Miniatures make a big impression at Hickstead

The Supreme Miniature Horse Championship was won today (August 1) byKitana Randis Knight Scout.

Small hero

The diminuitive horse, owned by Angela Cutler, was victorious in the main ring at at the Longines Royal International Horse Show, Hickstead.

The horses may be only around 30-34 inches tall, but their characters filled the main ring – and it was a popular class with the crowd.

Apollos Angelique, owned by Wendy Edgar, was called in as reserve.

What are miniature horses?

These small horses are believed to have originated from the Falabella lines in Argentina, with a lot of their blood coming from the Shetland pony. Many years ago they were kept as house pets for Royal households, but now they have multiple uses.

They may be the size of a Labrador but driving the little horses has become increasingly popular. Some of the bigger miniature horses can actually be ridden by small children.

So why are they horses and not ponies if they are so small? It’s all down to conformation. A miniature enthusiast explains: “Ponies have small round bone, where horses have small flat bone. A miniature horse has flat bone, like a full sized horse.”

This is the crucial difference between a miniature horse and a small pony.

What makes a champion?

When it comes to what makes a top class showing miniature, it’s all down to “conformation, conformation, conformation”, according to Carol Cooper – who has shown miniature horses as well as show horses for many years.

“You want to look at them and think, if I enlarge that horse could I put a saddle on him and ride him comfortably,” she added.

Like with many show horses, there are height restrictions in keeping with breed standards. A miniature horse can be no bigger than 34in at the withers, but you can get smaller ones called Micro Minis – typically they are around 30in tall at most. The horses tend to be measured at the side of the ring before they enter, to ensure fairness to all competitors.