The American Miniature Horse is a unique breed, the limiting
characteristic of which is size. It must not measure in
excess of 34 inches in height, which is measured at the
withers, at the last hairs of the maine. It must be a
sound, well-balanced horse, possessing the proper
conformation characteristics which are common to most of the
larger breeds. In fact, if there were no size reference,
the miniature horse might give the illusion of being a full-
sized horse. The American Miniature Horse gives the
impression of strength, agility, and alert intelligence and
is available in all possible colors.
The Miniature Horse extracted from many sources in the creation
of the breed. Undeniably, it utilized the blood of the
English and Dutch mine horses, that were brought to this
country in the 19th century and were used in some
Appalachian coal mines as late as 1950. It also drew upon
the blood of the Shetland pony, several of which appear in
the pedigrees of some miniatures today. In the past decade,
several breeders have imported miniature horses from
England, Holland, Belgium, and West Germany, while others
have selectively bred miniatures from the larger breeds of
horses.
In 1978, the American Miniature Horse Association was formed.
It is now the only registry in existence that deals
exclusively with true Miniatures, 34 inches and under.
Ponies over 34 inches are not considered Miniatures; they
were not in the beginning, and they are not today.
The AMHA maintains complete pedigrees on each horse and an
official magazine is published, The Miniature Horse World.
There are hundreds of AMHA approved shows which are held
throughout the country every year, culminating with the
American Miniature Horse Association's National Show.
The American Miniature Horse as a breed is currently being
standardized. The AMHA was organized and incorporated in
July of 1978 to maintain a registry and stud book. A
Standard of Perfection was adopted in 1978 and was amended
by the membership in October 1988 at the annual meeting.
Recognizing that two basic body types, a "draft" type and a
fine-boned "refined" type, are present in the existing
foundation stock, the Standard calls for a blending of the
types into an elegant little horse.
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