1st mini horse

[shadowpaints]

DS lil Mikey was our first.. he is only 4 , we brought him home when he was 3 months old.. we LOVE him he is the one that showed me how much fun these little ones are... technicly he is mine but he really belongs to my 5 year old daughter, Mackenzie.....

you tell me you think she loves him?

kenzie after showing him all day!

we love him and now we are up to 9 minis

 

[Matt73]

Yes, I do. And Lexus will be staying with me until the day she dies (or the day I die

). I've had her for 3 years. I really lucked out and got the prettiest, sweetest girl ever (in my eyes). And this June she gave us an even prettier girl, Briar! Who will probably also be here forever

The day she arrived (a yearling)

And, now, with her one baby Briar!

 

[RockRiverTiff]

My family got into minis when I was just a baby, so it's hard to really determine which would be my first. Many of our horses have lived here for 10-20 years or more. I guess the first mini I really had a strong connection with was Dell Teras Queen Elizabeth. She was a half-sister to Egyptian King who was very big when we got her, but unknown to us (until much later at least) she was barren. That sweet old mare would do anything for us kids, so for me at least it didn't matter that she never had a foal. She was 25 when we lost her, and even though it was almost ten years ago now I still miss her.

 

[jstantonjazz]

I still have my first mini. He is 14 this year and he will be the last horse to leave the farm LOL he is a 34 inch silver bay stallion. I got him at 3 months old. but even better my parents still have their quarter horse stallion who is 29 this year and still siring foals they have owned him since he was in moms belly ( they put a deposit on him before he was born)

 

[~Dan]

Yes I still have my "first" mini Polly.

I call Polly my "first" mini because the moment I saw her when I went to see her for the first time, I knew I was going her but the first time I saw her, and then her only foal Titan (hes 2) came along as well, These two aint goin any where, Ive owned them for a little over a year, and they will always stay on the farm.

Pollys a big boned well muscled large and in charge of a mare, yet very cautscious and loveing at the same time. Titan is just a young boy, you know how they get, with his nipping and his kicking every once in a while, hes my loveable little pet. Both Polly and Titan are my pets, they will stay pets, and just be lawn mowers and pasture ornaments, Polly will be the lead mare, and Titan will be everyones friend, I just love these minis, and now Im "trying" to add some nice pinto patterns to the herd, Polly and Titan are appaloosas.

 

[GeorgeandHumble]

Yes, I still own Humble, but there was a couple of weeks when he was owned by someone else.

I had a lot of changes in my life and must have lost my mind for a short spell. My partner and I have several big horses but non were really mine. Humble was here with all the big horses and couldn't go out and play with them. He was always in a pen by himself and that seemed unfair so I put him up for sale. A woman contacted me and asked if I would trade for a nice riding horse. I traded Humble. I knew when we were making the trade that I was going to regret it. The barn was lonesome without Humble. I was used to him calling for me when he heard my voice. We ran through the fields all the time and I groomed him constantly so we were both attached to each other (Hard to say who was more attached).

Every day I would go into the barn and look at Humble's stall and say it wasn't the same with him gone. One day I was leaning on Humble's stall and told my partner that I had made a big mistake trading Humble. My partner asked if there was a way to get Humble back if I would do it? I said I would in a heartbeat. My partner looked at me with a half smile and I asked what was going on. My partner wouldn't tell me until I chased him around the farm for a couple hours hounding him. Finally he broke down and told me that when the farrier was there that day that he said he'd just done Humble's feet and he was now living five minutes up the road. I was SHOCKED, not only that he was just up the road but that he only lasted a few days with the lady I had traded with.

So, my partner bought Humble back that day as a Christmas gift to me. Humble and I are happy to be together again. I have just started Humble driving and he is doing fantastic. My partner tells me that Humble would do anything I asked because I spend so much time with him.

I learned that when you have a horse that you really like you better hold onto it no matter what or you'll regret looking at his/her empty stall and you'll miss the connection.

There is no way Humble will ever belong to someone else. I was so upset that I traded Humble. What was even worse was that when Humble came home the very first thing we noticed was he no longer had the spunk he had. He seemd depressed. It wasn't long before Humble was back to his old self.

I always joke that Humble is the most expensive non-show miniature horse out there. His price doubled from the time I traded him until I got him back LOL, but he is worth every bit of what he cost when I bought him and then what he cost when I got him back.

We now have other mini's but Humble is my number one and always will be.

 

[maplegum]

Bailey isn't going anywhere! Afterall, he keeps us entertained.

I couldn't imagine anyone else LOVING my little guy the way I do.

xox Leonie xox

 

[Margo_C-T]

Though not the 'very first', I still have the first broodmare I ever bought. Got her in '85; she was not yet three and already had a foal at side

----she is 27 this year, looks great! She produced several excellent foals who went on to do quite well in the show ring. Two are Jess Rocky Rabbit, and still-my-own Jess Cowboys Top Hand, an AMHA Champion (and the horse in my avatar). 'Melly' herself had a respectable AMHA show career, with points in driving, halter and driven obstacle, halter, and showmanship...in her mid-teens, I loaned her to a boy whose mini had died abruptly; she helped him win the All-Around Youth award at the State Fair show that year!

She has been retired from breeding for some years; after Cowboy Del went to Oregon to stay, there were just no stallions around here that I wanted to breed her to...but she is a sweet, grand old mare, and has a home here for life.

Margo

 

[dreaminmini]

It's an interesting thread. I am enjoying everyones stories. I too still have my first mini but we've only had him a year.

He has been awesome, so awesome we added two more. I love my Peek A Boo and at only 4yrs we hope to have him a real long time and I have no plans of ever selling him.

 

[Witts Mini Horse Ranch]

Our 1st minis where a purchase of 3, 2 mares and a 7 month old colt....and yes we still have them...could'nt imagine giving them up! But if life throws us a curve, heaven forbid....the then colt, now my stallion "Ditto" will always be with us...that would be my husband choice as well, we love him to pieces! I still have all the horses we have purchased, traded for, or where gave to me, except for one and a now friend had been in love with him for a long time and had not been able to get him...so he is now very much loved and cared for by her.

It's all I can do to part with some of the foals, but I have to...to hopefully be able to help a little with the care of the others. If I ever win the Lotto, you won't see very many Witt horses for sale

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

I still have my first. Miss Mary Of Misty Meadows, a Bond Sir Galahad grand daughter. She is a 30" black pinto with brown eyes. A chubby little thing and a great mom. She will let any foal nurse and loves all the babies. One year she wasn't bred and I lost a mare leaving me with an orphan. I gave her Domperidone for three days, and her milk came in. When I brought the foal to her, she made that funny sound that mama horse make when they greet their babies, and she let him nurse right away and took care of him till I weaned him. Mary is worth her weight in gold and I really OWE her. She will be with me till the end.

Robin

 

[Rebecca]

I got my first two two and a half years ago, and they're here for life.

Kassie (Mocha's Keep Her In Kashmere) is a 11 year old 33.75 " mare. She is incredibly smart and I've trained her to a variety of tricks, and she does well in the local hunter, jumper, and halter classes. My other little one is Covergirl (SRF Covergirl), a 14 year old 31" mare. She was a little rescue and came to me as a very timid horse, but is really a diamond in the rough, (and a direct Rowdy granddaughter)! I've taught her to lounge, jump, do trail and obstacle, and we're working on driving. She is an amazing little horse and was born to fly, whether over jumps or just trotting around.

These two mean the world to me and are both very special horses. They bring joy to everyone they meet and I feel privileged to call them my own.

Mocha's Keep Her In Kashmere

SRF Covergirl

Really neat seeing everyone's special little ones!

Rebecca

 

[KenBen]

We still have the first miniature we brought. His name is Cool Springs Solar Eqlipse. We brought him as a 2 and a half year old and he is now 17 years old. We showed him on the show circuit in Southern Ontario for many years and brought him out of retirement as a driving horse for the birthday parties we do. He is a beautiful blood bay.

Kenben

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Rabbit was the first Mini I bred and he is 30 years old this year.

I owned his dam but she died a few years back, as did his sire who I also owned.

He isn't retired from anything, though I do attempt to slow him down, I thought his fertility this year would be sure to be gone, so I just gave him the one mare, who I was intending to leave open , and she is set!!!

 

[HGFarm]

First of all, congrats to Rabbitz on his birthday and still settling mares! I hope mine does the same!

I have my first Mini, Grays Smoke Signal (known as Bob to all his friends). He was not quite five yet when I got him, he is 19 this year and still doing well.

Here he is at about age 8

Here he is at age 18...

 

[dreamlandnh]

Yes, my first mini that I purchased for me I still have. I could never let him go...Linda Best let me purchase him from her. He is my dream...grey pinto gelding. Dawghpatch Tip Me Over is a ham and brings a smile to my face each morning as I go to the barn. Last year Lizzie showed him at the local fair and won one the Dorthy Plante Open Driving Pleasure class...this means the world to me because my generation is one of the last to know who Dot Plante is. I rode many times in the riding class in her honor and never could win the class so my daughter winning with my horse brought tears of joy to my eyes as I walked with her to Dot's grand-daughter to accept the trophy (of which is a past 4H leader of mine). Again this year Lizzie will be taking my boy Patches in that class. He has a heart of gold!!!

 

[HorseMom]

I got my first mini two years ago. Jay in the Dark has come a long way from the fat, nasty stallion that I bought for almost nothing. Love the guy and his attitude, he won't be going anywhere and is now a part of my breeding program. We're getting Slippers an ultrasound next week to see if she's preggos by him.

 

[Indian*R*A*I*N*Dance]

yes, i still have my first mini. he was 4 months old when i got him, Indian Rain dance. hes currently part of my showstring.

 

[barnbum]

Gypsy--Flamingos Gypsy Buckeroo, to be official, was my first mini. After a fall from a big one (2003), my daughter discovered ads for miniatures online. I'd never heard of them before. I did a search for miniatures in NY and Harriet Rubins name came up. I emailed her questions--she emailed answers right back and invited us for a visit. The whole family went to see her farm. I had no intentions of buying, afterall, my biggies was still here. But, Harriet took us around the whole barn to meet everyone. She must have had at least 30. But Gypsy caught my eye from first sight and never let go. I asked Harriet to "take me back to the one with the pretty eyelashes." Her price was more than I'd paid for two biggies, but I was in love. I looked up at my husband and he said "oh, heck, it's only money." On the inside he was thinking "She can't ride this one, so can't fall off, so won't be going back to the ER."

Gypsy is 10 now and has given me three gorgeous fillies--they are all still here. There's a possibility none of the three will ever be bred, but they each have a specific job. Gypsy is retired from breeding now and once Mazie is weaned, she'll be my running buddy again.

2005

This week:

 

[kaycee]

ohio's rocky was purchased as a 2 yr old and is now a little old man of 29-and still servicing his ladies! i trained him to drive and he did obstacle and jumping. still loved.