Miniature horse

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

Minatures Possess Great Strength and Agility

Bio : Miniature Horses are found all over the world and come in various colors and styles. The miniature horse is a "height" breed; they are 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 and B for horses between 34 and 38 inches 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."

History : Miniature Horses originally The first true Miniature Horses originated in Europe. As early as the sixteen hundreds, these tiny equines 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 one swho more resimble a Draft Horse.

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.

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