Miniature Horse Breed Profile
Content
Early miniature horses worked in mines where their small size was an asset in the tight spaces. They also were valued as companion animals especially by the wealthy.
Nowadays miniature horses are primarily kept as pets though many have some sort of job. Although most miniature horses are too small for riding some owners drive their minis hitched to carts or sleighs.
Many people also compete with their horses including in conformation contests where a horses physical traits are evaluated. Driving leadline obstaclerunning and jumping are among the many performanceoriented competitions in which minis participate. Many of these are similar to dog sports.
Unique Characteristics
The miniature horses small size is their trademark. Unlike ponies which are often stocky with short legs miniature horses tend to look like a fullsize horsejust shrunken down in size. Theyre similar in size to large dog breeds. This makes the mini ideal for people who live on small acreages where there would be no room for a herd of large horses.
Diet and Nutrition
Like most horses miniature horses require a balanced diet of grass hay rolled oats and other grains with treats in moderation. Because of their small size miniature horses are easier to overfeed than to underfeed. Its important to feed the recommended amount for your horses weight and activity level.
Common Health and Behavior Problems
Miniature horses are generally goodnatured and easy to train but they are prone to several health issues. Those include
Dwarfism mutations These can cause several health complications and tend to crop up in miniature horses. Many horse registries are now trying to avoid miniature horses with dwarfism genes for breeding.
Obesity Many miniature horses are prone to obesity. This is possible because some owners treat them like house pets and dont provide them with the exercise they need. Or they might overestimate the amount of food minis need especially
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