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Post by nikki on May 24, 2007 20:41:03 GMT
At the risk of being slaughtered am I the only one of the opinion who wonders what is the point of miniatures apart from as glorified lawn mowers?
Unlike shetlands they can't be ridden. I believe some are driven but what do they pull - a cardboard box? If you wanted the company of a pet wouldn't you get a dog that you could bring into your home?
Last year I watched some miniatures being judged and some of the ponies looked so tiny and fragile that it almost didn't look natural. My friend had a couple and although looked after in top class conditions they both died very young and I must admit I did question the strength and robustness of the breed in general although perhaps she was just plain unlucky.
This is only my opinion and no doubt everyone will now tell me what fun they are and how wrong I am.
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Post by Morwenstow Stud on May 24, 2007 22:52:57 GMT
At the risk of being slaughtered am I the only one of the opinion who wonders what is the point of miniatures apart from as glorified lawn mowers? Unlike shetlands they can't be ridden. I believe some are driven but what do they pull - a cardboard box? Last year I watched some miniatures being judged and some of the ponies looked so tiny and fragile that it almost didn't look natural. I must admit I did question the strength and robustness of the breed in general although perhaps she was just plain unlucky. This is only my opinion and no doubt everyone will now tell me what fun they are and how wrong I am. Well yes, you are wrong. You seem to have the impression that all miniatures are useless with stick thin legs. Not the case. I have a 2yo spotted miniature colt who is part shetland and extremely robust. He is not wrapped up in cotton wool, lives out with my stallion, 2 other colts and a gelding. He will be perfectly capable of pulling a light vehicle such as a saddle chariot or a small shetland carriage. He will also be broken in for my OH's grandchildren to ride about on while they are small, and will hopefully be the first pony of my grandchildren when I have some. Here is my little man with his buddies.
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Post by pho3nix on May 24, 2007 23:07:31 GMT
so its not really a proper miniature then, being part bred and all
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Post by Morwenstow Stud on May 24, 2007 23:15:40 GMT
Well yes because he fits the criteria as a miniature, and is elegible for registration with the International Miniature Horse Society, so I guess he must be if he's elegible to be reg with a miniature horse society. A mini doesn't have to have stick thin legs to be a miniature.
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Post by Morwenstow Stud on May 24, 2007 23:28:33 GMT
My colt is elegible for registration with the International Miniature Horse and Pony Society in the following section. Register 3a International Miniature Spotted Horses And Ponies - not exceeding 34 ins - 86.5cms. Any miniature spotted horse or pony of known or unknown breeding. The first two sections are for pure and part bred falablellas. There are many more sections for miniatures including miniature pintaloosas and miniature donkeys and mules. If you care to look on the website for IMHPS, on the left hand side you will find a link to MHOYS (miniature horse of the year show). There you will find the results for all types of miniatures including miniature hack, mini hunter, mini coloured, and mini show cob among many others. I believe the pony that won the miniature show jumper of the year was clearing 3ft loose. www.imhps.comTo make a sweeping statement that all miniatures are useless would be like me saying all Arabs can't jump, or all TB's are nutcases. Miniatures come in many different forms and not all are useless or pointless. People should educate themselves about a type or breed before ripping it apart.
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Post by POL on May 25, 2007 8:17:48 GMT
At the risk of being slaughtered am I the only one of the opinion who wonders what is the point of miniatures apart from as glorified lawn mowers? No Nikki you are not the only one who thinks this. I dont think minature Shetlands should be classed as British native breeds and allowed to compete in M&M classes. Not that it bothers me that much. Minature Shets seldom beat 'proper' natives.
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Post by pol on May 25, 2007 8:20:09 GMT
P.S I assume this topic was meant to be about minature shets as opposed to minature horses.
Both just as useless though IMO.
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Post by viking on May 25, 2007 8:21:29 GMT
Take it easy Mowenstow. I assumed the original post was about the Shetland Breed, not types!
Personally I feel it's a great shame that the Shetland Stud book never got round to imposing a lower height limit! I still wish they would do so.
The results from miniaturisation are often so appallingly awful I consider it nothing but a waste.
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Post by pol on May 25, 2007 8:25:37 GMT
I believe the pony that won the miniature show jumper of the year was clearing 3ft loose. Miniatures come in many different forms and not all are useless or pointless. A loose showjumping contest? Whats the point of that? I suppose you could sellotape a Cindy doll onto its back and pretend it were a proper SJ class. So do take this opportunity to educate me. What are the great 'uses' of minatures?
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Post by pointless on May 25, 2007 8:30:18 GMT
At Solihull last saturday they had miniature classes & I couldn't believe how badly behaved some of them were, almost like they were being encouraged too! All three of my usually sensible & bold ponies were totally freaked out by them-if my horses can't figure it out then there's something wrong LOL These were the properly mini ponies (I guess falabellas) with absolutely no bone or movement. Put it this way, Robert Oliver once said to me that you should be able to scale a well put together horse/pony up or down & it should still be correct, try it & see the results!!
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Post by cracker on May 25, 2007 8:35:18 GMT
I have two miniture shetlands who are worth their wait in gold as companions. I got them so that there is company when I leave one of my other ponies at home when going to a show plus they have each other when not in use say in the winter. They are hardy need little maintenance and are a laugh a minute. One of them who is skewbald is broken to ride, he also jumps and they both have the most fantastic natures. I can do anything to the skewbald without a headcollar in the field in fact he will be for sale at the end of the summer as my numbers have increased and I will not need two as the other one does not mind living in in the winter. I would breed them if I had enough land. Also do ponies need to have a point can they not just be enjoyed as long as they are happy and healthy.
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brs
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Posts: 26
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Post by brs on May 25, 2007 9:06:28 GMT
I won't pretend I'm a miniature fan because I'm not, but they do have a point to those who breed and keep them.
There is no such thing as a purebred minature horse they all have shetland blood in them, my only complaint is when a miniature shetland is bred and doesn't meet the criteria of the shetland breed, usually too light and so has the fall back of registering it as a miniature horse. I know of purebred stallions who failed stallion assessment under the spsbs by both vet and assessor then went on to get their license inder IMHPS which in my eyes is wrong.
I think miniature horses and shetlands should be seen quite seperately their criteria of type are very different and I find it worrying that purebred shetlands are meeting that criteria, that is bad shetland breeding IMO.
I would agree that Shetlands should have a lower height limit, as with breeding something overheight they can lose many of their breed characteristics (often why they fall into the miniature horse category) conformational faults become evermore aparent and to be honest breeding from some of these tiny animals is downright dangerous.
I don't agree that a miniature shetland should not be classed as native breed, so long as the pony retains its good type and conformation then height is irrelevant, it is a purebred animal after all. Miniature shetlands are not a new thing they have been breeding themselves on the island for centuaries so are native to the UK. I could think of a good few examples of good miniatures that could hold their own in a mixed class.
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Post by pho3nix on May 25, 2007 13:14:03 GMT
lol to be honest, when i see a miniature i just go awww cute and smile. thats about all they do for me, but for that split second i feel good :-p They are cute tho, there is 1 in a field near me with a few other ponies, it is very sweet. Cute!
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Post by julie on May 25, 2007 13:50:52 GMT
Unless I am mistaken Falabellas have no Shetland blood in them and I also understood they were the only "true miniature" horse - wasnt it the Americans who imported them and started to cross them (mainly with Shetlands I think who look vastly different to UK Shetlands) - for showing purposes only? But I do agree they often, like small dogs, seem to have twice the personality compared to...... dare I say it.....normal sized equines?!!!
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Post by Morwenstow Stud on May 25, 2007 14:16:40 GMT
I believe the pony that won the miniature show jumper of the year was clearing 3ft loose. Miniatures come in many different forms and not all are useless or pointless. A loose showjumping contest? Whats the point of that? I suppose you could sellotape a Cindy doll onto its back and pretend it were a proper SJ class. So do take this opportunity to educate me. What are the great 'uses' of minatures? As I said my miniature will be driven and ridden as well as shown in hand. Many people also keep miniatures as companions to larger horses.If we want to get to useless and pointless horses, what's the point in keeping old retired horses.Why not shoot them all. What's the point in having companion ponies that don't work? Get rid of those too...they're pointless. What's the point in people having a horse that they only ride at weekends? Get rid of them and go to a riding school because they're useless the rest of the week. Why do people bother with show ponies? With thier stick thin legs many spend their lives wrapped in cotton wool, never being allowed to be proper ponies, jumping, getting muddy etc. Should we rid the world of them because their only use is to look pretty while some brat bounces about on top so they can win a ribbon.What's the point in having small useless dogs like Yorkies or poodles. After all they don't actually work so why bother with them. In fact why bother with anything that doesn't earn it's keep, so lets all do away with our pets and have a pet free, pleasure free world.
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Post by trojan1 on May 25, 2007 14:26:04 GMT
We had a fantastic mini shetland very well bred i won't mention his name. He holds his own in every showing class he goes in to RIDDEN! Most judges love him He drives, jumps, mows the lawn and so much more! All the kids love him he's a fantastic start for them and such a little character (he only likes people on an eye level with him so great for tiny kids!!) Leave the mini's alone!!! They're Great!!!
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Post by nikki on May 25, 2007 20:28:42 GMT
Blimey Morwenstow, really did hit a sore point with you. I think I mean the miniature horses (fababella type) that seem to get smaller by the year, not the mini shetlands.
Cracker says they do have a point if they are happy and healthy but that is my point - I don't think some of the very tiny ones look very healthy - certainly not some of the ones I have seen at shows.
And funnily enough my usually bomb-proof pony is quite freaked out by them. She is just about getting used to the pair up the road but still sniffs them and acts with them like she does around my dog.
But each to their own.
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Post by shadelady on May 25, 2007 22:57:31 GMT
Julie, afraid you are mistaken. As the owner of two of the most well known Falabella stallions in the country I can categorically state that Falabellas DO have Shetland blood in them ( and Arab, Criollo,Appaloosa and several other breeds !), albeit a long way back. The Falabella is a manifactured breed, and is the only recognised breed of Miniature horse in the world. It is accepted as a breed because it has been established for well over 100 years and now breeds true to type. Many of the very fine miniatures that you see are not Falabellas. The miniature horse in this country ( and in America) is a manifactured TYPE. Anything that measures at 34" or less can be registered as a miniature horse with one or other of the societies that cater for them. Personally speaking, I took to Miniature Horses after a riding accident put paid to my ridden showing. Our miniatures regularily compete against all comers, and have beaten many a good large horse on their day. It is certainly true that some larger equines do not cope well with the minis, but then some don't cope well with traffic, travelling, plastic bags etc I actually work with minis that are badly behaved, in the same way that some people work with their larger counterparts. They have all of the same behavioural problems as bigger animals, but tend to suffer more as so many people see them as 'pets' or 'toys' and not as equines. Each to their own
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Post by pentaran on May 27, 2007 16:21:09 GMT
I think if a pony gives it's owner a purpose in life then it is worth keeping. Many peoples lives are enhanced by keeping their ponies whatever the type. I suppose you could say - a labrador is a gun dog, what is the purpose of a chihuaha who wears a dress and travels around in a handbag - but it gives it;s owner pleasure. ( not that I do have a dog in a handbag you understand!!) . I am guilty of owning a tiny pony bought purely on a whim, who looks silly amongst all our big boys but is a happy fun little chappy who one day hopefully give someone a lot of pleasure as a lead rein or driving pony. here he is !
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guest due 2 risk of linchin
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Post by guest due 2 risk of linchin on May 27, 2007 20:54:26 GMT
Me thinks 'Morwenstow Stud' might be a bit of a miniture fan.
Honestly though could you lot argue over anything!! Your like a bunch of kids. Miniatures are like anything useful to the person they belong to, yet a complete puzzlement if your not into them. Unhorsey people probably think that all horses are useless its just what your into i guess.
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Post by pentaran on May 27, 2007 21:30:52 GMT
Quite right, last poster, just what I was trying to say.
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