How long do they live?
Miniature horses live as long as full size horses or longer. Most well-cared for miniatures live to be 28-30 years or older. In rare cases, miniatures have been as old as 40 years of age.
Ponies can have an "attitude". Do miniature horses have the same "attitude"?
Miniature horses have the conformation and personality of their much larger counterparts - horses. Therefore, they do not typically have the classic "pony attitude". As a general rule, miniatures are very easy going, friendly, and highly intelligent. We have found we can train miniatures in much less time than it typically takes a full size horse to learn the same task
How much space do I need to have a miniature horse?
Miniature horses do not require as much pasture space as a full size horse. One acre of good pasture will support 3 miniature horses. Therefore, one miniature horse could be easily cared for on a 1/2 acre. HOWEVER, it is very important for you to check your local zoning restrictions to determine if there is a minimum acreage per horse restriction in your area.
Do they wear shoes?
No, miniature horses do not normally wear shoes. They do require their hooves to be trimmed every 8-10 weeks just like a full size horse. Most farriers can do miniature horses as well as full sized horses. Due to their small size some owners learn to trim their own hooves, but mot owners still choose to have a farrier to their trims.
There have been rare instances when regular horseshoes have been put on a miniature horse. In fact, the Lazy R's Bull used to have shoes when he lived in Pennsylvania and was driven extensively on rough surfaces. His young owner was good friends with an Amish blacksmith who had to custom fit his shoes. Most owners don't have access to such a wonderful resource.
Another exception are cases where a miniature is being used for therapy or visitation in nursing homes or schools or used as a seeing-eye horse. In these cases, the miniature is usually fitted with boa boots or sneakers to prevent them from slipping on linoleum or tile floors.
When can baby miniatures go home?
Lazy R Ranch normally weans it's foals at 5 months of age. Unless there are complications, the foal can move to its new home any time after weaning.
How long are miniature horses pregnant?
Just like their bigger counterparts, miniature mares are in foal for 11 months. Miniature donkeys, in comparison, are pregnant for 13 months.
Can any miniature horse be ridden?
The Lazy R Ranch does not recommend riding any miniature horse under 30" or any miniature horse with a very fine bone structure. The Lazy R Ranch carefully selects the miniatures that will be trained to ride based on their conformation, patience and overall temperment. We have had stallions that made excellent saddle horses and mares that we did not feel were cut out to be saddle horses.
Can miniature horses be in the same field with big horses?
The answer is... it depends. Every situation is going to be different depending on the attitude of both the big horses or horses and the miniature. We have big horses that will let the miniatures crawl all over them while they lie down and we have big horses that would stomp on a miniature if they got the chance. Each case will have to be evaluated and tested individually, expecting of course, the normal equine dynamics to occur when new pasturemates first meet.
How are miniature horses registered?
There are 3 primary miniature horse registries. The American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA) registers only those horses 34" and under. The American Miniature Horse Registry has two divisions in which horses can be registered. The "A" division mirrors that of the AMHA and is for those horses 34" and under. The "B" division covers horses Over 34" to 38". The third registry - a recent addition - is the World Class Miniature Horse Regitry (WCMHR). WCMHR uses the same division structure as the AMHR with an A and B division. Each registry maintains separate records and conducts its own sanctioned shows, leading to a national or world show.
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