Miniature Horses & Ponies

From the web site USA Miniature Horses Association i found some history of the miniature horse. The History of Miniature Horses & Ponies

The earliest history of miniature horses was in the 1650 A.D. records at the Palace at Versailles where King Louis XIV (The Sun King) kept a vast Zoo, replete with unusual animals, including tiny horses. 

In the mid 20th Century, many distinct small horse breeds emerged including the Miniature Shetland Pony, the Miniature Toy Horse and the Midget Pony.  These breeds formed this historical foundation for the Miniature Horse breed.