Little Mare is Leaving a Big Mark in the English Arena and On Our Hearts

Earlier this week, one of our EC Photos of the Day featured a small but mighty little Quarter Horse mare, that recently competed at the 2013 AQHYA World Show, along with the following caption.

“Though she be but little, she is fierce!” – William Shakespeare

It isn’t always about the size of the horse in the fight, but the size of the fight in the horse.

We received such an incredible Facebook response to the image, 270 likes, 30 shares, countless comments, and a reach of 9,140 views, that we decided to do a little investigating to find out more about this tiny dynamo. My Emmy Award, aka “Emmy,” was bred, raised, and is owned by 17-year-old Danica Weber of Dousman, Wisconsin. She is a 14 hand Quarter Horse mare by SMF Lenas Award and out of a daughter of Peppy San Badger.

“Emmy was born and raised on our 200 acre livestock farm in Wisconsin,” Weber says. “From day one we never thought how amazing of a horse she would become. She is five years old. Her mom is a reining mare, and her dad does working cow horse and is a son of Colonel Freckles. It’s not your typical bloodline for an english horse.”

“For being so small, she has a heart that is larger than life. She has so much try, and every time you ride her she gives it her all.”

Because of her small stature, Emmy competes in the large pony division at hunter-jumper shows. But at AQHA breed events, like the recent 2013 AQHYA World Championship Show, Weber and her mini-mare can be found in classes like equitation, equitation over fences, working hunter, hunter hack, horsemanship, and ranch horse. Last year was the pair’s first trip to the Youth World Show.

“I have been riding since I was three years old, and I am 17, so for 15 years,” she says. “I started showing at the local open and 4H shows then moved up to Quarter Horse shows. I have been riding with Jenny Welhouse for the past three years.”

“Two of my biggest accomplishments are when I won the equitation at the AQHA Novice Championship (East) and when I was 16th in Equitation at this year’s Youth World Show. If I’m not at a horse show you can usually find me at county and state fairs where I show market lambs, show steers, and show pigs.”

Because the current trend is to see larger more lithe equines in english and over fence classes, we wondered if there are any disadvantages or advantages that come along with competing on a smaller mount.

“We are both short, so I think that’s what sets us apart,” she says. “I will never forget what Jenny says to me right before I go in the ring. ‘You are 4’11, so make yourself look 5’2. You’re riding a pony!’ It pushes me to ride better, because I do have a disadvantage because she is small. It gets tricky with the fence classes, because they are set for horse strides. Being smaller, it takes a little more to get down the lines. For the equitation, I can really use her height as an advantage for patterns that are set smaller. For a pattern that is set larger, like at the World Show, I can really show off what we can do as a team.”

“I really don’t let [her height] get to me. I think it actually gives me more confidence that she is smaller, because it just makes me more unique and it sets me apart from other riders.”

When Weber and Emmy travel to horse shows, the reaction they receive from fellow competitors and spectators is generally positive. Weber says most people are surprised to learn that Emmy is only 14 hands, considering the fact that she can tackle an over fence course set for larger horses with ease and a style all her own.

“They mainly cannot believe that we jump her,” she says. “I know that people initially doubted our abilities to succeed, but I think that we proved that size really doesn’t matter. Even if you have a small horse that doesn’t mean you can’t be competitive. It’s all about the ride that you put out, and it shouldn’t matter how tall [your horse is] or if your horse has the certain look. It really depends on the judge’s opinion if height is or isn’t an issue.”

Contrary to popular belief, there is no height requirement for a horse to be registered with the American Quarter Horse Association. The more important aspect to consider is that the horse has DNA-verifiable Quarter Horse parents. AQHA Spokesman Tom Persechino helps to explain.

“A lot of people used to think that there was a height restriction, and they seemed to think it was 13 hands,” he says. “Some of us speculated that may have stemmed from the time horses had to pass conformation inspection for registration and that could have been a cut-off point some inspectors used in their own minds.”

Despite Emmy’s size, this small mare certainly has a large heart, and according to Weber a fondness for sweet and sour treats.

“She has an obsession with Sour Patch Kids and Gummy Bears,” she says. “It ties in with her personality, super sweet but packs a punch!”

In closing, Weber would like to thank a few people who have been instrumental to her success.

“I would like to thank Jenny Wellhouse, my family, and everyone who has believed in us and looked past Emmy’s height,” she says. “I hope this inspires others to show the horse they have and not to worry about their horse’s height.”