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Tiny Trots: Miniature horses are bundles of friendship

By Tanya Hoida

A shaggy miniature horse gallops along the rim of the white fence to greet the curious new visitors.

After rubbing his soft nose in the hands of the newcomers, the small gelding pauses to playfully rear and claw the air. As little Fortune Maker lowers his legs, a 64-inch-high Tennessee Walking horse, Ambrosia, canters over and towers above the 32-inch black fur ball.

Fortune Maker neighs softly and rears up again to gently paw the sorrel horse’s back with his tiny hooves. After the tall gelding nudges the dog-like horse, the playful miniature trots across the pasture at the heels of his larger companion.

"The miniatures are so docile by nature, they would climb into your lap to cuddle if they could," said Kathleen Virch, daughter of the Ron and Barb McHugh, the owners of MH Ranch, who bought their first nine miniature horses 15 years ago.

Since Ron and Barb brought the bundles of energy to their ranch in Westfield, the power of the

gentle and therapeutic pets has grasped the communities surrounding the town that senator Joe Leean called the "Miniature Horse Capital" in 1993.

It all started when Ron opened the newspaper to a story about miniature horses in 1986. The retired truck driver knew they had discovered a new pet to frolic in the ranch's 300 flowing acres.

The miniature horses have been raised as pets since the early 20^th century. They are at least 2 feet smaller than a traditional pony and are not meant for riders. Virch said miniature horses are much easier and less expensive to care for than full-sized horses. A miniature horse eats one bale of hay each month costing at most $10 while feed for a full-sized horse may cost as much as $150. Most of the miniature’s costs including the purchase, training, harnesses, blankets, trimming and vaccinations are about half of the full-sized horse’s cost.

What began as a small hobby, has grown to 113 miniatures including 68 mares, 35 stallions and 10 geldings. The family has proven the quality of their miniatures by accumulating multiple awards each year with a high of 24 national championships in their first full show season in 1989.

After the recognition from the shows and television exposure from their participation in the Great Circus Parade from 1989 through 1993, curiosity from the locals perked up. Horse lovers and their families began to stop by to peek at the miniature wonders.

The McHugh family built a Visitor's Center in 1991 and has offered tours to profit from this interest from May 1 to Oct. 1 each year.

Everyone from kindergarten students by the busloads to German visitors in the country for a family reunion have driven down the rolling County Y to the ranch located five minutes east of Westfield for the afternoon tours. The 90-minute tours cost $8 for adults and $5 for children but they're free for children under 34 inches tall, because miniatures under the same height are the ranch's goal in breeding.

Tourists learn about the showcase of trophies and driving carts for the miniatures inside the Visitor's Center, watch a video detailing the history of the ranch, visit the training center and the maternity ward, and gaze upon the grazing horses in the 10 pastures and 35 smaller pastures called runs on both sides of the road.

"One young boy named Michael from a tour group was running and chasing the foals in a pasture," Virch said as a small smile crept upon her face. "When he wasn't looking, a foal walked up behind him and when he tried to nudge the boy, he pulled down the boy's pants. The poor dear was so embarrassed, but I guess he got what he was asking for."

Virch said the children who tour are the most memorable because they can relate with the miniatures in size. Visitors in a bus tour with at least 40 people pay $6 each for attendance. The ranch family surprises these guests with a small horse show.

After the employees showcase their prize miniature stallions, Ron drives the miniatures with carts into the arena. They amaze the crowd with their strength, as only one husky miniature is needed to pull most carts. Then C-No-Evil, a white gelding miniature born blind, struts into the arena to perform his tricks.

"He jumps and does tricks like smile, bow and count," Virch said. "He counts by pawing his hooves on the ground however many times my mom secretly taps him on his side. He knows things like his age. He doesn’t always get the answers right though."

When it’s off-season for touring, the McHughs continue to reach out with their miniatures. Every Christmas for the past 14 years, the ranch chooses a few miniature horses to visit the local nursing homes. They're decked out in Santa and elf attire with bells.

Ron said it was Barb’s idea to go to the nursing homes and he couldn’t believe how the horses brought everyone at the homes to life. The horses are invited inside the nursing home, and the elderly residents know they’re coming as they hear the bells and soft hoofbeats.

In August, the McHughs invite the nursing homes to the ranch and the Martha’s senior-residence facility in Princeton will adopt one of the first fillies born this spring. Royal Maiden, a spunky silver filly, was the first foal born in April. The facility will contribute toward the horse’s supplies, and the seniors will create a photo album to follow its progress. Virch said she hopes the nursing home can follow the horse through its life but it will be difficult if the filly is sold.

The miniature-horse family grows as the ranch expects at most 39 new foals this spring after losing two foals so far. Virch said the family encourages visitors to stop by during the foaling season and summer.

The ranch will begin the "Lifestyle Experience" with two lodging opportunities to facilitate their visitors. The guests can live in a country ranch house overlooking the ranch for a week for $1,500, stay at the log cabin for a week at a cost of $750 or work one 8-hour shift on the ranch helping take care of the horses and grounds for $75 per person.

The log cabin is hooked up to the video monitoring system in the maternity ward so guests can see when mares are about to give birth.

"Foaling is as much as a headache as it is rewarding," Ron said, reflecting on the past 15 years of breeding the miniatures. "The first time I saw the foaling I was amazed because it was just so beautiful. We watched the foal become attached to its mother so quickly with so much trust. We’ve learned to stop and smell the roses as we have raised these horses."

© Tanya Hoida ~ Last modified:Apr. 7, 2006