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NAME
Equus
means "a genus of
mammals, including the horse, ass, etc. Therefore, Equus
callabus simply means "horse".
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ORIGIN
The
American Miniature Horse extracted from many sources in
the creation of the breed. Undeniably, it utilized the blood
of the English and Dutch mine horses, that were brought
to this country in the 19th century and were used in some
Appalachian coal mines as late as 1950. It also drew upon
the blood of the Shetland pony, several of which appear
in the pedigrees of some miniatures today. In the past decade,
several breeders have imported miniature horses from England,
Holland, Belgium, and West Germany, while others have selectively
bred miniatures from the larger breeds of horses.
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DESCRIPTION
The
American Miniature Horse is a unique breed, the limiting
characteristic of which is size. It must not measure
in excess of 34 inches in height, which is measured
at the withers, at the last hairs of the mane. It must
be a sound, well-balanced horse, possessing the proper
conformation characteristics which are common to most
of the larger breeds. In fact, if there were no size
reference, the miniature horse might give the illusion
of being a full-sized horse. The American Miniature
Horse gives the impression of strength, agility, and
alert intelligence and is available in all possible
colors.
Miniature
Horses are well balanced and sound. They have broad
bodies with a high tail setting. Their legs are strong
and muscular. These horses have large nostrils, eyes,
and well-shaped ears. The forehead is broad with a profile
that is straight or slightly concave below the eyes.
The muzzle of a purebred Miniature Horse is clean and
refined showing a bite that is even. The coat should
be lustrous and silky. Miniature Horses come in almost
any color. The base colors are black and red (chestnut/sorrel),
black is dominant, and red is recessive. There exist
genes that change colors: bay (agouti), gray, flaxen,
sooty, and mealy (pangare) that dilute the following
colors: cream, dun, silver, and champagne. There are
genes that add a white pattern to the Miniature Horses'
coat. They are appaloosa, roan, sabino, overo, splashed,
and tobiano.
 
HOW
TO MEASURE A MINIATURE HORSE
Horses
and larger ponies are measured in hands. One hand equals
4 inches. Miniature Horses are measured in inches instead
of hands and is known as a height breed. The height
of a miniature horse is the vertical distance from the
last hairs of the mane to the ground when the animal
is standing squarely on a level area. Special Miniature
Horse Measuring Sticks are available to accurately record
the height of your miniature.
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LIFE
HISTORY
Colorful
myths abound about the origin of the Miniature horse.
Contemporary historians tend to support the breed
as a derivative of many sources. In pre-historic
times, small horse breeds were likely the products
of surviving harsh natural climates and limited
feed. Too, with knowledge of genetics, it is possible
to breed specifically for size.
It
is known that, at various times in equine history,
Miniature horses have been bred for pets, novelty,
research, monetary gain, mining work, exhibition,
and royal gifts. In addition to the pre-historic
evidence of small equids, it is speculated that
the Miniature horse is a result of nearly 400 years
of selective breeding of many extracts.
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TO
HEAR WHAT A MINIATURE HORSE SOUNDS LIKE, CLICK BELOW:
  Winnie
Nicker
Snort
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SPECIAL
CARE
The
care of an American Miniature Horses is similar to the
care of full-sized animals, just on a smaller scale. Miniature
Horses require significantly less room to exercise and
graze: They only need about an acre, versus 3-5 acres
per horse for larger breeds. The Miniature Horse will
be content in a stall of about 6x8 feet. They are also
significantly easier to transport than larger breeds since
they take up less space.
Minis
are less expensive to feed and easier to care for than
the full size horse. Both Miniature Horses and full size
horses have the same needs, including annual veterinary
care, hoof trimming and regular deworming.
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REPRODUCTION
Miniatures
breed just like the big horses; they are usually no more
difficult to breed than larger horses. As is the case
with full size horses, they have a heat cycle every 21
days and it takes them 11 months to gestate. It is preferred
to hand breed versus pasture breeding so you have a better
idea when they will foal because it is a good idea to
try to be present at the foaling. Foals are adorable,
standing only 16" to 21" at birth. The average
life span of miniature horses is 25-35 years, up to 50
years is possible.
  
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INTERESTING
FACTS
Miniature
Horses have perfect vision that is nearly 350 degrees.
They are extremely sensitive to motion and can see clearly
in almost total darkness. On a flat surface Miniature
horses can easily pull a cart with two adults. In the
breeding stock many factors are important for Miniature
Horses such as: how deep the pedigree is, how good the
horse's conformation is, its size, whether it is trained,
if it is registered, and etc.
Another
interesting fact is that miniature horses are also sometimes
used as guides for the blind, just like dogs are. They
are gaining in popularity for this purpose because they
live much longer than dogs do. To read about the very
first "seeing-eye horse", click here.
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Click on the crayons to color a picture
of the Miniature Horse! |
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