OklahomaHorses Magazine March 2023

20 OklahomaHorses • March / April 2023 T he first miniature horses originated in Europe in about the seventeenth century, mostly bred as pets for Euro- pean nobility but also for use in the English Midlands and the coal mines of northern Europe. Miniature horses were imported into the United States in the late 1800s, but public awareness of this tiny breed didn’t arise until the 1960s. The result of nearly 400 years of selective breeding, today’s miniature horses are the size of a large dog. They aren’t a pony breed but instead are scaled-down versions of large, well-balanced horses. Minis, as they are often affectionately called, possess all the characteristics of most large breeds and come in all possible horse colors. However, because of selective breeding, TINY BUT MIGHTY Miniature Horses Make Their Mark in Oklahoma by Casie Bazay Glitz and her foal, Joe Kool, are among Vickie Roberson’s miniature horses. Photo courtesy of Vickie Roberson.