Wow you guys! "Oh you have minis? That's cute." really hit a nerve! It was shared and re-shared on Facebook and had to many hits here on my website it nearly crashed it. I was inundated with messages and emails.
One of two things happened, either the person completely understood what I was trying to say...
OR
they ripped me a new one. LOL! That's pretty typical of my life. People either understand me or hate me. There are few that are just in between about me. I'm really starting to wonder about myself.
Let me clarify something here. At the end of the blog mentioned above I say "In my humble opinion, ponies are far far too smart to simply be pasture pets and companions to big horses. And using them for this purpose alone is a bit of an injustice." This is the thing that people really disliked. That tells me one thing, you have never been looked down on, by a person sitting on a horse, and told that minis are NOT meant to be driven. They are too small and what I am doing is abuse. Minis are only to be used as pasture pets and sometimes companions for big horses. I'm happy for you that no one has ever said that to you. However I have had people say that. I know other mini horse people that have been told that. It's just a thing that some big horse people think about minis. Some of these people are more than happy to learn more about minis. Some already know everything about everything and that is that.
That statement was NOT meant to say if you choose to have a mini or pony as a pasture pet you are wrong. There are plenty of reasons to have a pony as a pasture pet. They may be a rescue and just need a safe place to land and live their life. They may have given you many many good years of entertainment and happiness and are content to live in the pasture now. You may love to just walk out and love on them, watch them be fat and happy eating the grass. You may not be able to train them yourself and can't afford help but love to have them around. The list goes on and on. YOU ARE NOT WRONG IF YOU HAVE A PONY AS A PASTURE PET. (And I continue to be amazed at what I have to say here. I mean I have a disclaimer. I say this is my opinion and STILL people take things personally and get mad at me. Sigh.)
Something that was said over and over is that when people meet their minis and see them work they become more understanding. Of course that is true! I didn't feel I had to explain that but it was implied more than once that I must be doing something terribly wrong if my ponies aren't changing people's minds about minis and ponies. Let me set the record straight on that. They absolutely are.
I have people tell me all the time they had no idea how awesome ponies could be until they met Zorro. Zorro is literally a unicorn pony and goes around changing people's minds. I wish I could have him with me for every encounter with big horse people. But sometimes I am caught pony-less and THAT is when I get the most scorn.
That post was written in response to some truly rude and scornful people I have had the pleasure of talking to. It was written to those people who no longer want anything to do with me because I have ponies now and don't ride anymore. It was written to those that don't believe ponies are worth anything more than being pasture pets. (with the understanding that if you have a pony as a pasture pet you are not wrong.)
So thank you for all the interest in that post! I'm so happy it created a stir. Clearly there were a few things that needed to be said. But please please remember - I am not saying anyone is wrong if they don't want to drive a pony, or own a pony, or if it they only want a pony as a pasture pet.
Just don't tell me I'm abusing my pony by choosing to drive him.