Joanne Ross of Scott Creek, has been there since nearly day one of my involvement with minis, and I've really only "bought" a breeding from her (likely at no profit due to the complications involved and she was wonderful all the way through).
She shares knowledge and has so much that I doubt I could ever store that much in MY brain. So glad she lets me borrow hers.
Kim Schult and her daughter Hilary, of the Crabby Chicken Ranch. They have a nice balance in ethics as well as a good eye for quality and potential, it's just natural for them. Kim helped me decide which stallion to use to get my mare, Lailah, when I was wavering, she saw something I didn't and voila, now I Have my beautiful girl, my best broodmare, so I feel like she sorta "belongs" to Kim in some way anyway (haha that's in my will, Kim, you get Lailah and all her princessly high maintenance antics, though she's not "smart" she likes to be appreciated).
I could likely go on and on and on and on, but another person that helped me a lot back when I first had minis was Nancy Rivenburgh, and she helped me form an education on dwarfism in Miniature Horses in an unbiased way, and a way that makes real sense. She also helped steer me clear of unethical breeders back when I was buying horses for my little "herd." Now I know in hindsight what she said was absolutely true while she did not say anything malicious, either. (My own experience proved her exactly right).
These listed, there are mentors galore on this board and I look up to many of you, or maybe we should say "look over at" because I feel we are all equal in our ability to offer something valuable or another perspective. Taken or not, advice to me is without price, it is essential for me to feel I am pursuing my goals properly.
Liz M.