Page 21 - The Mini Horse Magazine 2023 No 1
P. 21
Straw Mini me
Thank you! I am honored that being a full time school
you would consider asking me teacher. In the early
to respond to your questions 1980’s due to a freak
accident that orphaned a
regarding the AMHA Miniature foal, I was given a 2 month
Horse. Certainly there are many old miniature silver dapple
and varied motivations that can filly by one of my students. I
impact the way these questions named this adorable horse, Baby
are answered. Some of these Jane. The little horse would go through
my student‘s wood rail fences, so she offered
motivations such as income Baby Jane to me. Baby Jane was so cute and
potential and/or winning in the friendly, I couldn‘t say no. Later on I learned of
show ring regardless of the rules a new 1978 registry for miniature horses, The
or breed standards can and do International Miniature Horse Registry, now
called American Miniature Horse Association.
have an impact on the credibility There was an earlier registry, owned by the
of some. It is my hope that the Shetland Pony Club, that started in 1972,
answers I make, offer a viewpoint the same year as the American Paint Horse
which puts the integrity of the registry. Remember this was before the world
AMHA breed and the joy these wide web. Finding information about miniature
horses was difficult, if not impossible. I found
horses bring to your readers. these horses to be very personable, extremely
intelligent and easy to train. I even took my
smallest mini into my 2nd grade classroom
for a week every spring to share my passion
with the students and motivate them in their
reading. A big bonus factor that never entered
Please introduce yourself and your stable? my mind when I started was this breed of little
My name is Joanne Ross, owner of Scott Creek horses could help me stay active into my senior
Miniature Horse Farm (Scott Creek Farm) on years because of the safety size factor, ease of
41 acres currently located in Salem, Oregon, training, and minimal work compared to the
USA. Scott Creek Farm was established in the standard size horses.
very early 1980‘s. My goal has always been
focused on breeding the original definition Please include who you are, where do you
of miniature horses, 34 inches (86.36 cm) or live, family etc. Your affix/stable name, where
smaller, measured more or less at the middle did your stable name come from?
of the withers. I took on the challenge to What started as a hobby turned into a very
Text written & photographs provided by: Joanne Ross
breed a balanced, small horse with the same successful business which involved myself,
proportions and looks of its big Arabian cousin. Joanne Ross, my husband, Larry and son, Mark.
I found through my breeding that it was much We chose the name Scott Creek Farm because
more difficult to produce this proportion in the of a beautiful creek that ran through our 45 acre
smaller horses than the taller ones. We maintain property. After our son grew up and left home,
a herd of 40 miniature horses registered with Larry and I decided to move to the Willamette
the American Miniature Horse Association (34 Valley. We found a stunningly beautiful, private
inch max) and the American Miniature Horse 41 acre property just outside the Capital of
Registry (38 inch max). Oregon, Salem. We were now an hour west
of the beautiful Pacific Ocean, an hour east of
Why did you choose to own this breed? Mt Jefferson in the Cascade Mountains and one
As a hobby breeder, I enjoyed owning and hour north of the Portland, Oregon international
breeding Quarter Horses and Paint horses while airport.
Miniature Horse Magazine • Issue 1/2023 | 21
