Short Circuit

No self-respecting hulk of a horse would ever be called “cute.”

But come to the Ventura County Fairgrounds this weekend and you’ll see cute, darn cute.

The place will be alive and kicking with 100 or more tiny horses--no bigger than a large dog--when the Southern California Miniature Horse Club puts on its third annual show.

These little guys pull pint-sized sulkies. They maneuver obstacle courses. They spring over jumps. They even perform to music. But the one thing they don’t do is carry riders on their backs.

They’re just too little for that. Technically, a true miniature can’t be any taller than 34 inches at the withers, or the last hairs of the mane, according to the American Miniature Horse Assn.

Some never get taller than 24 inches.

At the show, which runs Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., you can see them do their stuff in the ring.

But, just like at the county fair, you can also walk about and see the horses up close, as well as chat with the owners to find out what it’s like to care for one.

Apparently, miniature horses are becoming trendy. The Texas-based association has about 8,000 members, with about 400 new ones joining every year.

Susan Hopmans of Santa Barbara became a fan of the so-called minis in 1989 when her husband gave her one for her birthday.

“That was the beginning of it all--you can’t just have one,” she said.

In 1991 she began breeding and selling them, and now she runs La Vista Farm near Santa Ynez.

“We’ve got nine babies this year--seven now and two on the way,” she said.

In the pasture, they darted about playfully. One came over for some nuzzling on the ground just like a dog.

“They’re extremely personable,” she said.

As newborns they’re about 17 inches and 20 pounds. And though they’re small, they’re not cheap. She said the cost averages $2,500 to $25,000, although some are less and others quite a bit more.

“Miniature is one of the fastest-expanding breeds because people who want a horse but don’t have the space for a big horse, can have a little horse,” she said. “And people who are intimidated by big horses can have a little horse.”

Not everyone can, though. Some cities are less hospitable to the idea in nonrural areas.

Each municipality has its own rules when it comes to keeping potbellied pigs, monkeys and assorted barnyard animals as domestic pets.

As for miniature horses, “They’re not really house pets,” Hopmans said. “It can be done--it’s the same as having a chimp in the house.”

People buy them for various reasons. A lot show them, especially children; others have them as pets. They’re easy for children and older people to maneuver. But the big plus is that they don’t eat like a horse.

“They eat much less, one-eighth of what a big horse eats,” she said.

Translation: Cleanup is easier.

As far for looks, minis are a scaled-down version of a large horse and come in a variety of colors. They’re more handsome now than they were 20 years ago, due to selective breeding.

“They used to be short, stubby-legged and not too good-looking,” said Helen Herron of Stockton, who is managing this show and has run others in California since 1979.

“I’ve watched them grow and they’ve really improved,” she said. “Now they’re just beautiful.”

The origin of these little horses is uncertain, but it’s believed they were originally the playthings of British royalty some 400 years ago.

They shrank in size through selective breeding of standard breeds.

Then their fate took a harsh turn when they were brought to this country to work in the coal mines pulling ore carts.

Though small, they’re extremely strong. When the mines closed, their usefulness waned and their popularity faded until a few decades ago, when it revived.

Now the shows draw people attracted simply by the cuteness of these little horses and the whimsy of the events. The carts, carrying full-size adults, are a sight to see.

“One exhibitor was over 300 pounds,” Herron recalled.

The last event Sunday afternoon, the liberty class, may be the liveliest. That’s when the handler releases the horse in the arena and it runs, canters, trots, bucks and generally struts its stuff--all to music ranging from the “William Tell Overture” to rock ‘n’ roll.

“It’s like a free-style gymnastics competition,” Herron said, “only the horse is doing it.”

BE THERE

The Southern California Miniature Horse Club show is Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Seaside Park, Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura. Spectator admission is free. For information, call (805) 648-3376.