What do you do with them? The first thing you do with them is love them, everyone does, you can't help it they are so precious. They are wonderful for children due to their size and great personality. Many families show them in competition throughout the United States as a family activity, there are fun shows, as well as registered local and regional, almost any weekend thru out the United States and National Championship Shows annually. You can show your horse in several different types of classes such as Conformation, Obstacle, Pleasure Driving, Roadster, and others.
Do they eat a lot? Nope! Unlike the standard size horse we have found the miniatures really cheap to keep. Miniature horses need approximately 1/2 acre per horse and miniature horse will do very well with a small amount of grain, a pint or less depending on his size, and a particle flake of hay daily and the hay is not as necessary if grazing pasture area is available. They need shade and water, but, their requirements are really no different than a standard size horse just everything is in much smaller amounts from feed portions to worming practices to stall size.
What care do they need? Your horse will need some type of shelter for shade and to protect from cold or wet weather, a simple three sided shelter will serve well. The miniature horse does not require shoes unless you use them in parades, etc. where they are walking long distances on pavement or concrete. Our horses that stay pastured rarely require hoof trims as the ground keeps their feet in good shape. Their vaccine and medical needs are the same as any other type horse. We worm several times annually with a paste wormer which is a lot like toothpaste it's inexpensive and simply applied into the side of their mouth.
How much do they cost? The miniature horse is a great investment. Depending on which type of mini you are buying the price can vary. Young foals are usually less expensive than proven breeding stock or show horses. A pet or companion quality miniature horse is usually less expensive than the show quality miniature horse. Some things that can effect the price of a miniature horse are age, conformation, size, attitude, bloodlines, and color.