miniature horses for sale in ari

Miniature Horse Farrier....Who do we use?

This lap baby is Painted Sun's Call Me Success at 10 days old!

I appreciate Susan for not only does she do a great job with our minis, but then she also keeps us updated on our previous babies that have gone on to other homes. Suan was a dear to us when she snapped a picture of Turbolina's baby from last year. She still trims him and brings us stories about him. He is now a year old, a golden buckskin and so big eyed! His father is our very own Chance of Gold's Don Juan. This baby is named Buckeroos Last Tango.

I am always being asked who we use for a farrier, so I am putting Susan's name on here. We use Susan Mason, who usually comes with her daughter Marie. Susan calls herself "Only Minis" and can be reached at (623) 385- 9953 or at (623) 386-7716. She is very reasonably priced, knows her trade and how to handle miniatures. Marie, her daughter, tags along to help hold the unruly youngsters who are in the process of learning the ropes.

Marie has a tough job, eh?

By the way, Susan also sews and sells miniature horse fly masks. She will train a miniature to drive a cart, too!

Many people have told me that miniatures tend to grow more heel and less toe. Ironically, we only have one mini who follows that pattern. If a miniature is being driven regularly at our home, a trim every 10-12 weeks is plenty. They keep their feet trimmed off by trotting on the roads. They do need to be balanced though, so that is why we see Susan regularly.

My background was big horses...and with big horses, one NEVER TROTS ON HARD SURFACES, much less on pavement. This was drilled into my head first by my big sister and then by the rest of the horse world as I kept riding. Thus, when we began driving minis, the idea of trotting a mini on pavement horrified me. I looked into boots and even bought a pair of those velcro-on boots in the mini catalogs. They stayed on all of 5 minutes. My idea for protection was failing me. I started asking experienced drivers if driving on pavement was acceptable for minis. This is what I learned. As long as I gradually worked our miniatures on pavement, their tendons would adapt to the surfaces and it would not harm them. One long time mini driver had this to say:

"Because of where I have boarded my horses over the years having streets we drove on, the parades we are in and the parties and carnivals where we give cart rides, I would say that 80% of my horses' lives, all of them, have been driving on pavement. I have horses that have been driven on pavement for over 25 years and we have never had lameness from it. They are miniatures, they are barefoot, etc. I do not believe in shoes on miniatures, my farriers don't believe in it, and I was glad when the horse show rule was actually no shoes and no nail holes.

The only horse that I own that has been lame was due to an abscess and it had nothing to due with being driven on pavement. I know because I know his history.

We have started the babies on pavement, and any other kind of surface when they are old enough that they keep up with their moms. Then we start ponying them, mom and baby, as we drive.

I did have one mare whose feet would chip, but the farriers told me her feet were that way just because, and they were not damaged by driving on pavement, so yes, we drove her in parades also.

So any of you worried about driving a miniature on pavement...don't be. I will gladly show you my several horses, ages 15 through 30, all of whom have been driving on pavement as long as I have owned them."

Carlynne Allbee

Carlynne also shared with me that her parade group, the Miniature Horse Cavalcade, has been parading in the San Diego area for over 25 years. They are on pavement too

We have been driving our Miniatures only 3 years on pavement. We have yet to have one go lame. Some of our driving minis are older (14 years) and some are younger (2.5 years). We don't have the test of time as the lady quoted above, but I am believing her advice which mirrored what I heard from some of the members of the Mini Mystique Drill Team. Our area is part pavement and part packed dirt. Click here to see my favorite mare trotting on pavement.