OklahomaHorses Magazine March 2023

22 OklahomaHorses • March / April 2023 “I think minis are much easier to work with than big horses,” said Roberson. “They get along great with people and other horses, and they won’t hurt you like a big horse can. They have a super personality.” OMHCI member Jennifer Bynum trains and breeds miniature horses in Wellston, Oklahoma, alongside her mom, Donna Ter- ry. Bynum bought her first mini in 2009, a gelding named Little Ricky who later became a national champion. Bynum, who grew up riding full-sized breeds and competing in barrel racing, hunter-jumper, and western pleasure, now trains and competes with min- iature horses only. She participates in halter, driving, chariot racing, and carriage. “As far as the training goes, working with minis isn’t much different from working with large breeds,” said Bynum. “You just have to scale everything down to their level.” However, Bynum did note that the main difference between training miniature horses and full-sized horses is that she relies on voice commands with minis as opposed to leg pressure with large breeds. Bynum got into training miniature horses full time in 2020, but unfortunately, COVID slowed things down right from the start. Now business is picking up. Most of Bynum’s clients are older adults, so she says it’s imperative that she trains miniature horses to be as soft as possible for driving and carriage. Of course, along with training for clients, Bynum trains her own minis. “I’m excited to see what happens this year. We are starting to get some really phenome- nal babies,” said Bynum. When asked what her favorite part of training miniature horses is, Bynum stat- ed, “I love working with a 100-pound to 200-pound animal and molding it into a performer.” etsy.com/shop/VintageCopperAndMore VintageBeltBucklesAndBoloTies.com Jennifer Bynum’s six-year-old son, Blake, walks with his first horse, Stanley (Sacred Hearts Boyden Hawk). Photo courtesy of Jennifer Bynum.