If NOT a Mini, then what???

So I got what I believed to be a mini horse from auction who I just measured at 47inches. I know well enough that mini's are 38 inches and under but is that just show standards??? I know horses but ponies I'm not used too. Can she be still considered a mini or if not, she is obviously mini cross but with what?? Any ideas people?? Is it possible she is a shetland? but shetlands arn't that common anymore in MD. Shes a sorrel chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail. I would love for her to be a shetland though! I've always wanted one! Oh, btw, she is in foal :) Shes the one I bought from auction. She's a lucky girl now and so will be the foal. Please do not give me any foal advice, that is one thing I DO NOT NEED!!

If NOT a Mini, then what???
She could be any kind of small pony breed or mix with mini or shetland. I just adopted a small pony of unknown origin who is 11 hands at 2 years old (44 inches). He's also a chestnut w/flaxen mane and tail. He has a pretty refined head and well proportioned body and I am thinking he might be a Welsh cross. He could also have mini in there somewhere since he was rescued from a farm with minis, arabs, a few small ponies, and misc. other horses. (it was the big rescue of 75 horses in Washington County, MD last December).





Also keep in mind that horses bought at a MD auction are not often actually from MD. Many are bought at other auctions where they don't sell for as much and immediately re-sold where the prices are higher (MD). I once bought an emaciated yearling in Westminster who had a coggins already done 2 weeks earlier at an auction in Orange, VA, so you never know.
Reply:Chances are she's a Shetland. They are more common than you'd think, and a lot of people are now breeding them to have more horselike proportions. Just check out pictures of "modern" Shetlands.





She may still be a Mini/Shetland cross or some other kind of pony cross. It's always hard to know with them!
Reply:i have owned shetlands all my life and they are usually between 47-54 inches high..so shes most likely not a pure shetland, although she may very well be a shetland/mini.





good luck with your foal!
Reply:She's probably a shetland..... is her mane very thick? Shetlands can get very very very thick manes and forlocks, most minis' don't quite get to the same degree. Some shetlands have a fair bit of feathering on their pasterns, not a lot, but more than most other breeds of non-feathered horses %26amp; ponies.


Maybe the easiest way to tell is to take a look at her porportions ------ a mini horse should look like just that - a mini horse; with the same porportions as a full size, just scaled down. Whereas, most ponies are not porportionate - they might look like they have chunky bodies on refined legs, and a head that doesn't quite fit size-wise with the rest of the body.


A miniature, even a bad one- is going to look like a scale model of a full size horse. A pony won't.





And congrats on the unexpected bundle of surprise :)
Reply:At 47 inches she's too big for a Shetland who must be 46" and under. And Shetlands no longer look like you're imagining. The Modern type look more like miniature Saddlebreds than anything else.


Did you know that many miniatures are also reg. Shetlands?


My guess is that she's just a pony and probably a mix of horse and pony blood. But, who cares! She's going to be lots of fun and so will the foal. Did they have any idea what she was bred to? Foals from an unknown sire can be interesting!
Reply:mini's can be bigger than the set measurement and they'll still be mini's. i know one myself that's bigger than 38 inches and he's still a mini. she could be a shetland/mini cross... especially if she has feathering and a considerably thick mane. congrats on the foal!!
Reply:Yes Minis can grow above the set mini size. They are still the breed of a miniture horse, but if you would try to show her, well that wouldnt work. It is possible that it could be a cross with a shetland. And just because shetlands arent common in md, doesnt mean it isnt possible. If possible contact the auction and see if they have any records of the previous owner. If she is registered you should be able to see all of her records and what not. Hope that helps a little bit. Oh and Congrats on the foal!
Reply:probably a shetland. i hve no advice for the foal, except hve fun with the 2!!