Miniature horses, or ponies go back a long way. There are records from around 1650 of ‘tiny horses’ among the exotic creatures in Louis X1V’s zoo, and the Hapsburg monarchy bred them in the 17th century, possibly for their children or as pets.

Frankie - Ridgewood It Snow Illusion.

As a direct result of their size and success they were imported into the USA to work in the growing coal-mines of Appalachia.

From those animals an interest developed among American breeders, and a selective breeding practice began. It seems they were intent upon breeding an animal with perfect proportions to its larger cousins.

Miniature horses were developed from multiple sources. Shetlands and Dartmoors are obvious ancestors and over the years it is highly possible many bloodlines of full-sized animals were introduced. Today the miniature is thriving, but to give an idea of the depth of controversy surrounding what constitutes a miniature horse, there are no less than 30 different registries in the English speaking world alone!

Miniature horses retain many horse characteristics, including a fight or flight instinct, and should be treated like any other equine. When kept in ideal conditions, which should certainly be outside as much as possible even if they are ‘companion’ animals, they tend to be hardy (a very Shetland pony trait) and will on average live longer than their full-sized counterparts. 25-35 years seems to be common, and there is one reference of an animal in North Carolina attaining 50 years.

In the United States there are two registries for miniatures horses. The American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA) standard suggests that ‘if a person were to see a photograph of a miniature horse, without any size reference, it would be identical in characteristics, conformation, and proportion to a full-sized horse.’ In New Zealand Miniature Horses come in two height categories – Cat A up to 34 inches, and Cat B 34-38 inches with colours ranging all the way through from plain to loudest Appaloosa. Just like their full-sized counterparts they can be a fine thoroughbred type right through to a quarter horse.

 Today the miniature horse is finding a role as a guide-dog replacement, a charming pet which thrives on attention, and an excellent alternative to a full-sized animal for those of more nervous dispositions. They are intelligent and trainable, and Val Walton of Pinehaven Miniature Horse Stud has recorded small children being put on ‘unbroken’ animals with no problems. Increasingly they are being trained to harness.

They are also proving very popular in therapy sessions for disabled people. In terms of care and maintenance, they need the same as ordinary horses but on a much smaller scale. The winter feed-bill should be a huge relief to those used to big horses, and a big advantage is that they don’t pug the land nearly as badly during the rainy season!