Here's what I learned - minis' feet are teeny, so the hairline is close to the edge of the hoof, so you have to be very careful not to rasp the hairline when you're working on the outside. Sorry, Bonnie.
A couple of these little guys stood out. One was a young chestnut stallion with a penchant for charging round the field, spinning, and bucking, and leaping. "Uh oh," I thought, "we've got a live one here." But he was the sweetest, most cooperative, and most thoughtful of all - so easy to trim his feet.
Another was a yearling gelding, who at some point in the proceedings (it was only his second trim) came to the conclusion that I was showing him a super fun game - maybe rugby, or wrestling, or ballroom dancing. At that point I realized I had to get - not stern - but at least serious, if we were going to get through. But what fun to have a horse who's so little that it doesn't matter if he experiments by climbing onto your lap!
His brother was a much more solemn little fellow, who would back away when he'd had enough and then, if you waited patiently, would step forward into position again and offer his foot.
When you meet a mini, it is good to sit down on the ground so they can inspect you properly.
They are just all so cute and clever, and their little round eyes look at you with such curiosity and intelligence. I swear they are fairies with hoofs.
This is good. I'm getting my mini fix so I won't be tempted to acquire one.
Alexandra Kurland has a soft spot for minis- she clicker trained one as a seeing eye horse! She talks a lot about how minis get "spoiled" my mishandling. Because they're so small people tend to just push them around to get what they want instead of getting their cooperation like they would have to do with a larger horse.
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