Arabiana Miniature Horses

Arabiana Miniature Horses

What do you do with miniature horses?

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A lot of people ask me that question. You have probably heard it also. For me the answer is a no brainer. You see, I was born a horse lover. My mother claims from the moment I saw my first horse, I never shut up about them. Apparently there is a "horse gene" that some of us are just born with. I'm not alone. Actually I have met many other people with this gene. Once you realize this is in your blood, there is no turning back. It is there for life.

In my case, my first horse came along in my "tween" years. It was a grade mare with absolutely no training. We learned together. Unfortunately, I was the one that took the lumps and bumps associated with this learning process. This did not dampen my enthusiasm. Eventually we came to an understanding and things got better. As the years went by, the obsession just continued to grow. This mare was eventually bred to a purebred Arabian, producing my first registered horse, a Half Arabian. It doesn't take a great detective to discover that before long I had to move up to purebred Arabians.

Enter my first Arabian mare. Of course, she was soon bred to not just any stallion but to a National Champion Halter Stallion. The "horse gene" was thriving ! Many years continued with my love affair and the Arabian horse. Shows came and went and many foals along the way. Before I knew it I had five generations of mother-daughter representing about 45 years of my life.

Unfortunately, life has a way of taking control and we have to adapt to the changes it bestows on us. A few years ago my husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. It took a little while for it to sink in that my husband was no longer safe around "big" horses. He had lost his ability to recognize possible danger from a horse. This event coincided with the falling economy. Along came the realization that we simply couldn't continue with our Arabians.

During this same time period someone offered me a few older minis that they could no longer care for. A new dream was born. The possibility of feeding my horse addiction, with less expense and more safety. So we downsized (pun intended). Oh did I mention, that the discovery of Arabian type minis was extremely exciting for me?


Then came the discovery of all the things that can be done with minis. We attended a few shows and thoroughly enjoyed the driving, liberty classes, jumping, and in hand trail horse. Halter will always be a favorite of mine. However, the most important thing of all is their overwhelming ability to give and accept love. So the next time someone asks, what do you do with a mini? My answer is first and foremost to "love them and to experience their love in return".

by: Gretchen Winchell