How Does Your Day Begin?

I make myself something to eat and as I am enjoying my coffee [thinking about heading out to feed] the phone rings once or twice. A few minutes later, I am out the door and heading to the barn. I feed the mares and foals first and work my way through till all the horses are fed. I feed 1/2 flake alfalfa in the morning and 1/2 flake of grass hay in the evening. All the horses are fed grain according to their individual needs. It takes just as much time and effort to feed miniatures as it does full size horses and they all are just as eager for their breakfast.

How long have you been involved with Miniatures horses, and why ?

I have always loved horses. I rode as a child and took care of other people's horses that did not have time to ride. Miniatures appealed to me as an adult because I found that my life became so busy, I did not have time to ride! I still wanted horses in my life. We went to a Miniature Horse Show in Santa Rosa. A Stallion by the name of "Paul Bunyan" was on display in the little arena. He was so gorgeous! We saw many different miniature show horses that were so stunning. My husband and I were hooked. I had my first miniatures horses in the early 80's. My husband, Don, surprised me for my birthday with a Miniature Stallion, Cowboy Bob. We enjoyed showing "Bob" and he really deserves the credit for getting us started breeding and showing Miniature horses.

How many horses do you currently own?

Currently we own 35 horses, soon to be less. I try to keep it less than that but our heard just seems to get bigger. We try to keep most of our mares because they can be difficult to acquire. We keep our retired horses. They will always have a home with us.

How do you select your Breeding Stock?

In the beginning there was not much selection, one of our first mares was named, Shyla. She was sold to us with a breeding. One particular bloodline of Miniature Horse came from Argentina and are called, Falabellas. The Regina Winery located in Southern California also purchased some miniature horses to have around the winery. Our hope is to improve our heard one horse at a time. Our stallion, "Dandy," is a brilliant size reducer. Some of our mares have breeding characteristics [beautiful head, action, movement) that we combine with different stallions and achieve wonderful results. It is rather that old saying, "You breed the best, to the best, and hope for the best."

A foal from birth to 2 years goes through many growth changes; they mature and develop into themselves. There is no magic receipt but often we are rewarded with a beautiful foal. The Miniature Horse is known as a "height breed." The American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA) registers Minis that are 34 inches at the "last hair on the mane" or under. The American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR) registers Miniatures in two divisions: "A" Division for horses that are 34 inches and under; and "B" Division for horses that are 34 inches up to and including 38 inches.

What do Miniature Horses eat?

A mixture of Grass hay and alfalfa is the best choice but sometimes hard to find. The finer stemmed hays are easier for a miniature horse to digest. There are now more pelleted feeds to choose from and miniature breeders are making use of these because of the convenience. It is far easier to transport pelleted feed to the shows than bales of hay. Our miniatures eat ½ flake of alfalfa grass [depending on the density of the portion] morning and night. Our breeding mares and foals are supplemented with different grains for different needs. We keep them on a good diet and monitor them daily.

What is the biggest "myth" about Miniature Horses and what can they do?

Miniature horses are just like full size horses. Miniatures can be trained to drive and jump; they are very smart and can learn an obstacle course very quickly. Many Miniatures have been taught to do amazing tricks. Their small size and gentle disposition make them very attractive to people who might be afraid of a full-size horse. "Season" Citizens, who can no longer handle full-size horses, find that a Miniature is just the ticket so that they can remain involved with horses. Miniature horses are available in all colors and styles.

What do you enjoy most about raising miniature horses?

Just to be able to go out to the barn and work with my horses. I am motivated to try and better the breed. We keep track of "who" makes a good match and try to reproduce that positive result again the following breeding season. I love to interact with all of them, which takes up a great deal of my day.

Tell me a favorite or funny story about one of your horses?

Some time ago, we lived in Napa and had some neighbors who had immigrated from Europe, let's call them... "Heidi & Hans." Wonderful neighbors but not horse folks. Sometimes Miniature Stallions have a "challenge" breeding a "tall" mare. My husband, Don, was helping our "small" Stallion, Cowboy out one breeding season [sometimes you have to "hold" the stallion up so he can gain his balance]. The flabbergasted [non horse person] neighbor took this all "in" from next door and called over the fence? "Donny, vhat are you doing over there?" Well, you can imagine how odd it must have looked to our neighbor! My poor husband was very embarrassed too! My favorite story is my husband surprising me with Cowboy Bob on my birthday. He had a cute red little blanket on with "Happy Birthday" pinned on it. I really had no idea, it really was a big surprise.

What awards have your horses won?

We have shown our miniatures and done very well at the local level. Junior Championships, Reserve Champions, Supreme Halter; Grand Champion and Nationally our horses have placed in the "Top Ten".

Do you have any other animals on the ranch?

A miniature longhaired Dachshund, named Lilly, who is a consummate troublemaker, but we just adore her. Our Anatolian Shepherd, Anna, who has "shepherded" the miniature heard for many years. Anna is a wonderful guard dog and keeps the "deer" damage to the plants around the house to a minimum. A neighbor's peacock frequently visits us and enjoys our wild birdseed and likes to hang out on the roof of the house torturing Miss Lilly.

The end of your day and what is a good day?

I feed everybody about 7:00 PM. I like to feed every 12 hours and keep to that schedule. After all the horses are fed, I feed my husband, Don. I may return a few telephone calls and check my messages on the Internet. I go out about 11:00 PM with my flashlight and check the Mom and foals. I might give them a snack of a bit of grass hay. I make my rounds ensuring that all my horses are settled in for the night. Once my horses have been "tucked in" I can lay my own head down on the pillow and sleep the "rest of the righteous". My days are busy and full and I would not trade a moment of it for anything.

To schedule an appointment to visit the horses for sale at Stony Ridge or for information regarding their breeding stallions, please call (707) 426-0343 or e-mail Lois at SRMinis@aol.com