North American Miniature Horse & Pony Interest Society

Minis, as described in the last blog entry, have many uses. Guiding blind people should not be one of them.
Why? Because miniatures are HORSES. Horses spook. Even the nicest, smallest, most well trained horse will spook if something scares them.

Miniatures also do not belong inside houses or apartments. While it can be done; it is not in the best interest of horse or human. There is space to contend with, manure, a horse's instinct to run and be with other horses. This is not a good life for a miniature.

Add to that boarding buses, trains and airplanes. To be forced to lead a blind person onto one of these vehicles is extremely un-natural.

Horses need other horses to be content. They are herd animals.

Horses should not be climbing stairs. They are not meant to and in fact have great trouble accomplishing it.

Horses are not meant to be in malls, doctor's offices, grocery stores or on city sidewalks. How do you think that will be recieved by other patrons once the cute factor wears off?

Yes, a guide horse can be taught to hold his poop in until appropriate. But how good can this be for them? Another facet of cruelty to an animal not meant to do this job.

What if a loose dog sees the miniature horse and decides it would be fun to chase?

What if a blind person is stepping off a curb onto the road and a car unexpectedly speeds around a corner? Will a horse know (after it has spooked!) to pull the person back on the curb? NO. Can a horse learn to read traffic? NO.

The reason the Guidehorse Foundation has decided to offer miniatures to blind people is for there to be an alternative choice for blind people. This is not a valid reason. If there is an improvement to one's life by offering a better, more suitable animal to do the job than a dog, then, and only then, can I see going forth with the idea. Instead, what has come to pass is a plan with disasterous possibilities.

The argument that the Guidehorse Foundation makes, is that miniatures are longer lived than dogs. This seems to be the only argument for it.
I don't hear of a need for longer lived animals being expressed by the blind community. So far as I know, the dogs have been satisfactory for decades..why the need to add horses?

Nov. 21/07

What can you do with a mini?

Many people who fancy large horses have asked this question. It is quite frankly nearly insulting sometimes to mini owners when large horse owners question our reasoning for having these fuzzy bundles of joy. Are we crazy because riding is not the be all-end all? Do people question draft horse owners that don't ride their horses? In the same instance we can ask, what does one do with a dog? You can't ride dogs, but we enjoy having them just the same, as something to love on, pet, take for walks and play with. Not everything has to be ridden.

Which brings me to people who insist on riding minis. I am not talking kids, but adults. I can't tell you how many times I have seen photos on the internet with an adult who's feet are flat on the ground, sitting on a rather bemused mini who looks like it's legs are going to snap under the pressure. What are these people thinking? Would they ride their dog too? And why do they insist on posting the pics/videos on the internet to show the whole world how dumb they are?

Here's a few idiots who really need to be kicked hard..poor minis can't even defend themselves. I know I wouldn't be able to if I had an elephant sitting on my back!

For those people who think it is cute to ride their minis, here is a newsflash. Miniatures can only carry 10% of their weight so unless you are a 60 pound adult (in which you should be on the Dr. Phil Show for anyway) you CANNOT ride or sit on your mini. It is cruelty, period. Even a child at the age of 8-9 is getting too old and too big to sit on a mini. Use common sense please and spare the little horses!

There are other things you can do with your mini. Harness break it so it can lug your butt around if you insist on using it for transportation purposes. Take it for a walk (which improves your fitness as well). Longe it. Teach it to jump small obstacles, trick train it. But do not ride it! Some people think that if it's a horse it must be ridden. Not so. We see morgans, standardbreds, draft horses, shetland ponies, and halflingers pulling carts. Do their drivers look like they are having a bad day because they aren't perched on it's back? Hardly.

Has it crossed some people's minds that many people are disabled or have injuries that prevent them from riding? In this instance a harness broke miniature can be the answer. And nothing is cuter than a miniature or small pony pulling a cart in a spanking trot!

There is also those who have justifiable fears about working around larger horses (me included). Miniatures can give confidence back to those who are timid. They generally have a good temperament, and the prospect of getting drastically hurt with a well trained, socialized miniature is lower than a larger, more stronger horse.

I think the best thing you can do with minis is hug them and love on them. They make the most wonderful pets. They listen to your secrets and won't tell anyone, just like their larger counterparts. They give you a friendly nicker when you greet them. They make a beautiful picture when they are running in the field with their fuzzy, woolen winter coats. Their muzzles fit perfectly in a cupped hand. And mini kisses are the best.

So what can you do with a miniature horse? Love it to pieces, that's what. Speaking for myself, that is one heck of a good reason to own one.

NORTH AMERICAN MINIATURE HORSE & PONY SOCIETY
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