The Horse-Lover's Encyclopedia by Jessie Haas

Author:Jessie Haas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Appaloosa;Arabian horse;Canadian horse;Caspian horse;Clydesdale;Friesian;Miniature horse;North American Spotted Draft;Quarter horse;Shetland pony;Spanish Mustang;Tennessee Walker;Thoroughbred
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Published: 2017-02-07T05:00:00+00:00

milking horses

See mare’s milk

milo

See sorghum grain/milo

minerals

See feeding and nutrition; supplements; vitamins; individual minerals

Miniature Horse

An extremely popular category of small pony, under 38 inches (97 cm) tall when measured at the base of the last hair of the mane on the withers. Fanciers insist that minis are horses, not ponies, but in fact the American Miniature Horse breed was founded on Shetland bloodlines, at a time when American Shetlands were becoming less popular.

Selective breeding has produced two types of minis, one refined and horselike, the other a cobby, British Shetland type. There are two height divisions: Class A, 34 inches (86 cm) or less, and Class B, 38 inches (97 cm) or less. Minis can be any solid color, and some have pinto or appaloosa coloring.

Regardless of type, a mini should look like a small pony or horse. Large heads and short legs are signs of dwarfism. Dwarf horses will probably have health problems, and a mini with any signs of dwarfism—­including an underbite, a short neck, an oversized head, a strongly domed forehead, or extremely short legs—should not be bred.

Minis are popular with many people who can’t handle or afford a large horse, or don’t have the space. They eat one-fifth as much as a full-sized horse, can live luxuriously in a prefab garden shed and travel in the back of a minivan, and have all the beauty and personality of bigger horses. Minis are mostly kept as pets, but they are popular driving ponies, fully capable of pulling adult drivers. They are shown in hand, including in jumping classes, where the handler runs alongside. The American Miniature Horse Association notes that minis should never be ridden by anyone over 70 pounds (31.7 kg) and that parents should be cautious about allowing children to ride even a willing and gentle mount.

Draft-type minis can do a great deal of useful work around the homestead, using converted garden tractor equipment. Minis are also taking part in pulling contests; because of their low center of gravity, they can pull proportionally greater weight than draft horses, and frequently win contests judged on the proportion of its own weight the team can pull.

Minis are prone to dental abnormalities and feed-related ailments, including obesity, laminitis, hyperlipemia, and Cushing’s disease. They are also far more prone to serious foaling problems, including red bag deliveries, when the foal is born still enclosed in the placenta. If you breed your mini, you must be there at foaling. With help, foaling usually turns out well.

See also Falabella

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