Miniature Horse

They descend from small horses bred in Europe from the 1600s as curiosities for nobility and later as pit ponies in British and Appalachian mines.

The written record runs from the late 1700s, and the idea spread: Argentina's Falabella was developed from the mid-1800s from Welsh, Shetland and Thoroughbred blood. Genetically, miniatures sit closer to the pony breeds, the Shetland especially, than to small horses.

A good Miniature is a scaled-down horse, correctly proportioned, not a dwarf. The AMHA standard asks for the smallest possible perfect horse: take away the size, and the proportions should read as a full-sized light horse.

Every coat color, pattern and eye color is equally acceptable. Height is the breed: not over 34 inches, measured at the last hairs of the mane, for AMHA registration; the American Miniature Horse Registry's B division allows up to 38.

They live a long time, commonly into their thirties; 25 to 35 years is the usual span.

The standard's words are intelligent, curious, gentle, sensible, willing and easy to train.

Small is not a temperament exemption: a Miniature is still a horse and needs the same handling education as a big one.

They are driven, shown in hand, and used increasingly as therapy and guide animals.

What they are not is a riding horse: they are too small to be ridden by anyone but a small child.

Restricted grazing, because they founder easily on rich grass, and a dentist on schedule: crowded mouths need care more often than full-sized horses.

They are otherwise hardy, with their own risk profile: prone to hyperlipaemia and to obstruction colic, and largely spared some big-horse problems such as navicular disease.

The trade is health and expectations. Dwarfism is a genuine and testable problem in the breed and dwarf foals suffer for it, so ask for dwarfism test results on breeding stock.

Height is the registration, so get the measurement in writing. An oversized Miniature is a nice small horse without papers, and the two price differently.

Know which registry the papers come from, AMHA or AMHR; the height rules differ.

Recent sale prices on HoofnHorn, where there are any, are further down this page.