| People are often amused and surprised when | | | | Minis live to be between 20 to 30 years old, the |
| they see horses, either at horse shows, country | | | | same lifespan of their larger counterparts. |
| fairs, or even at the circus. The horse may seem | | | | Various breeds are believed to exist in countries |
| like an oddity at first, but they are a result of | | | | throughout the world. These include:o UK Shetland |
| hundreds of years of selective breeding. | | | | Ponyo Miniature Shetland Ponyo Miniature Ponyo |
| "Minis" as they are affectionately called, are | | | | Miniature Toy Horseo Midget Ponyo Micro Minio |
| believed to have originated from Shetland ponies. | | | | Dartmoor Ponyo American Miniature Horseo |
| They were bred specifically for a variety of | | | | Falabella |
| tasks, including working in coal mines, as pets for | | | | Like other breeds of horses, Minis must adhere to |
| royalty and as performers at traveling circuses | | | | certain standards in order to be considered |
| and carnivals. | | | | genuine members of their particular breed. These |
| The first records of an individual owning miniature | | | | standards include being no more than 7 to 8 |
| horses were kept in the mid 1600s. These horses | | | | hands high, having rounded hooves, straight and |
| were said to belong to King Louis XIV and were | | | | parallel legs, widely spaced eyes and they must |
| kept at his Versailles palace in France. The first | | | | be well-proportioned overall. |
| minis arrived in the United States in the 1800s and | | | | There are horses for sale all around the globe, |
| worked in the coal mines of the Appalachian | | | | waiting to be purchased or adopted by loving |
| Mountains. | | | | families or individuals. A horse can be the perfect |
| Miniatures horses are used for a variety of | | | | companion for anyone, young or old, who |
| purposes today including livestock, pets, and | | | | possesses a big heart for these little wonders. |
| companion animals for those who are disabled. | | | | |