Mini Whinnies

Joyce Putman nuzzles tiny 2-week-old colt Willie Ray at her Rambling Rose Ranch in Clovis, Calif. (SHNS photo by John Walker / The Fresno Bee) Under the watchful eye of mother Sassy, Joyce Putman nuzzles tiny 2-week-old colt Willie Ray at her Rambling Rose Ranch in Clovis, Calif. (SHNS photo by John Walker / The Fresno Bee) Dale Putman gives show miniature horse Merlot a bath at his family's Rambling Rose Ranch in Clovis, Calif. (SHNS photo by John Walker / The Fresno Bee) Dale Putman shows the obvious size difference of a regular-size horse and a miniature, with Dancing Advocate, whose lineage includes Kentucky Derby racehorses, and Merlot, at his family's Rambling Rose Ranch in Clovis, Calif. (SHNS photo by John Walker / The Fresno Bee) A sign at the True residence in Hanford, Calif., makes sure visitors understand the difference between a pony and a miniature horse. (SHNS photo by Renee Knoeber / The Fresno Bee) Renee True takes Toby, a miniature horse, for a workout through the neighborhood in Hanford, Calif. Renee, riding in a buckboard that was used to carry supplies, says she and husband Doug have been raising them since 1987. (SHNS photo by Renee Knoeber / The Fresno Bee) Clyde Stevenson, of Visalia, Calif., and a few of his miniature horses. Stevenson got his first miniature horse 17 years ago as a gift for his wife. Today, he has 12. (SHNS photo by Renee Knoeber / The Fresno Bee)

Big may be best when it comes to muscle cars and winning the Kentucky Derby. But sometimes, horsepower is even more impressive when it comes in small packages--which might explain why many residents of California's central San Joaquin Valley are finding it hard to resist the captivating beauty of miniature horses.

Miniature horses have been around for centuries, but few Americans knew much about them until about 45 years ago. Then, in the 1960s, breeders began producing more minis, and people started falling in love with the small wonders.

A miniature horse looks like a regular horse, but much smaller. According to standards set by the American Miniature Horse Association, it cannot be taller than 34 inches at the end of its mane. Since its inception in 1978, the association has grown to more than 12,000 members in 30 countries and has more than 114,000 miniature horses in its registry.

Joyce Putman of Clovis, Calif., has loved large horses all her life, but she says things have never been the same since she bought her first mini in Florida 17 years ago. Legend was a year-old stallion that stood 28 inches tall at the withers, the highest part of the horse's back.

"We took him back to the motel in a station wagon," Putman recalls. "My husband asked the motel owner if he had any objection to pets. 'As long as they don't bark,' he told us. We told him we didn't have anything that would bark."

The Putmans fixed a temporary stall for Legend in their motel room and made sure everything was spic and span before they left the next morning. The motel owner never knew he had provided lodging for a horse.

Now, Putman breeds miniature horses at her ranch in the foothills northeast of Clovis. She owns 38 miniature horses and has sold minis to people throughout the United States and as far away as Australia. Her son, Dale Putman, is an award-winning horse trainer.

Unregistered minis of pet quality sell for $500 to $750, she says. Registered show horses command prices ranging up to $150,000.

Miniature horses appeal to people from all walks of life. Some individuals like to keep minis as pets. Others enjoy entering them in shows or training them for competitive driving events.

Minis weigh 175 to 300 pounds at maturity and are too small to be ridden. But their intelligence and strength enable them to do well at pulling small wagons and carts.

Selective breeding produced miniature horses for the kings and queens of Europe in the 16th century. Later, the horses were featured in traveling circuses and used to pull ore cars in coal mines.

Renee and Doug True of Hanford, Calif., compete regularly in combined driving events for miniature horses. They own five minis and several scale-model carriages based on historical designs in use from 1750 to 1850, considered the golden era of horse-drawn transportation.

The Trues also like to use their miniature horses for running errands to local stores, and they have appeared three times in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.

"This is our daughter's fault," Renee True says, referring to the couple's introduction to miniature horses in 1987. "When she was in college, she found a miniature horse and wanted us to get it. The kids had raised lambs when they were in 4-H, so we thought we'd just put the horse out back and let it eat weeds."

The Trues gradually turned their 2-1/2-acre homesite into a "mini" ranch. They say caring for the horses and training them to drive has opened up opportunities for learning about the history of carriages.

"There are lots of things worth remembering," says Doug True. "Driving carriages helps preserve a part of the past."

Miniature horses have individual personalities and a gentle nature that owners find endearing.

Miniature horses make good pets, Putman says.

"They have a life span of 40 to 45 years, and they're small enough you can love on them," she says.

People who are intimidated by large horses feel more at ease around minis. But owning a miniature horse is not a commitment to be taken lightly.

Miniature horses require the same care as big horses, Putman says. Miniature horses require a balanced diet of pasture grass, hay and grain, but they eat less and require less land than full-sized horses. With proper care and feeding, a single miniature horse will thrive on as little as half an acre.