Xander first foal this season for Ridgewood Miniature Horse Stud.

Miniature horses come in all different colours, shapes and sizes, but you can’t ride them, so why do people keep them and why are they so popular?

“I used to ride, and I had two Arabs – a brother and sister. He hated being left alone and would have a complete meltdown and gallop round the paddock like a loony, so I came up with the idea of a miniature mare to keep him company, as our property wouldn’t support three full size horses,” Val Walton of Pinehaven Stud told Rural Living.

“That was fine, save of course if I took the Arabs out I had to leave the miniature home alone. So I got a stallion and put the mare in foal and it kind of mushroomed…now 12 years later I have a bigger property, four stallions and over a dozen mares.

"I take in client’s mares for breeding and foaling and managing the stud takes up a lot of time so I don’t have the Arabs any more as I don’t have time to ride!

"The best thing about having the stud is the sense of achievement I get when I foal the mares and get to see the results of my breeding programme. I love the Appaloosa breed and have crossed my Appaloosa mares with a lovely frame Overo stallion I imported from America. I always had a dream to bring a stallion in from America and he is the fulfilment.”

Miniatures are delightful animals, and Val is convinced you would have to have a heart of stone not to like them. “They always make people smile. Recently I had to collect a mare from nearby and decided I would just lead her home through the village. 

"I don’t think you could have done that with a big horse, but you should have seen the expressions on people’s faces as I went passed – they were just beaming from their cars.”

“I love horses, and I can’t imagine living without them. Mini’s are really neat – they have a wonderful temperament, are easy to handle and love attention from people especially children.

"I seem to spend most of my time outside working with the miniatures as it’s much more rewarding than doing housework.

"Miniatures give a great deal of pleasure to people and I have sold horses to all kinds ranging from retired couples, families looking for a pet, or riders who have had bad riding accidents and have decided not to ride again because the risk is too great, but they can't bear not to have a horse of some kind in their life.

"I took a couple of horses to a rest home and it was lovely to see how happy they made the people......... the foal worked the room like a professional and like all foals he was a real little heart stealer!”

Not unlike Val Walton, Margaret Miles acquired a miniature for her daughter, who had wanted another horse, but was persuaded a mini’ would make more sense.

“We managed to come home with three, and we now have 30,” Margaret chuckled. “We did sell eight foals last year, and we imported an Australian stallion. It is not a money-making operation – this is a mother/daughter hobby, and mother does most of the work. However this is an exciting time of year as we have just had two foals and they are a delight to watch.

"We always stay in the stable when they arrive and I think as a result they have never had any fear of us from their first moments. They have very giving personalities – if I go towards the paddock they always come down to see what I am up to or what I may have for them.

"I guess they are an expensive toy…if you have 30.. and I’ve just looked at my latest feed-bill from RD1! However I don’t really think one or two would be more expensive to keep than a dog. They require very little grass and indeed they shouldn’t have too much as they can get overweight if they are not exercised.”

It certainly seems miniature horses have much in their favour. They don't eat much, you don't need a lot of land to keep one, they have lovely personalities and unlike their large cousins they don't damage the land. Val described them as like large sheep in that respect.

" We've been breeding miniatures for well over 12 years now and it's rewarding to see how New Zealand has come such a long way with our horses.

"Some of our miniatures are now on a par with American ones and it's nice to get positive comments from the American judges at the shows. Our stud's best moment was recently when we took a foal to a big show - it was only her second show and she won the Supreme award.  One of the judges was American, it really was the icing on the cake! "