This article appeared in the Nov. 14, 2012 issue of the Interlake Enterprise
…By Teresa Carey
Halloween in Ashern brought out all kinds, perhaps the most notable of which were a pair of miniature horses dressed as pink flying pigs. Their owner, Karen Bittner of Moosehorn, whose own children are beyond the age of trick-or-treating, refuses to relinquish Halloween fun, so each year brings her miniature horses to nearby Ashern all decked out in costume.
Despite the dreary weather on Oct. 31, Bittner escorted the six month old pair along Main St. sidewalks, drawing a lot of attention from shop owners and costumed children just starting out on their own quest for candy. Some delighted on-lookers tossed treats into the jack-o-lantern pails that were hung on their necks, “just for cuteness”.
Bittner, who went from raising regular sized horses to Overo miniatures four years ago, says the horses are between 14″ and 18″ tall when born. She starts dressing them up when they are very young so they become used to being handled.
Bittner says miniature horses make excellent pets and do not need a lot of room to thrive. Even when fully grown they are small enough to fit into the back seat of a truck.
“Miniature horses are better than dogs,” says Bittner, “because they don’t eat as much, don’t make as much mess, and don’t make any noise.”
Bittner regularly takes her horses to visit day care and senior centres and has them in parades and would take them anywhere if asked.
“Kids just love them because they’re very little. They’re not intimidated. They always say, “Mom, can I have one?”
Bittner enjoys taking her horses to shows and competitions, where they perform a variety of tasks, like carts, halter classes, poles, barrel racing and jumps. Each June she competes at the Brandon International Horse Show.
“You can show them, you can drive them. An average miniature horse can pull three or four hundred lbs. easy on a nice gravel road.
The Bittner family holds “Mini Day” during the summer at Painted Pasture Ranch Miniatures where hot dogs and refreshments are offered for free.
“I do [all] this to raise awareness about these horses,” Bittner said.
Bittner breeds Overos and offers them for sale. The cost to purchase one of these horses is between $250 and $5,000, depending on pedigree, colour, temperament, confirmation and registration.
For anyone interested in learning more about this breed, Bittner can be contacted at 204-768-2808 or through her website at www.paintedpastureranch.com.
