This lovely lady is a 32-inch tall miniature horse. Dogpatch Pix visited her in Lebanon, Ohio for a portrait session.
I have wanted a miniature horse since I was a little girl. So, you can imagine how excited I was to have an equine portrait session with a mini and her full size companion on a beautiful November afternoon. Knowing that her horse can be feisty at times, the mini’s owner was a bit concerned as the 125 pound 4-year-old barreled towards me in the photo here, but the little horse veered around me at the last moment.
According to Wikipedia, miniature horses were bred as pets for Europe’s Habsburg nobility in the 17th century. “Records from the court of the French King Louis XIV, circa 1650, note the presence of tiny horses among the exotic creatures in the king’s zoo. Paintings and articles featured the miniature horse by 1765.”
Breed standards for miniature horses can vary. Some groups prefer a horse conformation while others prefer pony characteristics such as short, stout legs and longer torsos. Miniature horses live a long time, about one-third longer than large horses, who typically live 25–30 years.
Miniature horses are sometimes used as guide animals for the blind. According to the Guide Horse Foundation, miniature horses as guide animals can be a good choice for horse lovers, those who need a guide with a long lifespan, blind equestrians who ride large horses, and blind people with dog allergies.
A young miniature horse and her 30-year-old full-size buddy. Size doesn’t matter when you have a best friend!
Enjoy more horse photos in the flipbook below. Dogpatch Pix is looking forward to more equine portrait sessions to come! If you are interested, please contact me, Susan Gertz, at dogpatchpix@gmail.com, 513-594-5258, or through the web form at this link.