Mini Horses take a walk in "horse country"

These lucky miniature horses live at the Sugarplum Rescue Farm and Petting Zoo, in Temecula, California. Every morning they take a walk with our AirBnb host and co-founder of Sugarplum, Lani Rager. Lani is originally from Manhattan, and moved to Temecula, a beautiful town about an hour out of San Diego, about 20 years ago.

The area has evolved from being considered mainly “horse country”, to now also being known as “wine country” and, some might argue, “avocado country,” as it is also home to huge avocado ranches and large groves of orange trees.

Among the many animals Lani and her husband Greg have at Sugarplum, is this trio of miniature horses. “Mini horses” as you might surmise, are horses defined by their small height. The result of centuries of selective breeding, these horses only reach a height of approximately 34–38 inches. They are true “miniatures” in that they retain the physical proportions of a full sized horse. This differentiates them from ponies, which are not as short, and have stockier builds.

Miniature horses are generally friendly, interact well with people, and can make good family pets. However, they retain the behavior of full-sized horses, including a natural fight-or-flight instinct, and must be treated like any full-sized equine. Some minis have been trained as service animals and others take part in equine agility and other competitive horse show events.

Miniature horses were first developed in Europe in the 1600s, and by 1765 they were seen frequently as the pets of nobility.
The oldest living horse on record was a miniature horse named Angel who lived to be over 50.

The current record holder for the world's smallest horse is Thumbelina, who stands 17 inches tall and weighs 60 pounds.