Myopia Driving Club has been actively trying to encourage the owners of miniature horses, also known as VSEs (very small equines), into the driving community and joining in the excitement of combined driving trials. Happily, the minis have become a success in proving that even the “little horses” have big hearts and give it their all when doing three phase events. Yes, we may need a smaller ring and a shorter marathon, but just watch out for us in the cones! Those little minis think the cones courses are made just for them and really enjoy the competition.
The minis bring a “curiosity” factor with them. People are attracted to the little ones, which are much less intimidating than a big horse. When the minis are on the move, people are snapping pictures and asking all sorts of questions.
There are many perks to owning a mini. They eat much less, basically a flake of hay a day and small amounts of grain. Blankets and equipment are much cheaper. They do not wear shoes, so farrier costs are much less. You don’t need big rigs to transport them and for the price of one Freedman harness, you can outfit 10 minis for driving. I think the best thing about owning a mini is that I can do it all by myself. I don’t need a header or someone to help me load all of my gear and horses. This is the perfect driving horse for people who are getting a little older and don’t have the manpower anymore to load the cart, load the horse and drive the rig. Another plus is that the cart is closer to the ground, so if you happen to fall out of your cart, it’s a very short distance.
Minis also seem to “get it” quicker than a big horse. You can teach a mini something in say, three attempts, where a big horse will take six attempts. They have a greater intelligence (my opinion) and for the most part are very kind. This is proven out by how wonderful they are at therapy work, going into buildings, riding in elevators and generally just being a lot of fun. You can walk them like you do your dog, of course, the looks you get and the traffic you stop is always a hoot. They are also really good at raising money for charitable events. Have I said enough about the perks of owning a mini….if not I can go on. For instance, we can go under gates that big horses have to find a way around… not that I am advocating trespassing, just giving a little more insight to mini ownership. The minis have become great ambassadors for the horse industry with the general population but especially the elderly and children.
So with all that said, you might just want to try driving a mini before settling on your next driving horse, you might just be pleasantly surprised.
Nancy LeBaron-Kiley