Miniequine
Well-Known Member
OMG, those arabians are STUNNING!!!
~Sandy
~Sandy
You seem to have some of the same thoughts I have had. What is a miniature horse? The standard in AMHA is open to interpretation with no real defined "type". Even in breeds such as morgans or arabians or the welsh sections there are guidelines of type. All these breeds have interpretations but in general they all look like the standard. Miniatures can be so variable as to look like completely seperate breeds. I really feel for the judges as there are so many horses that can look so completely different yet meet the guidelines laid out in the standard.Yes... who are we.... What are we?????
I beleive the miniature horse breeders concept of the "Dished" head is a bulged forhead. How else would a mini get a dish????.. Well we know they are not Arabs.. so is it expressing the recessive traits.??? Is it better off calling them Arabian over Recessive heads? It makes it so hard when there is NO TYPE in the miniature.. everyone is out looking for a prototype.. I think they grabbed on to the Arabian.. No body is using the quarter horse as their role model??? I think the goal of the Arab..has been adopted because the Arabian is the finest, most delicate looking of the big horse breeds.. so we have set our sights on looking like an Arab.. because after all we are only a height registry/association.. what does our standard of perfection say we should resemble.??? I guess it doesnt matter..??? Makes one think how a judge percieves our little equine in the show ring...
Very good discussion and imput....
Angie/buckonranch
This might help. Here is a picture of a dwarf I volunteered with until he passed away. You can see the obvious difference between him and the horses posted with lovely dishy faces.
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I totally agree! I have yet to see a true "arabian head" in a mini. I know many use the expression but having arabians as well I am afraid I have never truly seen it in a mini or in any other breed.And even though I make my living showing/marketing Arabs I do not see any minis that really have Arabian heads............minis are more PONY headed with a big jowl that is not really looked upon as an attractive Arabian trait. Yes, a resemblance at best but NOT a good Arabian head. I have posted numerous pictures to try to get this point across. Like Erica and others point out a mini needs room for all their teeth. A nice head in proportion to the body with GREAT expression is much more important then a tiny pony head with up turned nostrils.
Cute as a buttonOh he is a prety one Danielle:![]()
I too, think of 'dishy' as the dip in the face.
I have a mature mare with a tiny, dishy head. Carl did
work on her teeth in Texas, and I was pleased that she has no issues.
He just popped a bunch of caps.
I won't post her picture.. I'm sure you all are sick of seeing her...
But I have a friend that owns a 5 yr old mare with, what I think is a 'dishy' head.
I think, one of the prettiest I've seen.
This is Darlin', posted with owners permission....She has had no health issues
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That foal (filly) in that pic was five days old so I consider that newborn.That arab foal was not a new born. I would expect my minis by that age to not have a domed head either. See my avatar. I think my foal has a nicely dished head. But, it was domed at birth. So were all of the arab foals I delivered.
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