# Miniature Horse... Then and Now



## IheartPheobe (Feb 15, 2009)

She is adorable!!!! Good job with her!


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## ShutUpJoe (Nov 10, 2009)

She's cute. You did a great job!


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## thunderhooves (Aug 9, 2009)

She's super cute, and great job with her, but I don't think you should be riding her. you look way to big!


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

I remember when you first got her, She is looking GOOD! And I agree with the above poster^ You shouldnt be riding her, you are too big for her, I think..


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## paintluver (Apr 5, 2007)

She is a cutie! Love her coloring, and the jumping pics are great! She can fly.


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## SmoothTrails (Oct 1, 2009)

Congratulations on doing such a fantastic job with her.  She looks so much better.


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## Domino13011 (Aug 10, 2009)

Wow what a difference. God job!


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## MaloreyAnimal (Oct 25, 2009)

She's an adorable girl, looks much better, but as said, it'd be a good idea for you not to ride her...


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

Yea i know i shouldn't really be riding her.. although despite my frame im only actually 52kg. I dont ride her often though its mainly my 5yr old sister who rides her i just jump on for 5minutes before she rides her.


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

That is a stocky little horse, she looks like she can hold her rather easily... The horse does not show any signs of strain in how she is moving in the pics.... She looks good, good job.


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## PaintsPwn (Dec 29, 2009)

Minis are tough, but are not bred to be ridden. They're bred to be driving and companion animals.

She looks good though! You should hook up with a mini clup and show her in the in-hand jumping classes!


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## New_image (Oct 27, 2007)

_*I mean me frog leaping over her bum onto her back... and her not moving a single muscle. *_ !

Oh my! These little horses are often _too_ sweet, gentle and bombproof for there own good. *You* shouldn't be riding a Miniature Horse let alone JUMPING ONTO HER BACK! 

I'm sorry if this offends anyone and I get called mean, no one this size should jump on a miniature horse. Period. I don't care if I am "rude". In fact jumping on most ponies is completely un-necessary. Why JUMP on an animal may I ask...? To prove it for some un-Godly reason trusts you?


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## rocky pony (Oct 5, 2007)

Oh my goodness, look at that! I remember when you first posted pictures of her, she looks AMAZING. Great job =) She's a lucky little girl
However I do agree that you shouldn't be riding her a lot..and definitely, definitely should not be jumping onto her back in the way that you described. She looks pretty stocky and big for a mini, so you're probably clear to ride her lightly, just every now and then, but it sounds like the riding you're doing on her is actually pretty regular, and probably more than what's necessary. I know that you aren't very big, but neither is she. In the long run, that can really harm her, and I know that you really love her and don't want to do anything to hurt her.
I really hope you will take this into consideration. I know it's a hard decision to make, but sometimes we have to make hard decisions for our horses' sakes. I weigh the same as you, but I've just recently chosen to give up riding my 13.3hh pony with kind of a bad back. He's my best friend on earth and I had years of great times on his back, but it was in his best interest to stop riding him, even though he showed no obvious signs of discomfort and was more than willing to do anything with me on him. If I continued regularly riding him, it would have caused him harm in the long term, and I'd never want that.
Please, think about that before you go to hop on her back again. Try to keep it at the lowest minimum possible, and don't do things that cause extra strain on her part.

But going back to the original point, she's looking amazing. Keep up the good work


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## PonderosaMiniatures (Oct 2, 2009)

Oh my goodness, please dont ride her, you are clearly WAY to big for her, no matter how stocky you think she is, and how much she can hold her own. Thats awful,


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## veganchick (Mar 4, 2009)

First off, She looks like she is in great shape! good job!

But.... Even though miniatures are VERY strong, They just should not be ridden by people that weight< especially without a saddle. Jumping should be out of the question. Maybe your little sister could ride some x's with her, or even show her, but she will wear out VERY quickly if you continue to work her like this. Her old owner treated her badly by neglect and underwork whereas you are treating her badly by overworking her.


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## New_image (Oct 27, 2007)

^ 
When it comes to 120 pounds launching onto a Miniature Horses back... I believe I was more than tactful.


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## BoarderCowgirl12 (Dec 30, 2009)

YIKES!!!!! I wouldnt be suprised if that mini will have back problems. WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU JUMP ONTO HER BACK!!!!????????????


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

hold on people settle down please i wanna clear this up as i must have misexplained it in the original..

1. in the photo where it looked as i was jumping onto her back I WAS NOT i swung my leg around and landed back on the ground again, i wouldnt jump ONTO her back thats sad and cruel. and i have the video to prove i did not jump onto her back. and that is the only time i have ever tried that.

2. i do not overwork her. i have ridden her 4 times in the 10 months i have had her. she gets lunged by me, and ridden by my 5yr old sister. we have a sort of a excersize plane of each week, advised by the vet.
she gets IN-HAND jumping. i would not ever dare jump her with me on her back i consider that as abuse, the only horse i jump with when riding, is my 15.2hh tb mare.
I actually knocked my 15yr old cousin out because i caught him riding gemma and whipping her and trying to jump her. yes i knocked him out (accidently) and he has not been near her since.

New Image: please don't be so rude, I know you intend the best for gemma, so do I, that is the reason i took her from where and when I did. theres a lot more to the story of her owners, than what I have said on here so far. e.g, when she was as obese as she was, the owners had 3 kids, 5, 7, and 12. ALL 3 OF THEM would jump onto gemma, pull her tail, smack her, ride her round the paddock until she collapsed. her hooves where far overgrown, she had thrush in all four hooves, she had worms, and even the vet i have out to her had seen her in that state and was gobsmacked that she hadnt already died. he see's her still now, and he says it's okay for me to ride her lightly every now and again. i walk her down to the river once a week (1km away, LEADING NOT RIDING) and she goes for a swim with me along beside her, except of course during winter. I get the cows in for milking sometimes and when it's to hot to ride the bike, gemma will come for a walk beside me.
I'm sorry i miss explained it in the first place, my fault. but please can you be a little bit nicer, everyone that see's her in person is amazed by how much she has accomplished, and i can put any under 7 on her, i even had one 5 year old who had NEVER seen a horse in his life (city auzzie boy) and she just didnt care. New Image, she trusts me because I saved her life. She's affectionate to everyone except my cousin and her owners, because she recognises them to have hurt her. and i would also like you to know, EVERYTHING i do with her (eg vaulting over bum back onto ground) is checked first with our vet, who specialises in miniatures, and if he doesnt give the ok, i WONT do it. My sister is only learning to ride so gemma works in a bitless bridle, or her halter, as i dont want casey to pull her mouth.
The vet was there with me when the vaulting picture was taken. i was telling him about my horse that i do vaulting with occaisionally, and he told me, that i could get casey to do vaulting on gemma (casey is only 18kg), but he also said he wanted to know, before casey did it, if gemma would freak if anyone did. so he said it was ok if i did it once, so long as i didnt land on her back, to see if she freaked at all. and she didnt.


P.s... if i could, or knew how to, edit my original post i would re-explain it so everyone knows better. but i can't so yea.


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## rocky pony (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm glad that you posted that, that sounds like a much better situation. Well congratulations to you both for the huge improvement


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## PaintsPwn (Dec 29, 2009)

Vets also are under the belief that they are equine dentists. While some dentistry is better than none, they are not well educated enough in the field of dentistry alone. 

As it's been stated over and over, miniature horses should NOT be ridden by anyone, not only because of their size, but also for the fact that they cannot be ridden by a professional and properly trained to be safe-ish for a child. If the horse was treated as horribly as you describe, she's more than earned her retirement as a pasture ornament.


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

thankyou for that paintspwn and i can see where your coming from (but i dont get what this has to do with dentistry, we have a seperate equine dentist from our vet)

I see where your coming from like that, but if you knew gemma like i do, you would know that if she was to retire as a pasture ornament, she would hate it. every time she see's that saddle (however very unoften it may be) she nickers out and comes running up to the gate and stands statue right up untill the moment where casey calls out walk. and I do see about how you've put that they cannot be trained to be safe-ish for a child, but gemma is so affectionate and loving, that it would be impossible for her to hurt anyone unless they have previously hurt her. When i got her, i was told that she would bite to mars, and true she did.. to her owners. but as soon as I had her, up until now i have never had a bite, nor has she bitten anyone except her owners.
I had the house to myself one day, andthe cheeky monkey managed to undo her gate latch, walk up the taner track, down my driveway, into the open door of my house, and nose her saddle off the chair in the dining room. she actually loves being ridden by casey, I think, because she knows casey would never do to her, what the owners children did.

But while i'm here.. ive been told that i should put her in foal but i dont know if i should. (i dont know anything about foals, but my neighbours breeds horses so she could go to him) i dont know if i should because of whats happened to her, or if she would be in good enough condition to have one. i havent talked to the vet lately so i havent been able to ask him. but i know if i did she would be an awesome mother (she looked after the lambs we had here like they were her own) what do you think? because i dont know


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## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

What color is she? Grulla?


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

lacyloo said:


> What color is she? Grulla?


uhm i havent heard of grulla haha. She's registered Buckskin

Her dam:
Jurosslie Moccachino
height:37.25
Bay

Sire:
Bluestones Exquisite Bear
Height: 32.25
Palomino Appaloosa

(i found her papers haha)


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## rocky pony (Oct 5, 2007)

In most cases I say leave the breeding to the breeders..it's pretty rarely a good idea for us normal horse owners to breed our horses. I'm sure you know well that there are way more horses out there than homes..Well, pretty big understatement, but eh..It's pretty bad. I'm not a professional on mini conformation but I tend to doubt that she's breeding quality..as pretty as she is. I don't mean to say anything against her in that, but only exceptional horses (with not just nice but superb conformation and bloodlines, usually with some kind of show history or great show history from the sire or dam) really should be bred.

Plenty of the horses I've personally worked with thus far have been beautiful, wonderful horses. None of them have been breeding quality.
So I would discourage it.


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

thankyou rockyxpony thats kinda what i was thinking aswell. thankyou haha thats made up my mind. im not putting her in foal lol.


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## rocky pony (Oct 5, 2007)

Glad to hear it =)
Happy trails!


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## EveningShadows (May 18, 2009)

After reading all the posts, I think you're doing a WONDERFUL job with her. I can't believe the condition you got her in - and I thought MY mini was fat! Very good work getting her weight down in a healthy way, walking her and jumping her, and even the riding - if it's a couple laps to warm her up before your little sister gets on her, I see nothing wrong with that. Good on you for taking the time to get her back in shape and making sure your sister is safe in her riding! 

I personally wouldn't breed her though...who told you to? And why? I see NO reason why you should retire her, she sounds like a doll and looks WAY better because of the time and effort you've put into her. I wouldn't do any more flyinf leaps onto her, but if it was to see her reaction so as to see how she'd do as a vaulting pony for your sister, it becomes a different story. 

Good job with her anyhow, keep it up and don't get discouraged.


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## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

I wouldn't risk breeding her, its pretty hard on minis. Good for you for going with your gut and making the right decision.


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