Meet Smidget The World's Smallest Horse

Meet Smidget The World's Smallest Horse AG WORLD Ag World 7-4-17 Among the world's ponies and miniature horses, "Smidget" stands out as the smallest. Standing just 21 in. high and weighing only 75 lbs., she is a true midget even in the American Miniature breed. Smidget is owned by Ron Boerger, of Durham, Cal., who found her after a two-year search across the United States for the smallest horse he could find. She was born April 13, 1979, in Mackson, Mich. Now at full maturity, she is much smaller than her sire who measured 28.5 in., and her dam who stood 32 in. hsgh. "She's a true midget," says Boerger, "not a dwarf or deformed in any way. And she's unusually intelligent." Smidget is harness broken and has been trained to perform 18 tricks. She has appeared at 25 fairs, on about 35 television shows, and has a contract option to star in a full-length movie. The world's smallest horse munches tender grass, but her main diet is alfalfa pellets supplemented with oats, vitamins, and minerals. She appears to be normal in every way, though it is hard to define "normal" for a horse of this size which may have a different heart rate and other metabolism than a full-size miniature horse or pony, Boerger points out. She's registered with the American Miniature breed and has been studied by animal scientists at the University of California-Davis. "They think she can be bred," says Boerger. "She'll have to be artificially inseminated, and the embryo will have to be transferred to a bigger horse for a full-term pregnancy. But her foal would be genetically the same as in a natural pregnancy." Boerger won't say what price he would have to get if he were to sell Smidget, who is insured for $100,000. If she becomes a movie star, her insurance coverage will go up to $1 million, notes Boerger. Smidget is house-broken and has the run of Boerger's 30 ft. house trailer. "She's one of the family and as much of a pet as a dog or cat," says Boerger. He adds that Smidget is slated for listing in the Guiness Book of World Records as the world's smallest mature horse. That record will probably stand for a while, as Boerger has offered a $250 award to anyone with a smaller horse, and there have been no takers over a three-year period. For more information, contact: FARM SOW Followup, Ron Boerger, Happy Day Ranch, 1664 Garden Road, Durham, Cal. 95938 (ph 916 894-2014).

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