Miniature Horses - The New Showing Rage!

I have been showing horses for over 20 years now (seems hard to believe!).  When I was younger, my initial focus was on pleasure horses - Hunter Under Saddle, Western Pleasure, Showmanship, Western Riding, Hunter Hack and Trail.  And, like all young riders, I was a fierce competitor, but had no idea that, eventually, I wouldn't bounce back up quite as quickly from injuries as I once did.  

When I was 21, I had a pretty bad accident when the horse I was riding slipped on some hidden ice underneath the arena footing while running around an end pole during a fun weekend barn show (my show mare was pregnant at the time, so I had borrowed a friend's horse).  He fell right on top of me - more importantly, my right ankle and knee.  When he scrambled back to his feet, I was briefly hung up and still attached to him, so when he took off running, he managed to dislocate my right hip to 'finish the job'.

You never realize how much 3 seconds of your life can really, truly change everything, until it happens to you.  The injury that began that day (I was 21 years old - I'm now 32) has since turned into 6 massive ankle reconstructions and two nerve surgeries on my knee, hundreds and hundreds of hours of rehab, procedures and injections I wouldn't let my horses endure, and thousands of hours dragging myself around on crutches in various casts.  It hasn't been fun.

Through all of this I tried to keep riding and stay competitive.  I was even breaking horses and riding the 2-yr-olds and 3-yr-olds, and competed with my APHA mare at the World Championships in several different events (Hunter Under Saddle, Western Pleasure, Showmanship, Horsemanship, etc).  

I was introduced to miniature horses when a friend of mine was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer.   I started making very frequent trips to visit with her, and during that time was introduced to a little miniature horse stallion that I fell in love with.  At the time, I said (in all seriousness) 'What can you do with these little things?'  Boy, was I surprised.

Showing miniature horses was not exactly something I ever would have sought out on my own.  I ride 'the big ones', and had most recently gotten my feet wet in the fast-paced world of barrel racing.  How could I possibly get any kind of adrenaline rush out of showing a 31" midget horse?  With a severe injury still plaguing me and facing still another surgery, I decided to give it a try.  And I learned something very important - miniature horses offer an amazingly excellent alternative for those who are injured, unable to ride 'the big horses', or simply have a smaller space to keep horses and a smaller budget for their care.  Or, in my case, I was just genuinely intrigued that you could show them!  ;)

Miniature horses offer a variety of activities for horse enthusiasts - driving, jumping, halter, trail (obstacle), and even a versatility class.  They are compact enough for even the smaller children to safely handle, and generally have a pretty good attitude about being toted around the country to different events.  If showing isn't your main interest, they are excellent trail companions to drive through the woods as well, either alone or in tandem.  They are also always a crowd-pleaser at fairs and parades as well.  

I must say, I was pretty surprised at how fun and fulfilling showing miniature horses can be.  I have shown at the World level 2 years in a row now (AMHA) and have brought home 3 Top Fives and 2 Top Tens in Hunter, Jumper, and Showmanship.  I also drove a miniature horse to his Country Pleasure Driving Hall of Fame in 2007, accumulating all of his points and championships as a one-horse, one-driver team.  I also have several Regional, All-Star and Hall of Fame Top Ten placings as well with several different horses.  I'm hoping to head to Oklahoma this year to compete at the AMHR Nationals with a few new prospects.  I've sold several of my 'big horses' to concentrate on showing the minis for now as my ankle and knee continue to heal.  

(It's addicting, I'm telling you....)  

However, I must caution anyone thinking of 'downsizing' to miniature horses to try your hand at 'their world' - the little buggers are definitely addicting, and you can't have just one.  ;)

You can find out more information about the two main miniature horse associations by visiting the American Miniature Horse Association web site or the American Miniature Horse Registry web site.  But enter at your own risk - you'll be hooked in no time!  

~ Deb