Who switched from big horses to minis???? When??

[SkipsMom]

I'm curious, for those of you who "do" 75% or more miniature horse shows, competitions and even breeding, did you ride, compete or breed full size horses first?? When did the switch to mostly mini's occur??

I am still mostly full size horses but I feel a surge coming to devote more time and effort w/ my miniatures and driving. :bgrin

Share your history.

 

[disneyhorse]

Yep, I had big horses... and BIG horses

Those 18 hand percherons are way too much horse to feed, tack, farrier, and show on a limited budget so I switched. I don't have any big horses. I board my horses, I rent two 12X24 stalls which house twice as many minis than big horses now.

Andrea

 

[CJMM6]

I rode horses since I was 2 years old. :new_shocked: When I was a young teen I trained & showed Morgan/Arabians.

I didn't show big time though. I trail rode a lot. Got married, bought a new 3/4 Arabian mare & trail rode a some more.

:

I always loved the Minis & do to health reasons I had to let my riding horse go.

: So I bought the beloved Minis into my life. I couldn't bare to sell my riding Arabian so I permently leased him to a family & he is doing great.

:

I was only going to have 2 Minis, & you know the story, 7 years latter we have a beautiful small herd of 10.

We have 2 stallions & 8 mares. cjmm

 

[Devon]

I rode horses for 5 years and lately drifted form it won't admit I've stopped though .. I can't bring my self to tell myself that .. I came across the minis at my tack store and started it as a job

cleaning up exc then got hooked Still showed my big horses up untill this past show season then got so commited to trianing and showing these guys .. Im obsessed with them and I figure its just as good but Its hard to quit big horses all together when ever i tell myself that i get upset

 

[wildoak]

I rode & showed QHs from the time I was about 10, way too many years ago to admit.

: We bought a colt from Tony about 10-11 years ago just for something to play with....started showing, and eventually had no time to do the big ones. I tried doing both while my daughter was still showing QH, just too much doing it all myself. I haven't ridden consistently in probably 8 years - just brought a big 3 year old apha mare home on Sunday, have to admit I LOVED riding her although my back complained a bit!

Jan

 

[Mini Whinny]

I have a "BIG" riding horse but no mini's. Really want some tho

 

[Chamomile]

Well I started with Shetland ponies when I was a little girl, like before I was even walking. I have pictures of myself being "babysat" by our old shetland mare Donna. I rode and drove Shetlands for 10 years and then I really wanted a big horse. So as a 10 year old I "graduated" to a big horse, a 2 year old Quarter Horse mare. I rode and showed her for 7 years, then went to a registered Mustang mare that I did some cow work with. We had Paso Finos and I worked at a big Paso Fino ranch for a couple of years after I graduated High School. Then I bought an Arab mare and rode dressage for 4 years. I had big plans to work towards the Olympics in the dressage arena. I rode under some of the biggies in the scene, people from Europe and Germany and was really heading places... then I got pregnant Sooooo my husband and I moved to the family farm and my Mom and I were going to get into sport horses. I was shopping and looking to import a Friesian stallion, we had two arab mares and three thoroughbred mares for breeding. I was riding them and taking it easy. Then my one year old baby crawled under the fence and got in the pen with one of the sillier thoroughbred mares. It really scared me. Around this time, my father-in-law bought me a miniature stallion, for a pet. I wanted to train him to drive, so my baby and I could go out together since it was so hard to take him riding on horseback with me. Well that one mini turned into about 20 on the farm between my Mom and my Grandmother! I sold all the big horses as I found I didn't have the time to work with them and the minis and also I got pregnant with another baby :bgrin

Sorry for the long drawn out story!! But it is the way it happened. My youngest is almost 5 now and we have had only the minis for 6 years (almost 7). I sold my last big horses when I found out I was pregnant...

 

[victoria]

We made the change over in 97. prior to that we had a string of sport horses and competed at NZEF level in Eventing, Show Jumping, Show Hunter and Dressage.

We made the change after I got a couple of concussions in a short period of time and was told I could ride, just not fall off, at the same time my favourite horse got pedalostitis he is the horse in my avatar I still have him. He was 20 last year and a really brilliant horse who I was offered big $$$$ for at the time, I dispersed the remainder of my string a year after we got our first minis, and the rest they say is history...

 

[maplegum]

I started with riding horses when I was 17 years old and had them for many years. Life changed, marriage, kids, morgage etc so it was time to focus my time on the new things in my life.

My love for horses never went away. I recently bought a small property, not big enough to house full sized horses but certainly large enough for a mini or two. I've fallen in love with horses all over again!

I must admit that I also don't have the confidence that I used to have when I was riding so these minis are perfect!

 

[Rachel]

My older sister and Mom had horses as far as I can remember back. I got my first horse when I was 6, a big old palomino Quarter Horse. I started showing at 7 and showed the big ones all the way up until the time I graduated high school. We showed quite a lot, probably every other weekend all summer long and quite a variety of breeds too - Quarters, Arabians, Arab crosses, and my last guy was a Paint. My favorite was my second horse - a flea bitten gray Arab/Welsh/Quarter cross. She was so much fun and did every event there was, often beating out horses much bigger than she was!

The fall of my senior year, I went to visit Renee at the Lucky Hart and found my first miniature and still my favorite, a gelding named JJ. I was hooked instantly! Two years ago as a college graduation present from my parents, I got my first mare. I presently only have 2 mares but I'm very interested in the breeding aspect of the minis and will be starting my search for a stallion in the next couple of years. :aktion033:

We still have 2 Quarters and do a little trail riding but no showing. However, I am still rather involved with the "big" horse showing through some friends who train and show QHs, Apps, and Paints. I don't think I could ever completely desert the big guys!

 

[wiccanz]

I was fortunate to brought up with horses, when I was born, my father was training standardbreds. I didn't start riding until I was about 8 or 9, but once we started, that was it!! :bgrin

I did the Pony Club thing, and a bit of everything else - showing, hunting, eventing etc - and when I got older, I had horsey jobs (Polo grooming mostly).

I went away from horses for some years, started training dogs and still compete in Obedience during the winter. Then after I met and moved in with my husband, we started looking at minis. We looked around for 2 years or more before buying anything. I think we were a bit disappointed with what we saw - choppy little gaits, short legs etc. As it turns out, we just weren't looking in the right places! :bgrin

We bought our first mini in 2003, and the rest is history :bgrin

Funny, I always thought that I could never afford to get back into big horses, as I'm very competitive and would need to have a good (expensive) one. But with all the mini money we've spent, I reckon I could have had a mighty fine riding horse by now!! :new_shocked: :bgrin

But like others, I'm a bit chicken of the biggies now, and I

: my minis to bits. The last 4-5 years have been some of the best of my life.

:

 

[SHANA]

Well I had a pony when I was young, at age 12, almost 13 got my first arabian, bred them for years, in 2003 rescued a mini gelding, had him a year, thought he was lonely, got a purebred mini mare and the rest is history. I now have 2 arabians for riding and the occasional show, and 14 minis and may be getting a 3rd stallion, a gorgeous leopard, just working on details.

 

[Getitia]

My first horse was an american saddlebred mare - a birthday gift from my father in 1964! Being a horse crazy (my mothers term) youth - many different breeds found their way into our barn over the years, a wonderful shetland pony who was my best friend, a Watch Joe Jack QH gelding whom I competed in barrels and poles , an Appaloosa stallion whom won for us at the National Level in several events, and many different Arabians (my true love) whom we exhibited at both the regional and National levels back in the late 70s and early 80s. We actually obtained a miniature mare for our young sons back in the early 80s while we were exhibiting our full size horses. We still have 2 full size small horses on property for trail riding and enjoyment (ownership belongs to our daughter-in-law). Our last full size horse was sold in the early 90s.

Here is very old photo (1982?) of me showing one of my favorite show geldings who could and would do anything asked, from working cattle, to jumping he died a few years ago at age 30. I obtained him as a weanling.

 

[Jill]

I got my first horse, an arab x qh in 1994 or 1995. Then a couple years later, I got a second riding horse.

In 1999, I got my first mini and at that time, I knew I'd love having him but thought I could never enjoy a mini as much as my riding horses.

Well now 8 years later, I have 17 (or so???) minis and the same two big horses, who I very rarely ride. I love them (attached) but it's the minis I enjoy the most.

 

[normajeanbaker]

I started off with American Saddlebreds. I started riding when I was 4 and have ALWAYS had a Saddlebred. We got our first Mini in 1998. THen we got our 2nd one in 1999. At this point, we were showing both the Saddlebreds and 2 Mini's. It wasn't until 2005 that I really started enjoying the Mini's more then the Saddlebreds. I found myself wanting to show the Mini's more then the full sized horses. In November 2006, my last full sized show horse was sold and now we only have Mini's.... 7 of them

: I still have 1 older Saddlebred left who I'll always have. I've had him since 1996 and he was a great show horse for me, so he'll always be mine.

I LOVE having "just" Mini's here and am really looking forward to the 2007 show season with them. Maybe I'll have another Saddlebred some day, but it won't be anytime soon. I couldn't be any happier with our Mini show string and have NO regrets or 2nd thoughts on selling my full sized horses.

~Jen~

 

[CheyAut]

I sorta did... I started riding big horses, jumping and dressage, my first horse is a TB whom I still have and will NEVER sell him. I still have my big horses, 6 of them (2 riding ones (1 for sale), hubby's riding horse, 2 retired horses, and a 2 y/o Friesian who is my future dressage/CDE horse).

But I wanted to drive, but driving a big horse was intimidating to me back then, so years ago I got a mini (trained to drive) and, well, you all know how minis are... now I have 10... plus 2 mini donkeys...

And recently I decided TBs are too big for little 5' me, so I now have 2 ponies! (POA and grade pinto).

So I started big, then went small, then up a little? lol Yes, I'll ride my Friesian in the future, and won't stop riding my TB, but....

Jessi

 

[JWC sr.]

I was raised in the country where horses were work animals and not really pets. we had cattle and used our horses when I was a kid to do the assorted things associated with typical ranch life each day.

When Cindy and I got married back in 1970, I had moved to town and was riding some in rodeos doing steer wrestling, rough stock riding and a little roping, she was a city girl and had always wanted horses, so that worked out fine with her and she started barrel racing.

After a few years and several kids we started slowing down on the circut and moved into riding cutting horses for a few years, then Cindy saw her first miniature and bought a stud and several mares. She took up a pasture with them for several years and as we started getting older and the ground started getting harder she replaced all of our big horses with miniatures and really got seriuos about them 8 years ago when we started showing and breeding for show horses, after having them for about 12 years prior to that just as pets that she enjoyed.

Now days we have a 41 year old retired barrel horse and and a 26 year old retired cutting horse that will live out their days here at the farm and about 120 - 150 total miniatures counting this years babies. Needless to say Cindy is in hog heaven. But we both miss the action of the cutting horses sometimes. When thta happens though we go to a show and the world is all good and the equine fix we need is really taken care of by our mini's. LOL

Add the grandkids into the mix and it has been a match born in heaven between the miniatures and our family.

That is our story.

:saludando:

 

[MSRminis]

Well as a child I rode and went to horse camps and dreamed my whole life of owning a horse and a farm. At 34 my dream became a reality and my husband bought me a horse. Then we bought the kids each a horse, a month later we moved to a small farm. Meanwhile I did not ride as I was pregnant. Moved into the new house, had the third baby four days later, moved the horses in and within two weeks I was trampled by my new horse. Not hurt, just scared, and so was she...Looked into minis as a safer way for the whole family to be involved and became totally hooked! Still have 5 big horses, Pony, Arab, Paint, Belgian, and Percheron but I havent ridden one in a year! Now I can take my older kids into the pasture with 10 minis and safely enjoy them (while being supervised), something I could never do with even just two BIG horses!

 

[Cathy_H]

We had hunters jumpers. Lee liked to do the three day eventing. Got too hard on his back though. We had bought one mini for me for a pet in 1985. Lee broke him to drive & the kids got interested.. We started showing as a family in 1986. Clipping & showing the mini's is also hard on Lee's back so about five years ago Lee got a shetland & now he is concentrating on showing them.

 

[Warpony]

I don't show. I did some work at shows when I was working with horses professionally and hated it. But I did sort of switch over from big horses. I always liked and wanted miniatures but about 8 years ago I developed pretty severe hand and arm issues and I just can't handle a full sized horse any more. So now i have the mini's. They fill the horse sized hole in my heart just fine though I do really miss riding a lot.