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Miniature Horses: Do Good Things Always Come in Small Packages?
03/30/2009
While there’s a lot of information about horses available on the internet, there’s less miniature horse information available.
While there’s a lot of information about horses available on the internet, there’s less miniature horse information available. Just as dog breeders have been breeding dogs increasingly small (the latest? Miniature huskies), horse breeders have responded to the marketplace by breeding horses smaller and smaller. Unlike Shetlands or ponies, miniature horses have all the same proportions as a full-grown horse, only on a much smaller scale. Because there isn’t much miniature horse information available, we’ve decided to take a look at miniature horses in order to figure out if good things always come in small packages.
History
Historical miniature horse information is easy to come by because of the horses’ unique pedigree. Miniature horses were bred as a novelty—they were intended as a present to the Hapsburg Royal family in the 1600s. The UK provides additional miniature horse information: in the 1800s, mini-horses replaced pit ponies in the coal minds of Wales and the English Midlands. Their graceful movements and smaller size made them the logical choice.
The smallest breed of miniature horse was developed in South America in 1868. Historical horse information tells us that breeder Patrick Newell used small Andalusion horses, which had already evolved to be smaller in Argentina’s mountainous wilderness. Newell based on this horse information to his son-in-law, Juan Falabella, who crossed the Argentinean Andalusion with Welsh and Shetland ponies. The result was a miniature breed that stood around 2.5 feet tall.
Activities
Believe it or not, miniature horses can carry the weight of many full grown adults. And their small size makes them less intimidating to children, those with back or hip problems, and individuals with special needs. Therapeutic miniature horse information is available that shows the benefit these horses have on the emotional and physical lives of many people. In addition, miniature horses can be entered in competitions just for miniature horses. Jumping and racing horse shows are not unusual, though for racing, the horses often pull their riders on carriages rather than have them ride on their backs. Competitive miniature horse information is easily available online if you’d like a chance to watch a show near you.
Care
The lack of widespread miniature horse information can make it difficult to care for a miniature horse, who has special needs that taller breeds do not. For example, a miniature horse foal is often only 1.5 feet tall when it’s born, so special care must be taken to be gentle when handling it, and to keep it separate from bigger horses, who may unintentionally trample it. When little, miniature horses can develop curved or deformed hooves, so it’s important to get all the medicinal horse information you can you’re your vet, and take your miniature horse in for regular hoof trimming. Dietary miniature horse information to keep in mind: miniature horses are prone to overeat, so to keep them from eating themselves sick, keep your miniature horses away from lush pastures. Luckily, financial miniature horse information is available which reveals that a miniature horse costs 1/10 as much as an adult horse over the course of its lifetime.
