"They aren't good for anything...."

[Rhondaalaska]

My husband kids me about my little girl, but it is funny for a guy who did not like horses at all,

He goes in her stall to give her kisses every time he goes out side.

He also has to great her when ever he walks by her.

Naaaaa he doesn't " like" her

it is funny to watch some times.

He is getting the little horse bug. He even goes out at night to check on her, if he hears a noise.

 

[BBH]

So many people ask me and at one time I probably thougth the same thing.....but then i got old, old horses not ridable, new knees and along came one, then two, then 3......adn i am having a ball. I now drive most places I used to ride and have just as much fun....bad day.....take a cart ride in the nice sun and slow pace and that bad day goes away. They love you back unconditionally if you are kind to them and just make everything so much better. Many horses and ponies have passed thru my life and everyone had a personality of their own, good and bad.....but my little Lace is just gotten into my heart tremendously.

 

[HGFarm]

OMG, love the comment about the dogs.... I'll have to remember that one. Nope cant fix stupid- which was obviously combined with rude.

 

[Hosscrazy]

I usually respond with "You're right ... I KNEW I shouldn't have washed them in hot water..."

 

[Rhondaalaska]

I usually respond with "You're right ... I KNEW I shouldn't have washed them in hot water..."

I love this one

lol

I am definetly use this next time.

Great one Liz

 

[MajorClementine]

"They aren't good for anything" is how I feel about a lot of things people have... But I sure don't say it to their faces. I figure everyone has their reasons and I respect them enough to not say something insulting to them.

 

[shelia]

Don't let comments like that get to you. These kind of people are are only trying to make themselves feel more important.

Since the beginning of mankind we have had things that don't seem to serve much purpose. Things like jewlery, make up, alcaholic beverages, high heels, ski boats, movies, plays, football. (all ball games), snow skis, house plants. pets ect.... The list just goes on and on. Why does that woman even ride her horse. Is she herding her cattle or plowing fields with it?

We need things that make us happy and that is a great purpose!

 

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

When I took riding lessons, I told the owner of the barn that I was getting a mini. You know what she said? " Minis should be killed off because they are a waste of air, time, money and pasture. They are stupid and do nothing but stand there and breath air. If I were you I would buy one of my horses that you could actually use. " I WAS 12 when she said that to me. I cried because she was incredibly mean. Plus, im pretty sure all she wanted out of the horses was money money money. No love for the horses or anything. My trainer defended me though saying that I could do whatever I wanted, and if I wanted a mini I'm getting one. The owner just snorted and walked off. I love minis more than big horses actually. I feel that minis can do so much more things than a big horse.

 

[Foxhaven]

"Really? Huh. It almost sounds like all you understand about horses is riding, and that's it?"

If it was said out of condescension, then let them defend themselves... minis do not need a defense.

If it was done out of simple ignorance but with a case of oral shoelaces, then offer to broaden their world of knowledge.

 

[Jill]

OH, please don't tell me I'm not preaching to the CHIOR!

My first horses were riding horses, and I still have a riding horse. I love him very much.................... yet which horses do I really do something with more? It's our minis! My big horse does drive, and is the first driving horse I owned, however, minis are so much easier to hook up.

An average size mini in reasonable shape can pull two (2) adults in a well balanced cart. I have plenty of friends who'd like to do a "horsey" something, but that may not include riding. Even H, for ALL his years of helping me take care of horses DOES NOT know how to ride. He may think he does, but in the saddle, his ground pointing toes tell me otherwise!

You can sit in a cart and drive a horse with a friend how isn't at all horse knowledgeble, but still wants to have a horse experience, and be safe because YOU know horses and how to drive. Plus, I've been on more than few trail rides and how easy is it to hold a converssation? NOT easy, at least in my exprience. However, side by side in a cart, you can hear what each other has to say.

Miniatures are at the high end of the ruler when it comes to horse smarts. That makes them not only fun to drive (and train to drive) but also all of that in hand fun you can have with them.

I've been around lots of horse women, and I'd bet "the farm" that more than half of them are honestly afraid to get up on top of their big horses, so one thing "minis are good for" is to teach confidence... and in the process, have a lot of fun and maybe arive at new hobbies and spirations (driving and in hand performance).

I started out owning big horses and still have one. I remember when we got our first mini, I figured we'd really love him and enjoy taking care of him, but I didn't think we'd enjoy him as much as we did our big horses... NEARLY 15 years later, and not too far in, we came to honestly enjoy our minis MORE than our biggies.

We love to take care of animals, we have loved to breed superior x superior and raise the results, and driving is an absolute blast and sharable in a way that riding is really not.

Minis are usually extremely smart and very people oriented. They are "good for" so much, including sharing with others. Honestly, minis are the breed that nearly everyone can experience.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Miniatures are at the high end of the ruler when it comes to horse smarts. That makes them not only fun to drive (and train to drive) but also all of that in hand fun you can have with them.

I have a bumper sticker on my trailer that says: "My Miniature Horse is smarter than your Quarter Horse"

I totally believe it!

 

[Jill]

I have a bumper sticker on my trailer that says: "My Miniature Horse is smarter than your Quarter Horse"

I totally believe it!

YES indeed!!!

 

[JAX]

I have a bumper sticker on my trailer that says: "My Miniature Horse is smarter than your Quarter Horse"

I totally believe it!

Oh I WANT that!!!

and you are in Texas too...LOL I bet you get lots of nasty looks.

 

[Debby - LB]

Wow that sure was a rude conversation starter. I've heard my fair share of "what do you do with them" remarks, but no one's told me my little horses were good for nothing. Maybe they are small but not as small as the broom she rode in on.... geez.. The first thing that popped in my head was telling her IF you have any horses of your own.. I sure feel sorry for them if all you think they are good for is riding...

 

[Flying minis]

I agree that this woman was incredibly rude. . .<br />BUT<br />A large percentage of the big horse and non-horse owning population thinks the same thing, and we NEED to recognize that if we want the breed to grow. Taking the time to politely and thoroughly answer people that make statements like this, showing what our minis can do at every opportunity (open shows, parades, nursing home and school visits, etc.) are what will change people's attitudes and get them thinking about minis in a new way. It's easy to ridicule people who think this way on the forum, but if we want to see mini ownership and use expand, and the breed grow, we need to bite our tongues in person and use every opportunity as a teaching opportunity. I admit I'd said that to a mini owner before - and she politely talked to me about what could be done with a mini, how they were used, what the breed was like, etc. That was nearly 20 years ago, but it made me open to buying one when my son wanted one 15 years later, instead of just saying "no way". Just a thought from the other side of the argument : )

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Oh I WANT that!!!

and you are in Texas too...LOL I bet you get lots of nasty looks.

A friend had them made for us... I love it!

 

[wildoak]

so without missing a beat and a poker face I said, Eat them.

My husband used to answer that question with "baby back, baby back, baby back ribs..." Definitely turned some heads LOL.

Jan

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

So everyone knows, I WAS nice to her. Had to bite my tongue, and we laughed hysterically after she left. but....

Jan. I DID think of saying that....but I was a good girl!

 

[Lady Lavender]

You know, it doesn't matter if you like minis or any animal really, you don't come up to someone and say something like that about their pet/companion. She was terribly rude and I don't think I would have been so kind. You did the right thing.

I have dealt quite a bit with a similar version of this question in the last few weeks but it was never asked in a malicious way, only in curiosity. I am the only person in my family to own a horse mini or otherwise. About five minutes after texting my mother that we had brought home Lavender, I had almost every family member and friend of the family calling or texting with questions about her and miniature horses. "What do you do with one?" was by far the number one question. At the time, I didn't really know.

NOW, I'm so overwhelmed by all the amazing things these horses can do that I'm having a difficult time choosing Lavender's new friend.

 

[jandjmc]

Several years ago I was at an all breed horse expo. I was leading a mini mare and was approached by 2 "cowboys" (big hats, no cows). They started giving me grief like "do you use that one for cutting?", "buy them by the pound do you?" and the infamous, "do they live in your house?", along with the "what do you do with them?", to which I answered "just about everything!". I kept my cool and tried to be an ambassador for the breed, answered their questions and "oh, ha,ha". Not 10 minutes later I was walking to an outdoor arena, still with my mare when we walked by a big trailer with full-sized horses tied there. They went ape-****, clearly not used to unusual stimuli or trained to handle it. You've guessed that they belonged to the 2 dudes who had been giving me a hard time. I volunteered to help them desensitize their horses to minis if they wanted to.......hehehe...minimare never blinked an eye.....hehehe.