Undeniably, it utilized the blood of the English and Dutch mine horses, that were brought to this country in the 19th century and were used in some Appalachian coal mines as late as 1950. It also drew upon the blood of the Shetland pony, several of which appear in the pedigrees of some miniatures today. In the past decade, several breeders have imported miniature horses from England, Holland, Belgium, and West Germany, while others have selectively bred miniatures from the larger breeds of horses.
There are two principal breed registries for the American Miniature Horse, the American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA) the American Miniature Horse Registration (AMHR). In 1978, The American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA) was formed. It is now the only registry in existence that deals exclusively with Miniatures, 34 inches and under. Horses over 34 inches are not considered Miniatures by AMHA, however, horses that measure up to 38 inches are considered Miniatures by AMHR.
The American Miniature Horse Association was organized and incorporated in July of 1978 to maintain a registry and stud-book. A Standard of Perfection was adopted in 1978 and that two basic body types, a "draft" type and a fine-boned "refined" type, were present in the existing foundation stock, the Standard called for a blending of types into an elegant little horse.
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