was a consideration too and their value is as high or higher than a full size horse and yet you have a lot less investment in them due to size, so that was another consideration.
I have always had a love of the Arabian breed and my minis are the scaled down Arabian type and so I couldn't be any more tickled pink with them.

[bergere]

I bought my Miniature mare Maggie when I was still young and healthy.
Got her because I had a small hobby farm and I trained her to do scaled down draft work and to cart.
She helped a lot.
I moved to a bigger farm in a different state, trained her to sawbuck and pannier..
Then the nasty accident happened.
Didn't know if I would be able to ride again.
She helped me walk again and she still does help me walk when I want to do a short hike on the property.
I hold on to part of her mane and she helps pulls me up ....

Anyway...

Miniature horses are a great way for people that are older, and/or have been hurt, to still be around horses.

They are smaller, easier to fence, cheaper to feed, when properly trained, easier to handle and they can do so many things.

Maggie is trained to Cart, do draft work, pull a stone boat, pack and so on.... and she loves it!
This is Maggie and I, with her Hyperbike..... she is incredibly fast!


I still ride my Icelandic's, but with the damage to my body, they will be my last big horses.
Maggie, I hopefully will have for a long time to come.

[lamoncha lover]

well heck yeah..love the pictures.

[arabian knight]

Originally Posted by JPiantedosi

So, Why Mini's? Jim

I guess in my case was I liked to work with the babies, and young horses. I really liked to work with the babies and see how they would progress in their training.
This was back in the 70's when mini prices were way out of site.
Then I had a chance to get a small Shetland, and had such a great time with him that I really enjoyed it immensely.
This is Josh in the house he was just great to train, I even had him housebroken. LOL

ANd I drove around like this for years even in two different cars. 1,000's of miles I hauled him in the backseat like that. LOL

Now Josh was only 2 inches over from being a B sized mini.
Then I got a good deal on a mini filly.
and did the same thing with here as I had done with Josh. LOL

And that is her in my Avatar as she also went with me 1,000's of miles like that in the backseat of the car.
Why Mini's?
It is hard to do this with a full sized baby horse LOL

So as you can see the Trust these horses have in me and the Trust I have in them these pictures tell a lot IMO.
And like I wrote I liked working with the young ones. This pic is of a 7 month old Purebred Arabian filly~ 7 MOnths Old I had only had her a little over a month and yet she trusted me to come in like this. LOL
Yes in the house no rope on no halter on just "in" the house. LOL


Want to see more pics visit my picture link. LOL

[Fetherhd]

STOP!!! STOP!!! CAN"T...resist...the...CUTENESS!! hehehe it is funny but every year...as I get a little older, stiffer, slower...ect. ect. A mild interest in these little fellows is becoming stronger and stronger. I am ALLOWED to have horses is town...hehehe and can see one or two minis hanging out in my yard!!!

[lamoncha lover]

well fetherrhd..plan on 1 or 2..but be prepared for a herd!

[arabian knight]

Originally Posted by Fetherhd

STOP!!! STOP!!! CAN"T...resist...the...CUTENESS!! hehehe it is funny but every year...as I get a little older, stiffer, slower...ect. ect. A mild interest in these little fellows is becoming stronger and stronger. I am ALLOWED to have horses is town...hehehe and can see one or two minis hanging out in my yard!!!

Yes and working and handling mini's is way easier on the body that is getting well up there shall we say. LOL
I know I have severe RA and have more fun just "being around a mini horse or mini donkey even if I now would have a hard time to ride and keep up a full sized horse.
That is also on reason I moved over to mini's after having Arabians for some time.
Even driving them is fun as you can get what is called "Easy Entry" cart, so no framing type bar to lift ones leg over if the knee and leg joints are sore and stiff.

[Teej]

Waaaay back when I saw a picture of a Falabella in a magazine and it gave a history of them. Weren't really heard of in the U.S. yet or at least in my area (no pc's then either so the whole world wasn't at your fingertips). Anyway, I saw the pic and said "aaah too cute, I want one". When minis started becoming known here I couldn't justify to myself spending the kind of money they wanted for them.

In '01 hubby made the mistake of leaving me alone at the Hoosier Horse Fair while he went to run an errand and I came across a yearling AMHA colt that they were raffling off to raise money for their club. I bought 6 tickets for 5 bucks, spent some time petting him and then walked away and pretty much forgot about it since I never win anything. Hubby answered the phone the next day, came and found me and said "What did you do?" LOL Now I have 3.

So, why mini's? I don't know why other than to say I love horses of any kind and if I had unlimited resources I'd have at least one of every breed.

[CheerfulMom4]

The mini we just got was for my son. He doesn't care much for the big horses (we have 2) but he is really excited to drive.
Now I'm finding this taking a different twist. My newest mini is a bit much for my son but I absolutely adore him. We will see in time if he will be good for my son to drive but if not I can always get another for my son because they are so much cheaper to feed.
I wasn't ever going to have a horse of my own again but I think this little guy might be it.
When I say a bit much for my son, he's not mean or anything. Really sweet, kids love to pet him. I just don't think he's had much driving experience in the real world, mostly an indoor.
Want to find something more been there done that for my son.

[CheerfulMom4]

Bergere, a hyperbike is my dream!! Do they also make them for bigger minis? My guys is actually a pony I guess..he's 42 inches.

[Bret4207]

I'm not a fan of huge horses, but I never got the mini thing either. I realize part of that is because a neighbor lady had a mini stud that she wouldn't keep in. That little so and so ran a boarded horse through a fence at our place and cost me a lot in vet bills.

To each their own!

[Irish Pixie]

I'm considering a mini (or small pony) for my two year granddaughter's first equine. I have larger mares (16 and 16.2 hands) and a mini would be just her size.

[6e]

Originally Posted by Irish Pixie

I'm considering a mini (or small pony) for my two year granddaughter's first equine. I have larger mares (16 and 16.2 hands) and a mini would be just her size.

Just make sure the one you get is very laid back, gentle and has been taught manners. Some mini's are treated more like pets than horses and are little holy terrors.

[6e]

Originally Posted by Bret4207

I'm not a fan of huge horses, but I never got the mini thing either. I realize part of that is because a neighbor lady had a mini stud that she wouldn't keep in. That little so and so ran a boarded horse through a fence at our place and cost me a lot in vet bills.

To each their own!

That can be true of big horses too. That's just owner responsibility more than the horse itself. We have 2 mini mares. The neighbors down the road had a stallion that they couldn't keep in to save their lives. It was ALWAYS down here and we'd have to keep the girls off the pasture or he'd be out there flirting with them and I was afraid he'd hurt them. We'd run him off back to his house. So, big horses or little horses, especially stallions, can be a real pain if your fences aren't good.

[CheerfulMom4]

One thing I'm noticing with minis is how hard it is (around here anyway) to find one that actually does something. I am looking for the same type of mini for my son as I have found in bigger horses for my beginner riders.
I have yet to find a mini that is being used. In our area I find mostly stallions and bred mares. The others (like the one I bought) that have been trained to drive haven't done so in years.
I would pay good money for some not pretty looking, well mannered driving horse but can't find one.

[lamoncha lover]

cheerful mom...funny you should mention that,
I was just thinking wouldn't it be an awsome thing to take some of these mini's who are sound but not trained and get them driving? I see the pasture ornaments over staying their welcomes sometimes and ending up at auction. Don't think there would be a better way to help them then to train em, give em a job..and find them good homes.
If others would be willing to pay good money for what you are looking for..a person could reinvest it and save some more. maybe I wil do it....