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AMHA Registered Pinto Miniature Mare. Image courtesy of Key Lypso Horse Stables.

Miniature Horses are found all over the world and come in various colors and styles. The Miniature Horse is a "height" breed; consisting of a mix of bloodlines that have been bred down over a number of years.

Traditionally, there are two classes: A for horses under 34 inches (82 cm) and B for horses between 34 and 38 inches (82 - 91 cm) in height.

Due to their size and stature, miniatures are completely separated from the hunter-jumper world. They compete in their own horse shows which include categories: conformation, in hand hunter, jumper and obstacle; and cart pulling, endurance, and obstacle. Miniature horses also make wonderful domestic pets; sometimes being refered to jokingly as "yard ornaments" in North America.

Miniature Horses and Horses commonly live to be 25 - 35 years old, and on-average, Miniature Horses may live a third longer than large horses. This size-longevity relationship is the same for dog breeds. For example, a Rottweiler may live to be 12, while a Chihuahua may live to be 18 years old.

The oldest living horse on record was a Dwarf named Angel who lived with the Horse Protection Society of North Carolina, who lived to be over 50. She was just under 2 feet (60 cm) tall! Dwarfs are a special breed of Miniature Horses that are typically classifed as being under 28 - 25 inches (67- 60 cm). Different associations' views vary. They typically have more needs than normal Miniatures. This may include having to keep them inside for periods of time and having them wear specially modified "diapers". According to Del Tera Miniature Horse Farm of Inman South Carolina , the smallest miniature horse in recorded history was a stallion named "Little Pumpkin". He stood 14 inches (33 cm) tall and weighed only 20 US lbs (7.5 kg). However, the Guinness Book of World Records lists Black Beauty as the world's smallest miniature horse at 18.5 inches (44.4 cm) tall. According to the American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA), the smallest miniature horse breeding stallion in America was Bond Tiny Tim. In the AMHA Online stud book, Bond Tiny Tim is listed as a miniature horse stallion measuring only 19 inches (45.5 cm) tall. Bond Tiny Tim was a dwarf horse who was bred extensively and appears in the pedigrees of hundreds of miniature horses in America. Bond Tiny Tim sired numerous national champions and lent his dwarf genes to generations of his descendents.

History

In the sixteen hundreds miniature horses were being bred as pets for the European nobility. Paintings and articles were featuring the Miniature Horse by 1765. Lady Estella Hope and her sisters carried on the original English lines into the mid-nineteen hundreds. Many of the smallest Miniatures in the United States are from the Hope line. Not all early Miniatures were pampered pets of kings and queens. Some were used to work in the English Midlands and Northern European coal mines as pit ponies. These "working blood lines" give us today's stockier miniatures, or ones who more resemble Draft Horses.

The Guide Horse Foundation was founded in 1999 as an experimental program to access the abilities of miniature horses as assistance animals. There is a critical shortage of guide animals for the blind.

In early experiments, Guide Horses have shown great promise as a mobility option, and people who have tried Guide Horses report that the Guide Horses perform exceptionally well at keeping their person safe.

External links

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 The Miniature [[Horse]] is a "height" breed; consisting of a mix of bloodlines that have been bred down over a number of years.
-Traditionally, there are two classes: ''A'' for horses under 34 [[inch]]es and ''B'' for horses between 34 and 38 [[inch]]es in height.
+Traditionally, there are two classes: ''A'' for horses under 34 [[inch]]es (82 [[cm]]) and ''B'' for horses between 34 and 38 inches (82 - 91 cm) in height.
-Due to their size and stature, miniatures are completely separated from the hunter-jumper world.  They compete in their own horse shows which include categories:  conformation, in hand hunter, jumper and obstacle; and cart pulling, endurance, and obstacle. Miniature horses also make wonderful domestic pets. Sometimes refered to jokingly as "yard ornaments."
+Due to their size and stature, miniatures are completely separated from the hunter-jumper world.  They compete in their own horse shows which include categories:  conformation, in hand hunter, jumper and obstacle; and cart pulling, endurance, and obstacle. Miniature horses also make wonderful domestic pets; sometimes being refered to jokingly as "yard ornaments" in North America.
-Miniature Horses and Horses commonly live to be 25 - 35 years old, and on-average, Miniature Horses may live one-third longer than large horses.  This size-longevity relationship is the same for dog breeds.  For example, a Rottweiler may live to be 12, while a Chihuahua may live to be 18 years old.
+Miniature Horses and Horses commonly live to be 25 - 35 years old, and on-average, Miniature Horses may live a third longer than large horses.  This size-longevity relationship is the same for dog breeds.  For example, a Rottweiler may live to be 12, while a Chihuahua may live to be 18 years old.
-The oldest living horse on record was a Dwarf named Angel who lived with the Horse Protection Society of North Carolina, who lived to be over 50. She was just a shy under 2 feet tall! Dwarfs are a special breed of Miniature Horses that are typically classifed as being under 28 - 25 inches. ''Different assoications' views vary.'' They typically require more needs than normal Miniatures. This may include having to keep them inside for periods of time and having them wear specially modified "diapers." According to Del Tera Miniature Horse Farm of Inman South Carolina , the smallest miniature horse in recorded history was a stallion named "Little Pumpkin." He stood 14 inches tall and weighed only 20 lbs. However, the Guinness Book of World Records lists Black Beauty as the worlds smallest miniature horse at 18.5 inches tall. According to the American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA), the smallest miniature horse breeding stallion in America was Bond Tiny Tim.  In the AMHA Online stud book, Bond Tiny Tim is listed as a miniature horse stallion measuring only 19 inches tall. Bond Tiny Tim was a dwarf horse who was bred extensively and appears in the pedigrees of hundreds of miniature horses in America.  Bond Tiny Tim sired numerous national champions and lent his dwarf genes to generations of his descendents.
+The oldest living horse on record was a Dwarf named Angel who lived with the Horse Protection Society of North Carolina, who lived to be over 50. She was just under 2 feet (60 cm) tall! Dwarfs are a special breed of Miniature Horses that are typically classifed as being under 28 - 25 inches (67- 60 cm). ''Different associations' views vary.'' They typically have more needs than normal Miniatures. This may include having to keep them inside for periods of time and having them wear specially modified "diapers". According to Del Tera Miniature Horse Farm of Inman South Carolina , the smallest miniature horse in recorded history was a stallion named "Little Pumpkin". He stood 14 inches (33 cm) tall and weighed only 20 [[US lbs]] (7.5 kg). However, the Guinness Book of World Records lists Black Beauty as the world's smallest miniature horse at 18.5 inches (44.4 cm) tall. According to the American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA), the smallest miniature horse breeding stallion in America was Bond Tiny Tim.  In the AMHA Online stud book, Bond Tiny Tim is listed as a miniature horse stallion measuring only 19 inches (45.5 cm) tall. Bond Tiny Tim was a dwarf horse who was bred extensively and appears in the pedigrees of hundreds of miniature horses in America.  Bond Tiny Tim sired numerous national champions and lent his dwarf genes to generations of his descendents.
 ==History==
-In the sixteen hundreds miniature horses were being bred as pets for the European nobility. Paintings and articles were featuring the Miniature Horse by 1765. Lady Estella Hope and her sisters carried on the original English lines into the mid-nineteen hundreds. Many of the smallest Miniatures in the United States are from the Hope line. Unfortunately, not all early Miniatures were pampered pets of kings and queens. Some were used to work in the English Midlands and Northern European coal mines. These "working blood lines" give us today's stockier miniatures, or ones who more resimble a Draft Horse.
+In the sixteen hundreds miniature horses were being bred as pets for the European nobility. Paintings and articles were featuring the Miniature Horse by 1765. Lady Estella Hope and her sisters carried on the original English lines into the mid-nineteen hundreds. Many of the smallest Miniatures in the United States are from the Hope line. Not all early Miniatures were pampered pets of kings and queens. Some were used to work in the English Midlands and Northern European coal mines as [[pit ponies]]. These "working blood lines" give us today's stockier miniatures, or ones who more resemble [[Draft Horses]].
 The [http://www.guidehorse.com Guide Horse Foundation] was founded in 1999 as an experimental program to access the abilities of miniature horses as assistance animals. There is a critical shortage of guide animals for the blind.