Mini Horse info

Question
I just bought a mini horse (Lady) for my daughter who is 5 years old.  Lady is 13 months old and has had minimal training.  She is very comfortable around people and allows my daughter to put on her halter, walk her around, and pet and brush her.  She is tall for a mini but is not quite pony size.  I have experience with horses, but this is our first experience with a mini.  I am wondering when I can begin training Lady to have my daughter ride her, and how should I begin.  Is there an age or size that Lady has to reach before she can be ridden?  Also, is there any other good advice that you could volunteer as I'm still not sure what other questions I should be asking?

Answer
Hello and thanks for your question! I would suggest that you wait until Lady is a least 2 years old or even 2 1/2 years old. That way she has reached full maturity and is able to support a rider (a rider no larger then 40-50 lbs is the limit). You should do the same training as a big horse. Sack them out, lounging, ground driving, lounging with a saddle on, all this can be done now, but no rider until shes a little older. I would also suggest that you cart train her. In my experience I have learned that mini's ride better after they have been trained to pull a cart. They are quieter, calmer and have the steering and stop that's needed for a little one to ride. Again I would wait until shes 2 and I would suggest finding someone to help you with that or someone that can train her to buggy. Some extra advice: really watch Lady's weight, they can get too fat fast, keep a close eye on her hooves, they tend to grow faster then big horses, they need dental care often, they need the same care as a big horse including vaccines too. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me. Best of luck!!