Thinking of buying a mini, have many questions

They certainly do look adorable. I can't believe I am having such a hard time finding one in my area. The nearest ones I have found for sale have been 10-17 hours away (one way). I live fairly close to the american border and I have found some about 8 hours away in WI. But it can be a little complicated and expensive to bring horses across the border into Canada (sigh)

If you join Li'l Beginnings and go to the Miniature Horse Forum, you will see at the top, several picture ads. In the center of those ads, you will see Miniature Horse and Tack - Canada. Click on that. There are 239 pages of Minis and tack for sale in Canada.

Lizzie

I too have quite a few miniatures (think my name gives it away lol) and breed to show. My 14.2hh mare lives with the herd and is brilliant with them...she wont let stange dogs into the field at all and they all love her. I know several people that keep a mini as a companion to a bigger horses without problems, but as has been said, you need to make sure they get on first and indroduce them carefully, I kept my mare on a longline while introducing them so I could intervene if necessary.

Thanks to everyone who has responded. Since I first posted I have found and bought an adorable little mini. I took everyones advice and carefully introduced them and they got along beautifully right from the beginning. I am really glad I bought the little guy as he has had a great calming effect on my Mogan. The both horses seem a lot happier now, and are always together. (The little mini was kept separated from all the other horses by his previous owner. She kept him in a little dog run)

Minis do make good companions to other full size horses and if things get out of hand, they will get out of the way. They are not stupid! However, please treat them like horses and not babies. No matter what they size, they will bite, kick and misbehave just as much as a full grown horse. You get kicked or bitten by a mini, you will know about it! You have a mini on the end of a lead rope wants to play up...you have got your hands full just like any other horse. Enjoy your horses and keep a sensible head on. In the animal world, mini doesn't mean sweet and cute!