A Use For Miniature Ponies

Patchworkpony

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I'm really attracted to miniature ponies, especially as I get older, they are SO cute but I wonder if there is any really useful job they could do to prevent boredom and laminitis? Does anyone have any experience of finding these little chaps something worthwhile to do in life?
 

Archiepoo

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it depends how many you have -there used to be a miniature horse world type center near me and they gave pony rides and had an indoor soft play area for little kids and did birthday parties and were really really cute!:D:D
 

Orson Cart

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You can still drive mini shetlands. Do school work with them on the lunge, jump them over little fences on lunge, teach them tricks, play football with them, take them for in hand hacks and, of course, show them. :D HTH

And somewhere in America they are used as teams to pull chariots along with men dressed as gladiators driving them! Absolutely brilliant!
 

toots

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Miniatures are like 'pringles' you can't have just one !

They make great pets if you've had enough of the 'big' horses
 

Crugeran Celt

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I have two miniatures that I bought last year mainly because my cob is terrified of them and I ride past some so thought I would get my own to teach him that they don't really eat big cobs for breakfast! I love them, I intend to school the yearling for driving but in the meantime I walk them in hand which they love and will probably show them next year. Haven't done as much with them as I intended as the older mare was pregnant when I bought her and she lost the foal a month before the due date and has been very uptight about me taking the yearling away from her since then so just walk them together at the moment but I recently bought another one which is the granddaughter of my mare and she will be arriving later in the year, hasn't been weaned yet so as then there will be 3 I will be able to work with one at a time and two will be left together. Never thought I would have them but last year I fell in love with the yearling, then a 5 month old foal and my OH bought her for me for our 25th wedding anniversary. My big horses didn't take to her at all so bought her mum 3 weeks after she arrived to keep her company. Can't imagine not having them any more, they are so much fun, they will play football, jump logs and play chase in the field. Wish I could find a 15hh with the temprement of a miniature!:)
 

horsemadelsie

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I've got a 9hh shetland, still only 2 at the moment but will be driving him when he's older, horse agility if there's some near us, he already does inhand showing to let him see the world (and meet people, he LOVES people!) and I want to teach him to lie down, sit, roll over etc (he kind of thinks he's a big dog and will let me rub his belly when he's lying down in the stable!
Oh, and he's broken less fencing than my welsh cob, so not too houdini if brought up with good enough fencing! (helps that he's a real sweetie and is petrified of electric!)
So to sum up, pretty much anything you fancy except riding them (unless you happen to be really short and built like a stick insect!) :p
 

MrsElle

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I've got *ahem* *whispers* four mini Shetlands. Love them to bits, they make me smile and have fantastic personalities. The foal is like a big dog, she lies down to have her tummy tickled! The stallion is very loving and chases the girls and big ponies away so he can have all the cuddles for himself. I haven't, touch wood, had any problems with them escaping, but they are on on a two acre field with the big ponies in the next and all stay where they should be! We haven't had any problems with lami at all, but then our grazing is Welsh hillside grazing, quite scrubby in places, and probably ideal for them.

ETA: We show ours in hand.
 

mulberrymill

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I have 4 as well, mum is far too lazy to do anything, but the gelding is broken to drive and has a cute little cart and harness, hes brilliant. The young mare is a stocky girl with severe attitude, so I broke her to ride, very amusing to watch me on her as she rodeos around, does a pretty good rear as well. She will be broken to harness next year as well. The 4th one was on loan and we have only just got him back. Hes now on starvation until he is less of a barrel, how he didnt get severe laminitis I really dont know. All of them are great lawn mowers, we havent cut the grass in the garden for years. They keep the big horses amused, we never have a problem taking one out of the field cos the remainder always have company.

Oh and they all share a stable, so only 1 to muck out. Live on fresh air, just a bit of hay when they come in, no short feed apart from a handful of chaff so they can have their mins and vits.
 

Littlelegs

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Find small kamikaze child to ride them! At 7 my daughters getting too leggy, but nothing quite as amusing as a mini & small child determined to keep up with horses out hacking!
 

Patchworkpony

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Thanks everyone - you are all great to tell me your thoughts about these little charmers! How much is the minimum land would a couple of miniatures need to survive on if they were kept in at night?

We are trying to move house but finding somewhere with land in our budget is proving a nightmare. I am seriously 3/4 thinking of giving up larger ponies (lost my fell this year) and just keeping a couple of tiny chaps to still be around ponies but without all the worry of bigger types.

My husband and I have done the lot in the past from eventing to showing at county shows. We have had a wonderful time but I am now 65 and he is 73 and although between us we have a huge amount of experience I do wonder about the energy factor as we are now getting older. However the thought of no equines at all is appalling. Perhaps the miniatures will still give us something to enjoy and care for without having to beggar ourselves buying a property with several acres.
 

redmone

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Ooh ooo ***waves*** my daughter volunteers to be kamikaze jockey if necessary! She is desperate for me to get her a shetty to race in the Shetland grand national!!! : )
 

supaspot

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we were in a similar situation due to my husbands illness , we had two 17.2 irish sport horses when we took in a rescue mini , within a year Id given up riding and collected more minis , I now have 21 LOL , we show and breed American minis mostly but also have some falabellas and BMHS , many people drive them too , love them and dont miss the riding at all
 

Bobbly

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We have two BMHS yearlingfillies that we bought as pets, I have shown them a couple of times locally. Even though they are tiny, my smallest one is about 26" at the moment, you have to remember that they are mini horses like tiny TB's and as such can have the temperaments to match. They are funny, endearing, annoying, backbreaking but very cute and you may be subject to suffering from tinyponyitus!
 

Littlelegs

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Daughters is a mini x, & when doing a bit of breed research the recurring theme is how skillful they are at escaping. I'm no expert on land, only known them kept with others. Tbh though, they do so little damage in terms of poaching it compared to a horse I imagine they need very little. But two on a small paddock will do far less exercise than 10 on a large paddock.
 

Crugeran Celt

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I have my two on a two acre field and they live out 24/7, I poo pick to keep it clean and they have a small handfull of 'safe & sound' once a day and hay in the winter they look well but not fat. If I feel they are putting on too much weight I move them onto the 1/2 acre garden which is on a slope so they have to keep walking up and down the slope to graze. Mine are fallabella x miniature shetlands and they have amazing temprements. They are very easy to handle and not afraid of anything and I mean anything! My yearling will walk into the kitchen and has learnt to open the cupboards! They are very people orientated and love human company although they will groom my dog for ages much to my dog's disgust. I think you could keep them on a lot less land than I do as they do not poach the ground up at all especially if it is well drained land. Get some they are fantastic and I couldn't imagine not having them now.
 

Enfys

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My minis have a quarter acre paddock, practically no grass because they blow up if they were to graze all the time. They have plenty of space for a hooley.

I have walkways between my paddocks, the minis are excellent at keeping these mown, and treat them as their own personal race tracks :)

I also tether them along the fence lines, zip lines - trailer ties are just perfect for the job ;)
they get some grass and I don't have to mow too often or faff around with moving fences for strip grazing which wouldn't work for them anyway.

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Andalusianlover1

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I used to have one, he was awesome. He lived out on loads of grass but I used to take him out on ride and lead with my Andalusian. It was brilliant and my mini loved it. Now my Andalusian is quite fast but when we went for a gallop, the little mini was always pulling ahead, was very funny, he never got lami, I think cos he did so much exercise!
 

Patchworkpony

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Thanks so much for sharing all your experiences. My husband NOW wants one asap but he will have to wait until we move. They do sound enchanting but if you were a novice I guess they would probably have you doing things their way. Oh hang - on my husband's dartmoor hill pony has us both completely 'under the hoof' - maybe a miniature would boss the dartmoor about. Here's hoping!
 

MrsElle

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I am very disappointed in this thread I was expecting lots of cute pics of minis up to tricks and there is only one!!!!!:p

Oh, since you asked so nicely.......... :D

Aski, my 32" boy. He loves me lots, always calls for me and comes galloping down the field to see me :)

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Pip, 28" mare. She is very timid, but now lets me stroke her if she comes to me:

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Sioned, haven't measured her but think she is about 35" - here with her foal Evie:

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And last but not least, my little Evie. She is wonderful :) I was going to sell her on weaning, but can't bear to let her go - she better repay me by winning lots of red ribbons next season!

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ETA: Sorry for my big head on last piccy, didn't realise they would be that big!
 

ribbons

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Any falabella owners on here. I keep saying we should get a couple if minis to put with babies at weaning but as daughter points out pretty pointless if lami prone. I have heard that unlike shetlands falabella's are not prone to laminitis. Any one know if that's true.
 
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