Legalities aside, a miniature horse is not as expensive as its taller and more normal contemporaries. These horses are bred and trained as pets and you rarely see a wild miniature horse, if there is any. The average lifespan of a miniature horse is about 25-35 years if the horse is kept healthy all his life and they live longer than a normal horse under the same care and conditions.

Some miniature horses are trained to be guide horses. Just like dogs, they assist their blind owners when walking around and outdoors. But before a miniature horse can assume this duty, they should undergo training and physical examination first to ensure the owner of the horse’s capabilities for the duty at hand. For unqualified ones, they make good pets and companions.

Maintenance and nutrition for these kind horses are never a problem. Just like horses, all they need is some grass plus clean water and they are good to go. Of course, if you intend to keep him healthy then a regular checkup with a vet is in order.

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The most evident contribution to horse riding in keeping one physically fit comes through muscles and joints. A regular rider develops a more flexible and well-toned musculature in response to the horse’s movements. This effect is more pronounced in leg muscles, up to thighs, though the entire body receives the benefit. For people with underdeveloped muscles and those with tense musculature, horse riding is the most natural and enjoyable therapy.

Another attraction of horse riding is the improvement and command in balance and movement that horse riders generally enjoy. Through the horse’s movements and the contact of the rider’s body through the hips, every step of the horse moves the rider automatically to the best achievable natural balance. After good practice of horse riding over time, the rider attains a greater degree and range of balanced movements – something highly desirable for players.

Recently, horse riding has been found to relieve back pain and boost self-confidence of the rider. Published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, a study led by Swedish researcher Margareta Hakanson recorded the effect of horse riding and other equine therapy techniques on patients of back pain. The results showed significant improvement in both physical and psychological condition of the patients. The research also confirmed that horse riding increases self-confidence, mainly through the experience of steering and managing a large animal as a horse.

More hopeful, and somewhat happily surprising, are the findings of another research conducted by Ruth Dismuke-Blakely of New Mexico. Her analysis of people’s interaction with horses and its effect on people’s mental health arrived at the discovery of beneficial neurological impact resulting from the horse’s movements. The research found that horse riding serves as a natural treatment for autism. An interesting case in this regard is that of a second-grader autistic boy Rowan whose neurological condition and social interaction improved dramatically after he went through horse riding therapy in Mongolia.

Horses are ages-old companions of humans and their ecological bond has great health benefits for us. The fact that horses suffer from neglect and poor care in many developing countries, therefore, remains a matter to be considered by caring people. Donations and voluntary organizations are needed in these parts of the world so as to ensure better equine care, and thus ensure better human health.

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Before listing the causes and cures of equine obesity, it will be helpful to have an idea of what obesity in horses means. Equine obesity is determined by a special system of measurement called condition scoring – based on physical factors like the visibility of ribs and protrusion of the spine above the back etc. The scale (or score) runs from 1 to 9 with a value of 1 representing extremely thin and 9 as extremely fat/obese; a score of 5 representing the optimum weight for most horses.

Earlier, overfeeding on grain was considered the major cause of equine obesity. As researchers have known of late, more than one factor contributes to equine obesity: over-feeding, lack of regular exercise, better dental care for horses, effective treatment for worms, and so on. In case of feeding, the blame has been shifted to free grazing on rich pastures instead of grain. Broadly, more eating and less exercise combine to give a horse over to obesity.

There are several health problems of horses invited by equine obesity. Two of the most prevalent and troublesome health conditions in fat horses are laminitis (inflammation of the frontal part of hooves) and insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (similar to diabetes in humans). Fat horses are also less efficient as athletes; prone to injuries of tissues and joints; and easily yield to stress. The latter problem translates into weak immunity and higher vulnerability to diseases. The risk of tumors and intolerance to heat are some of the many other health problems, which obese horses frequently face. In short, a fat horse is not a fit horse.

So what can be done by the owners to prevent or treat obesity in their horses? More regular exercise and less caloric intake is the only answer here. If the horse has not yet put on a significant amount of weight, putting a horse to harder work for its food is a good way of keeping fat away. For the already obese horses, reducing weight is a bit harder and care must be exercised in putting the horse on a diet and/or exercise. The decrease in dietary content and increase in exercise must be gradual and regular. All essential nutrients need to be fed to the horse while reducing grains significantly and allowing controlled grazing.

Generally, obvious signs of weight loss through a health-friendly weight-loss program take about six months. Most equine feeds are safe to use and are recommended. It is best to heed your horse’s veterinarian’s advice on how to treat and control equine obesity.

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In general, there are a few good indicators of equine health/diseases: the skin of a healthy horse should be smooth, glossy, and elastic enough to move freely over the body underneath it; the skin of a grass-kept horse may be more greasy (which is normal and helps keep them warm); tight and dry skin (sensed by feeling and not just by looking at it) usually indicates dehydration and deficiency of essential fat beneath the skin; the membrane covering a healthy horse’s eyes, tongue, and gums should look salmon pink and not yellow, pale, or red (which indicate equine anemia and/or fever); excess sweating or signs of dried sweat also point to pain or fever.

Members of equestrian communities can prevent health problems in horses during winter by regular grooming, bathing (when necessary), and using healing agents for treating infections, wounds, and scratches. Here are some tips on better winter care for the horses in your equestrian community:

General Body Grooming: With a currycomb, remove the dirt and any other deposits on/in the hair coat. It is helpful to spray a silicon-free equestrian hair care product on the body of the horse, finally followed by grooming with a slippery finish brush in order to facilitate future cleaning.

Bathing: While giving the horse a winter bath, you must remember that the barn should be heated to make sure that cold does not take your horse to illness. A warm-water bath, once a week, will do to keep the horse clean and free from infectious microbes. Vetrolin or any other safe body wash may be added to the water for better cleaning. The horse should be dried well with a towel and, if one likes, a hair dryer can be used but avoid burning the horse’s skin/coat by holding the dryer on a single part; keep it moving over the body.

Skin Care: Daily examination of the horse’s skin is needed to catch any signs of skin infections, scratches, inflammation, redness, or abscesses etc. Cleaning the affected area well with and applying a good antibacterial/antifungal agent on it, after drying, is required to heal the skin of infectious attacks. The pasterns are particularly vulnerable to scratches. Trimming the fetlock hair periodically and treating with an antibacterial/antifungal ointment is therefore a necessary part of good equestrian care.

More than other common pets, horses need good and regular care throughout the winter to stay healthy and happy. It matters to both horses and their breeders to share their experience of equestrian healthcare with other equestrian communities in order to remove any confusion about equestrian health problems that are not common in general observation.

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The most important aspect of promoting equestrian communities, from a conservationist viewpoint, is saving more land for sustainable development. Horses require natural (green) environment for healthy living and horse-lovers tend to prevent existing land from getting urbanized through construction of structures that are likely to threaten the physical and ecological profile of the area. Associated with conserving green land for horses are a range of eco-friendly features like preventing land erosion; providing more opportunities for agriculture on a local scale; conserving natural habitats for a large number of life forms; water reclamation; and so on. In other words, building a community around horse- keeping is akin to allowing the rural side of nature stay against the onset of urbanization.

There is also a strong aesthetic side to developing equestrian communities, not only in bringing more green land to the view but also by exhibiting a nature-friendly way of interacting with horses and other ecological members. At the same time, eco-friendly equestrian communities call for a strong sense of moral awareness toward respect for animals and green living. That is why, owing to the controversy of riding horses, many equestrian communities teach against the practice of horse-riding. Unlike the older style of rural life, modern equestrian communities consider co-existing with nature on more equal grounds, with mutual respect.

Eco-friendly equestrian communities have won great popularity across the globe in a considerably less period of time. In the Unites States alone, an estimated 4 million people are involved in equestrian communities and the passion for green living with horses is on a roll. Not only is an awesome area of land under equestrian development but equestrian communities are also increasingly being established online. In fact, builders of equestrian communities are starting to face difficulty in expanding their activities: the available space already seems teeming with eco-friendly, rural style communities that believe in ‘green living is happy living.’

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