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whiskeyranch

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I don't post here, I usually just read, but I could really use some back up on this......


I was given a local farm and ranch paper by a neighbor because it had a miniature horse article.



I won't copy the whole thing, just the disturbing parts......here goes.......


 

 


"To be considered a miniature the horse must be less than 32 inches talll"


 


"They're alot fun, Mrs. ****said of her miniatures. "They don't act anything like the big ones. They're more like puppy dogs."


 


The ****family has a new addition to the family now-Stormy.



"We didn't even know Midnight was going to have a baby," Mrs. *** said, we came home after a game and saw her running around.


 


The horses "look" fine and healthy in the photos, but I guess it is the sheer ignorance of the whole thing that is bothering me.


 


There's more, but I think what I have written will explain my irritation. And if this article is about you, and you are reading this, then I'm sorry, but you should know alot more and I'm sure there are many who would be willing to inform you and help.



I'm doing as much as I can to learn about these beautiful creatures, and I find it unbelievable that an article like this can be printed. It only helps misguide more folks.


 


Needless to say, I have sent a letter to the editor and asked them if they do any homework or just print whatever comes out of the mouth. I also said that many people work hard to teach, breed, and show, along with the countless number of people who rescue these horses, because someone, at the time, thinks they want a new "puppy."
 
Well, I understand your dismay at seeing this article. I certainly hope that you offered to have that paper run a story on you so that you could correct some mistated statements. Is this article online????? If so, could you give us the info to the paper? I think that a few letters to the editor would be good. If the paper gets enough letters to the editor about the article, they will print them...
 
Okay, now that makes me FURIOUS! I can only imagine how much more furious I'd feel if it was in our own local paper. You did right with the letter. If you want to share the name of the paper / address, I will also write a letter. There's no excuse to let such mis-information go uncorrected. The newspaper doesn't know how wrong this is unless they are informed, and the more "information" sources the more likely they are to realize "we" are the ones who actually are knowledgable.
 
While ignorance is no excuse, let's not go all postal on these folks and the newspaper because they printed what they knew or were told.

There are lots of instances where people get miniatures, and without realizing there are any other around, believe they have the only ones and are the experts. There was an article in a Michigan paper just a few years ago stating that a farm was "introducing" miniature horses into our state. Hmmm, so the one's I've had for 20 years, plus the other hundreds must not count? Another time a farm up north (no longer in business) boasted they were Michigan's "Largest" breeders of miniatures. They had 9. I had 23.

While the age of the Internet has vastly improved the communication arena, there are still folks who just don't know any better or believe they know what they are talking about. They may be new to miniatures, and believed the information they had been given.

If folks want to write to the editor and give a better explanation and description of miniatures, please do so in a friendly manner. Papers can only print what they are told by "experts" whether they truly are or not! The good news is the horses appeared to be healthy and happy, which is truly what matters most.
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Off my soapbox now!!
 
All I have is an email. This is actually this first time I've seen this paper.

Here's the papers email [email protected]

I'm not sure if you can access this from the Palestine Herald Press or not, but I will try to see.

I'm not really anyone to do an article on, but at least I know how tall miniatures ARE.!!
 
This is a PERFECT opportunity for you to educate the community about miniature horses!!!
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Definitely contact the newpaper and ask to write a rebuttal. It's a great chance to present the facts, to help explain what a miniature horse is (and isn't), the different registries, etc.

My local city did a feature news story on my minis, and it was a wonderful experience!!!
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I hope it's okay to post THIS article. I just remembered I had it on my webspace. Erica sent it to me after the show in Murfreesboro, TN and it was a good article!

DAILY%20NEWS%20JOURNAL%20ON%20SHOW--small.jpg
 
Jill unless my old eyes arent working that article says according to breed standards they arent supposed to be over 34 in. Well not that is not a breed standard but a registry standard i guess is the way i would put it.
 
I would agree, it's a great opportunity to contact the paper and do a little friendly educating. Keep in mind too that papers have been known to take comments out of context. The local paper came out a couple of years ago and did a feature on our farm. I was appalled esp at some of the pictures they used. I worked so hard to get the horses spiffed up and they used the "cute" pictures - headshots straight on and out of perspective, etc. Not the image I was after.
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They used a small portion of our conversations and when that happens words do lose some of their intent.

Jan
 
Wildoak, your point was the one I was going to make. This may or may not be the fault of the owner. Several years ago our local paper did a story about my oldest son and a mini mare we had. The reporter even brought a tape recorder so I never even thought to ask if I could preview the article before printed. I figured she had it all on recording so the facts would be correct. Oh my goodness. They had the registries and sizes wrong, totally misquoted me and took things I said out of context. Never again will I allow and actual interview without previewing it. I was very embarrassed. Luckily not too many minis in my immediate area, but I was so worried someone would read the article and think I was the idiot when it was the reporter who couldn't write. I agrre that a lot of people are pasing along misinformation right now, but sometimes it isn't the owners fault. Just my experience.
 
I have been in exactly the same position- this may be NO fault of the person interviewed at all. We who are interviewed need to get with the programme- when it comes to things published, "Trust No-one!!"
 
If that makes you mad, then the articles that have been on horse magazines in Germany about Miniature Horses would probably given you a heart attack.

I don't have those here with me, but I remember what annoyed me most was e.g. comparance to guinea pigs (because of the various colors), showing the fattest horses in worst shape I've ever seen (probably never trimmed before) and implying that most minis look like that, saying that AMHA doesn't exist anymore today, saying the first minis were imported to Germany in 2003 (when they really were in the 1970s) etc etc I could really go on forever.

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I guess there are just too many ignorants out there.
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Mary Lou - LB said:
These type of articles are not any worse then some pictures somewhere on the internet that shows a grown man all cuddled up with a miniature horse under the covers in a bed sleeping together..  Also seen a picture somewhere where is shows a Mini in the bathtub taking a shower. Just when you thought wet dogs smell bad.. Ewwww..
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Well gosh MaryLou.....nothin' wrong with that!
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Could this be the picture you are referring to?

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Fancy was just a weanling when I was scheduled to take her to a local Mall. I didn't want to take her dirty, and it was still much too cold to bathe her outside. So......we just brought her in, stuck her in the tub, and she stood there like a little trooper for her bath!
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She probably thought the nice warm water felt good! We blew her dry with hairdryers & took her to the mall looking great!
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Here's a picture of her later that day at the mall....with a new "friend".
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NOPE.....have never had them in bed with me.
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Guess you gotta draw the line somewhere.
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midnight star stables said:
Mary Lou - LB... are these those pics? there for seeing eye minis... at

Say those are too cute, I like it
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.. No I have never had mine in bed But I have given them a shower
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And of course I did have them housebroke and I am now starting to write my book along with tons of pics "How To Housebreak Your Horse" It should be neat when done
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There should be a market out there for just a book
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i have already been interviewed on TV because of my housebroke horses
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I have a Tape of that
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Of Course I have the Video saved on my hard drive about patches the horse that rides in that guys convertable and goes for cheese burgers answers the phone and gets the guy a beer and then goes to bed and covers himself up..In case you all have not seen that neat video here is the link to it It IS really cool

http://gprime.net/video.php/patchesthehorse
 
OH MY GAWWWWD! Now THERE'S an accident waiting to happen!
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Putting a horse of that size into an open convertable & driving around on public streets! All this video shows is a horse who has been "trained" to do certain manuvers. Videos like this & the photos of the cute little babies in bed will of course, get lots of attention. But they serve only the attention hungry owners who want publicity for themselves.
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These kind of things that show horses/minis doing things that are totalling unnatural for them.....will only encourage inexperienced people to try doing the same thing. It's reckless & not in the horse's best interest.
 

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