Minis make people smile. No doubt about it. Every, Every drive we go out on, some stranger waves and smiles big. Every, every time that we drive, some child wants to touch a mini. Every time!!! They are true joy-bringers.....to us and to everyone they come in contact with.   When compared to a full size horse, most minis are less than half the height, weigh only 20% (1/5) of a big horse and eat only 1/4 or 25% of what they do. Due to the center of gravity being so low, that they can pull 4 times the weight of a draft horse, size by size.  A miniature horse is able to pull 3 to 5 times its weight, but younger horses should not be as weighted down. A miniature can also jump higher proportionally than a big horse.

One vet claims minis are healthier due to these reasons:

 

First of all, minis show their symptoms faster. They don't hide them like a big horse so you find out about problems like stones or impaction before a lot of internal damage has occurred.

 

The other is the little dog syndrome.  Just like little dogs live longer than big dogs, miniatures live longer, as a general rule, than big horses.  In fact, that is true for the horse world.  Minis live longer than light horses who live longer than draft horses. On average, miniature horses may live one-third longer than large horses. 

They are also able to withstand more cold than any other breed of horses. The vet said that this may have come from the blood of the Shetlands that were originally left to starve on the Shetland Islands...and they did not...they survived and prospered and created a breed that can withstand the brutal cold...although we are spoiling that by introducing the finer bloodlines and that over time will decrease that strength.

Minis sweat less than large horses in the same conditions.

They seem to oxygenate better as their heart rate and respiration are quite remarkable after covering the same distance as a horse literally four times their size. One vet told me that he does not think their heart and lungs downsized as much as their body which would account for their greater capacity. I know even our pregnant mares can go trot 3 miles without a problem while pulling ME in a cart behind them! A mini can pull 100-150% of their own weight and still be energetic; whereas, it is recommended to only have a big horse pulling 50% of their weight in a strenuous CDE.

Their legs do not break down like big horses. There are so many leg and foot problems in the big horses of today; whereas, minis do not go lame and they are jumping and driving on pavement. This could be due to their lower weight to bone density ratios or due to their short pasterns. To learn how to make some great mini jumps, click here.

Since they were raised as pets for over 400 years, as a general rule, they are very people-oriented.

If you are just beginning to learn about miniature horses, here are 3 websites that have some introductory information:

http://www.amha.org/index.asp?KeyName=116

http://www.iamha.net/whyminis.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_horse

Del Tera Miniature Horse Farm of Inman South Carolina, states that the smallest miniature horse in recorded history was a stallion named "Little Pumpkin." At 14" tall and 20 lbs, he is the smallest I have found on record. However, the Guinness Book of World Records lists Black Beauty as the worlds smallest miniature horse at 18.5"tall.

The American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA) says that 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". 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 descendants.

I hear so many comments from others about minis that echo my heart perfectly. I have started copying the tidbits that I hear others say....

there is something about these minis that people just can't resist. If someone had told me my hubby would give up on riding arabians to drive a mini I'd have had them long ago. Minis are just not intimidating.

I had 'big' horses for over 30 years before I got my first mini, but if there is one thing I am CERTAIN of, it is that I will not give up owning at LEAST one miniature horse until I die!! They are endearing in ways it is impossible to describe, until you EXPERIENCE them first hand...!