Unfortunately, miniature horses are very expensive. The best show horses sell for thousands and thousands of dollars, with stallions being the most expensive. But a miniature horse breeder often has horses that are not perfect enough to be champions or to use as breeding stock. These animals may be bought for a few hundred dollars. The least expensive and best miniature horse for family fun is a gelding. Geldings are male horses that are not perfect enough to be used for breeding. The organs ..

People fall in love with miniature horses for many reasons. Some mini owners once raised full-sized horses but now have retired and moved to smaller property where they can't keep big horses. By having minis, they can still share their love with horses, even though they don't have a lot of room. Other people keep minis because they want their children to be able to learn to ride safely while very young. Adults are too heavy to ride miniatures, but young children up to 60 pounds can. Minis are a ..

Minis get a chance to demonstrate their training in shows. Because miniature horses can pull carts and buggies, driving classes are popular at shows. The horses are shown at a walk and a trot. In these classes, the most important things are the performance of the animal and how well the vehicle, horse, and driver work together and how good they look together. Like other horses, minis can jump, and their jumping ability is tested in shows. Full-sized horses are ridden in jumping classes. But si ..

The American Miniature Horse Association, which keeps track of most of the minis in the world, began in 1978. But long before that, many people in different countries were trying to create tiny horses. They used a variety of sources for breeding. Small horses and ponies had been used to work in coal mines in England and Holland. Some of these were brought to the United States in the nineteenth century. They were used in coal mines in the southern states as recently as 1950. The tunnels in mine ..

Would you like to know how much your miniature horse weighs? Maybe for their medication or just curious? Refer to this handy weight table from World Equine Veterinary Review/Vol.3:No.3: '98. Use a sewing tape measure to measure the heart girth and then consult the table below to find the approximate weight of your miniature horse. ..

Did you know? Over 1,000,000 people each year benefit from the 10,000+ registered therapy animal teams' work‐ and many of them are Miniature horses! THERAPY with MINIATURES Would you like take your Miniature to visit hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and schools as a registered therapy animal? Currently there are over 220 registered therapy Miniature horses nationwide that are helping people in their own communities. Research shows that positive inte ..

There are many compelling reasons to use miniature ponies guide animals. Horses and Miniature ponies are natural guide animals and have been guiding humans for centuries. In nature, horses and mini ponies have been shown to possess a natural guide instinct. When another horse goes blind in a herd, a sighted horse accepts responsibility for the welfare of the blind horse and guides it with the herd. With humans, many blind people ride horses in equestrian competitions. Some blind people ride alon ..

How equine therapy is helping children and adults find peace of mind. Horses make a great companion for psychotherapy because they can mirror and respond to human behavior, And crucially, “there no judgment with a horse” It’s Friday in Buckeye, Arizona laughter can be heard from the streets below. Sarah Smith is sprawled on her bed, diligently peeling through sociology notes, preparing for her impending exams. An acoustic guitar rests against her bed, and the United States flag is pinne ..

A good daily routine to follow: Start with a soft bristle brush for the face. Regular brushes are too hard for the sensitive face of a miniature horse, so save those for the legs and body. @ If eyes or face need more cleaning, moisten a wash cloth and gently rub the places that need attention. Everyday clean his feet, pick out his feet with a metal tool. @ Gently brush the forelock, mane and tail using a pin cushion type of hair brush. Start from the bottom of the tail and work your way ..

The daily care of the hoof falls to the owner, who should pick out each hoof every day, removing rocks, dirt and other foreign matter that will otherwise collect and create foot problems. Every six week, whether he wears shoes or not, your pony will need to have his hooves trimmed. If your pony is unshod and sweet natured about it, you may learn to trim each hoof yourself; otherwise, you'll be hiring a farrier to take care of hooves, including the removal and replacement of shoes. ..