Hauling a mini in an SUV?

[Emilia]

Surely, you can haul a mini in a minivan or SUV- once and as an emergency!

I would not dream about doing so on regular basis.

There are miniature horse trailers around already. Small and much lighter than even one horse trailer. I saw one recently at our trailer guy. It was converted smaller utility trailer. Some horse trailer places might be able to convert for you.

I think, you look into this mini party business from a position of someone, who is not very familiar with minis.

First and foremost, you have to find the right mini. Contrary to the popular belief, many are not child friendly, do not appreciate cuddling, and will not enjoy their party job at all.

It takes a special one to succeed and not just go through the moves or, even worse, start some mini revolution in the middle of the party. They have an instinctive knowledge, how to time their coup-d’état- it’s deeply in their DNA cemented by centuries of evolution!

FatCatFarm, thank you for sharing an example of such business. I thought it was funny, when you look through pictures, at every possible occasion, the little professional party mini seeks to do what the minis do the best- eat! :lol:

[FatCatFarm]

[QUOTE=emilia;7981418]

FatCatFarm, thank you for sharing an example of such business. I thought it was funny, when you look through pictures, at every possible occasion, the little professional party mini seeks to do what the minis do the best- eat! :lol:[/QUOTE]

Yes! That is really what they would rather be doing. And you are correct, quite a few minis are not really child friendly or dependable but are smart little brats. However, we have had several who were very good and very tolerant and currently own two, so they are out there. Raisin’s Ranch also has a FB page where much more adorableness can be found. She now does summer camps and is getting close to having a waiting list. There’s definitely a demand if done right. If you look at her website, she does give her pricing just to give you an idea.

Did you see the ones of Raisin in their house at Christmas? You can even buy little sneakers for them. If I were not a working stiff, I would seriously think about getting our little 28" gelding pet therapy certified as he is adorable and tolerant and would be absolutely squeee worthy in sneakers. :yes:

[maunder]

Hee hee, Emilia… “mini revolution.”

I have four delightful minis - all with their individual personalities. I think only one might be suitable for giving wee ones rides - and he’d be more interested in asking them to scratch his butt while they were sitting on him.

[Against_All_Odds1]

[QUOTE=FatCatFarm;7981113]
A friend of mine does “Pony Parties” with her minis. She started out with one, then got two and now has several, including two miniature donkeys she got from me, nigerian dwarf goats, chickens, bunnies and a mini pig. She can bring a combination of them to a party for additional fees. She only lets very tiny children ride on the minis and now has true ponies for that. The minis are very cutely dressed up with ribbons and even tutus. Tres adorables! She lets the kids finger paint on the minis with appropriate paints, supervised of course and then offers other craft projects. She’s really done a fantastic job with her pony parties. First she operated out of her back yard in an upscale neighborhood north of Atlanta, then got a small horse trailer, and started taking them places. She then bought a small acreage in a nearby horsey area (Alpharetta) and hosts parties and summer camps there in addition to taking various cast members out and about. Here’s the website: http://www.raisinsranch.com/

But in answer to your original question, I agree with the other poster who said they would be dubious about someone who showed up with a mini in the back of their Honda Element, in a crate or not.[/QUOTE]

NO NO NO! I do NOT need a mini…lalalala I will not be looking at their website anymore…must resist the cuteness :lol:

[FatCatFarm]

Good luck AAO, they’re so easy to have around. Our little mare pulls a cart. Love her.

The other thing that my friend has gotten into with her pony party business is she networked with a local photographer and had a full book of people coming out to do really cute kids photos with the minis at her little farm this fall, particularly for annual christmas photos. Geez, maybe I need to quit my day job and get more minis… If only!

[Pennywell_Bay]

[QUOTE=AgainstAllOdds;7981487]
NO NO NO! I do NOT need a mini…lalalala I will not be looking at their website anymore…must resist the cuteness :lol:[/QUOTE]

That’s what I said. I heard of one that needed rescue. (we can look at it but it’s not coming home. Must Resist) It’s all downhill. mine has done parades and school events (I stopped resisting). I can’t stand the cuteness!

[roseymare]

I think hauling a trailer with something with as short of wheelbase as an Element might be worse than having one in a secured crate in the cargo area.

Has anyone else noticed that the OP is MIA?

Also I think that it is teaching good horsemanship to youngsters when they learn that they cannot ride a horse that they are too big for and to learn that not all horses can be ridden.

[toady123]

I will echo the sentiments that others have stated here. If you are planning to do this on a regular basis the safe and professional thing to do is to equip yourself properly. There is a reason pony parties in your area cost $400 - because the vendors have costs that they need to cover in order to make their business viable.

Apart from the issues regarding the size of the mini, the really big issue I immediately zoned in on is liability insurance. You will need to have insurance - and I think you will find that the cost will make your lucrative pony party business a lot less attractive.

[FatCatFarm]

[QUOTE=toady123;7981725]
I
Apart from the issues regarding the size of the mini, the really big issue I immediately zoned in on is liability insurance. You will need to have insurance - and I think you will find that the cost will make your lucrative pony party business a lot less attractive.[/QUOTE]

Excellent point!

[Frog_Pond]

Elements can tow around 1000 lbs., but, I would not want any of it to be in motion!

[Sarahlw1]

I do appreciate the (non-snarky) advice. To clarify, I do NOT think I’d be getting rich off pony parties. It would be something to do on weekends throughout the summer, for mostly families I already know (I work at an upscale preschool in an Atlanta suburb). I have already been quoted an insurance policy through Markel, and for all the people assuming I’d put a mini at risk by putting too big of kids on him… LOL. The mini I’m considering is 36" and the heaviest child I would put on him would be 50(ish) lbs. He is already broke to ride and has ponied many, many children without issue (his current owner lets kids up to 75 lbs ride him, to me that is too much). I’ve already had families offer to book me, thinking that it was a cute idea. Again, this would not be a primary source of income, it would just be for fun with a little left over. As I already said, I’ve been interested in minis for a long time, so doing pony parties would just be a fun bonus. My max travel would be 15 miles, but as a few posters pointed out, in the event of an accident that would be too risky so I am looking at other options. Again, thanks to those who offered polite, non-judgmental advice.