Page 106 - The Mini Horse Magazine 2023 No 1

CURLY JIM CURLY MINIATURE CANADIAN MINIATURE

The Curly Jim Curly Miniature Line is descended The Canadian Miniature line originally came
from the founding sire Curly Jim. He was an from the Curly horses in Canada which goes
unknown stallion found in Tennessee and back many years. One Canadian line was from
then went on to Missouri. He had a Curly coat Ole Sjkonsberg. These Curly horses were said to
and did a foxtrot gait. He was used to breed descend from a Curly mare caught at a watering
to some ponies and sired an original Curly Jim
hole in South Dakota around 1902-1903 and
INFORMATIVE Jim sired Hartshorn Curly (Brim’s). This stallion Miniature line comes from this line of Curly horses.
then taken to Alberta, Canada. The Canadian
pony son, named Gentleman Jim. Gentleman
The Miniature Founding sire was Curly horse
was used by the McKay breeders to breed to
BNC Hobo who was out of Roy Olepeter, a full
American Shetland ponies and started a Curly
Canadian line stallion. BNC Hobo was bred to a
pony line. Another breeder Johnny Brooks
bred Walker’s Prince T, a Curly Jim stallion,
to ponies and a started a line called Circle B. Miniature mare and produced The Pirate EB, who
was a pony sized stallion. He sired the Miniature
This line of ponies were then bred to Miniature line by breeding his offspring back to Miniatures
horses and bred down to Miniature size. This to reach Miniature Size. This breeding program
is also a very popular line used by Miniature was also started by Ellen Bancroft. The Pirate EB
Curly breeders today. line is still a very popular Curly miniature line.

Twisted Expression EB driving The Pirate EB photo by
photo by Ellen Bancroft Isabelle Checroune, Canada

Curly Coat Genes found in Curly miniatures

So what gives a Curly miniature a Curly coat? that have dual genes and carry both KRT25 and
We are fortunate that through researching the SP6. There is also a Preservation Association
Curly horse that two Curly Coat Genes have for Curly Miniatures in the International Curly
been isolated. We can now test for these two Horse Org to keep the lines true to type so we
coat genes. The first discovered curly coat gene don’t lose their unique original ancestry and the
was KRT25. This gene is a mutated form of coat gene associated with each line. It would
KRT25 that causes the hair to curl. It is found in be a shame to lose the original historical types
Damele and Canadian line Curly Miniatures. and only have mixed lines eventually. Curly
Miniatures that qualify for a Preservation status
The second curly coat gene to be discovered get a Preservation seal applied to their ICHO/
was the mutation in the SP6 gene. The SP NACHR Registration Certificate.
gene is only found in the Curly Jim line Curly
Miniatures, ponies and full sized Curly Jim So how does one breed for a Curly Coat and
Curly horses. still preserve an original Curly Miniature line?
This chart below shows an easy way to breed
There has been some mixing of the Curly Miniature for a Curly coat and keep the Preservation lines
lines and it is possible to find some Curly Mini’s going.

106 | Miniature Horse Magazine • Issue 1/2023