OklahomaHorses Magazine September 2023

September / October 2023 • OklahomaHorses 9 day-care centers, churches, and other places. And she’s sometimes the main attraction at events. She’s very gentle, so adults and children gravitate to her and love on her. A standard horse stands five feet tall or taller and weighs 800 pounds or more. A pony stands about four feet tall when fully grown. But miniature horses, also known as minis, were initially bred to be small for various purposes, and they are 34 inches tall maximum. They are not meant to carry riders. Minis tend to be gentle, affectionate, and friendly, and they make wonderful pets. They are also great as service-animal guides, assisting people with vision or hearing impairment, and minis are good emotional-support animals. Finding a Good Fit The Hockers are looking toward Pumpkin’s future. They hope she will become an emotional-service animal to visit people in retirement homes and other venues. But miniature horses can have issues. Pumpkin’s back feet are normal, but at birth, her front feet turned inward, and she walked on her ankles. Medical diagnoses required that Pumpkin have orthopedic shoes on both front feet. So farrier Bryce Hale entered the picture. “Hale takes care of her feet,” Dinkel said. “It took a while to get a shoe that works for her. Hale orders her shoes from Germany, and then he custom-creates them to fit her, to make sure her weight is distributed correctly on her feet, and that her feet function as they should.” Pumpkin now walks normally because of her orthopedic shoes. But because of her continual foot improvement, she has to have new shoes every six weeks. So Hale often spends two or three hours with Pumpkin during his visits every six weeks. He makes sure the new shoes fit properly and look like they should. “Hale will always be our farrier,” Chester Hocker said. “He is very dependable and easy to get along with, and he’s knowledgeable. We are blessed to have him.” Pumpkin’s orthopedic shoes create a heavy financial burden for the farm every Pumpkin Story and photos by Carol Mowdy Bond At Chester’s Party Barn and Farm in Piedmont, farmmanager Jasie Dinkel (left), animal supervisor Amy Kibbe, Pumpkin, and Jack the pony pause for a moment in front of the lake.