| |
"Cute." "Cuddly." "Huggable." These and other endearing
terms are often used to describe the Miniature Horse, but it's important to
remember the operative word in their name: horse. In makeup and in
psychology, these four legged friends are horses through and through, and
must be treated accordingly. They may look like teddy bears, but they
require (and deserve) the same fair, consistent, and knowledgeable handling
that their larger-sized counterparts require.
It's easy to see why people are attracted to Minis. Their smaller size makes
them less physically intimidating, and translates into an economy of
horse-keeping as well. Local zoning laws notwithstanding, Minis can be
stabled in something more akin to a garden shed than a barn, they require
less of virtually everything relating to their physical management (i.e.,
hay, grain, bedding, fencing, and pasture), and from a training perspective,
more Minis can be worked in a given time period.
Yet, "You're still talking about a fight or flight instinct," emphasizes
Lorraine Mavrogeorge, a successful Miniature Horse trainer in Brairtree,
Massachusetts; "They still have an equine brain and think like horses."
Mavrogeorge has been training Minis since 1988 and has taught her diminutive
pupils everything from showmanship, jumping, and driving for competitive
arenas to novelty tricks such as sitting, rolling over, or lying down. She
has also taught Minis to piaffe and to perform high school movements such as
the Spanish walk and capriole (a vertical leap with a backward kick of the
hind legs at the height of the leap), moves familiarly associated with
Lipizzaners. She holds a senior judges card from the American Miniature
Horse Association (AMHA), and has exhibited her Minis' talents at local
clinics, fairs, and even at Equitana in 1999. While Mavrogeorge trains
mainly for her own enjoyment, her "trick" horses have been trained for Jane
Messina's stable of Miniatures at Messina Farm, also of Braintree.
Mavrogeorge explains that a well mannered and trained Mini can be the
perfect starter horse for a child that is still too small for a pony. Given
their small stature, Minis, and their accoutrements, are wonderfully
proportioned for smaller hands. Most areas of their bodies are comfortably
accessible to youngsters, allowing the youngsters to learn things in a more
hands-on manner. The risk of damage to tiny human toes is reduced, and as
any horse owner can attest, it's a given that a handler's feet will get
stepped on in the course of horse ownership, most likely in the early stages
when horse behavior and movements are less familiar to green handlers or
grooms.
Setting Boundaries
Minis are just like large horses in terms of being a social or herd animal,
and despite their diminutive presence they can kick and bite, and they still
require the same boundary setting and corrections in order to learn
appropriate behavior for interacting with humans.
Their smaller size often leads owners to allow Minis to get away with
behaviors that may seem "cute" at first, but if it's not something you would
want a 1200-pound equine doing, chances are you shouldn't be permitting a
pint-sized version to get away with it either, especially if the Mini will
be interacting with children. For instance, allowing a Mini to rub his head
vigorously on an adult handler's body may seem sweet and loving, until he
does the same thing to a three-year-old child, sending the toddler to the
ground. The bottom line is, if a behavior isn't appropriate in every
context, it shouldn't be encouraged. No animal should be expected to
recognize the difference between when a behavior is acceptable and when it
isn't.
Working around horses always has some potential for injuries, even if only
minor, but when the human-horse boundaries are clouded, that risk can
increase. The horse should always be expected to respect its handler (but
all bets are off if a handler is cruel or abusive to an animal). Setting
clear ground rules from day one is the best way to secure a safe working
environment.
Mavrogeorge notes that the handler should be seen as the "alpha mare,"
suggestive of the dominant herd leader in the horse's natural social
hierarchy.
"You may find folks treating Minis more like big dogs than horses and it may
work for them most of the time, but it's still incorrect," she states.
"Novice horse people frequently don't understand space issues, an error that
would likely cause them to get hurt if they were handling larger horses.
With Minis, they get away with it because the physical risks are
proportionately lower."
Keys to Success
A horse cannot obey if it is confused by what is being asked. Mavrogeorge
indicates that baby steps, repetition,
timely and proportionate corrections, and rewards are all keys to the
success of her training methods. While she does give edible treats as a
reward, she recognizes it's not a method many horse trainers condone as it
can promote nipping. A reward simply needs to be something the animal finds
pleasant, done quickly enough (i.e., within one to three seconds) to be
associated with correct behavior. Saying "good boy/girl," always in the same
gentle tone, or using a stroke or scratch on the neck can offer the same
result as a carrot or cookie.
Whether you want to show your Mini or have him simply for backyard
enjoyment, groundwork and handling methods should be much the same. The most
common training mistakes Mavrogeorge sees people make are due to lack of
experience and not putting enough time into the animals. In our busy world
that moves, technologically, at an ever-increasing speed, perhaps people
can't help but expect the same lightning-fast "DSL-type" results from the
living things that coexist with them. But it isn't realistic to expect
instant results without spending the time, as shortcuts and animals don't
usually mix well.
Mavrogeorge describes an example of a slow, progressive approach to
introducing a horse to showmanship training, a class in which a horse must
learn to pivot or turn on one hind leg without lifting or moving it in any
direction.
"It's not fast and easy," she says. "First I start working on side passing.
Then I side pass an 'L' shape using ground poles; then a box; then a
hula-hoop type apparatus. I gradually diminish the size of the area that the
horse's feet are allowed to move within. When we get to the hula hoop, they
feel their feet hitting the boundaries and ultimately learn not to move
their legs in making the turn." Training session lengths vary according to
each horse's temperament, age, and training.
Start Young
When it comes to handling unbroken babies, Lorraine Q'Connell of Crystal
Ridge Farm in Roxbury, Connecticut, describes the methods employed at her
breeding facility where foals abound: "Gradually and carefully the halters
are introduced. We will let them play with the halter, put it in the feed
bucket for a couple of days, and then try to put it on, and then only for a
few minutes, scratching and making a big fuss all the while.
"After they are used to wearing the halter, it is time to start walking on
the lead," she continues. "Rearing and flipping over are initial risks so
care needs to be put into this process. A long lead wrapped around the hind
quarters and held in the right hand while the left hand is under the chin
and a gentle pull up and forward from the rear is done a direction that you
think the foal wants to go in anyway.
"A couple of minutes every day is better than a long struggle all at
once,
and doing this procedure on the way to dinner is usually the best method I
have found. Patience and repetition are my key components," she O'Connell
concludes.
If you are a novice to horses, Mavrogeorge recommends enlisting the help of
a knowledgeable, patient local trainer. Another good source is 4-H for kids,
a program that puts strong emphasis on safety. Stressing education before
ownership, she says, "Attend clinics, events like Equine Affaire, talk to
professionals in the business, and join local clubs. They are all good
sources for information". She also explains that "Books are good, but
without some background you won't always be able to properly apply what has
been read."
Sixteen-year-old Natalie Johnson of Mt. Airy, North Carolina, was the 2002
Queen for World Class Miniature Horse Registry's (Virginia) World
Championship show. She offers some resources that have helped her in her
past years of training Minis.
"Small Horse Press at www.smallhorse.com has manuals, show books, and vet
books all on Minis," she explains. "There is also an online forum where you
can ask professionals any kind of questions at
www.lilbeginnings.com. Also the
AMHA and American Miniature Horse Registry have good information on their
websites at www.amha.com and
www.shetlandMiniature.com [respectively]."
On obtaining one's first Miniature horse, Mavrogeorge finds that people
frequently buy just one Mini without considering whether that animal will
need companionship. But a lonely Mini can make for a very unhappy Mini.
"Get them company. It can be in the form of a goat or a pig or whatever, but
they aren't solitary animals," relates Mavrogeorge. 'Also, suitability
counts. Know what you want to do with your Mini before you shop for one,
whether it's halter, jumping, or driving. Don't necessarily expect every
talent from one horse. And most of all, take good care and enjoy them to the
max!"
* Miniature foals benefit from proper handling and attention very early on.
* A horse cannot obey if it is confused by what it is being asked to do, so
always be clear and consistent when handling your mini.
* Lorraine Mavrogeorge says that a well mannered and trained Mini can be the
perfect starter horse for a child that is still too small for a pony. |
|
