Miniature horses Pip, in foreground, and Bunny make a visit to Lowrie Place in Stirling Village last year. Kim Jarvis said because Butler County is a rural area, many residents in nursing homes grew up on farms with many animals. Seeing theminiature horses and feeding them carrots makes the residents very happy, she said. SUBMITTED PHOTO

MUDDY CREEK TWP — They may be short, but their reach is long. In fact, for many events in Butler County, it's not a party until Bunny, Tripod and Pip show up.

“Whipporwill's Snow Beary Bunny” (Bunny), “Whipporwill's Got Attitude” (Tripod) and “Thoma's Simply Tons of Fun” (Pip), are miniature horses owned by Linda and Don Gibala of Butler. They are also considered ambassadors for the Butler Lions Club.

Tripod, Pip and Bunny have been to nursing homes, schools, the Monster Walk, Touch-a-Truck, church events, the Zelienople horse parade, the Saxonburg pet parade, the Butler Christmas parade, trick-or-treating events, and have promoted various horse shows.

Unlike regular horses, there is no designated breed such as Arabian or Morgan for miniature horses.

Kim Jarvis, the Gibalas' daughter, said today's miniature horses are descended from Shetland ponies and were selectively bred for their size to serve as exotic pets for royalty.

The final result was a proportionate little horse that stands up to 38 inches tall.

Today they are no longer the exclusive domain of royals and have grown in popularity.

This is an excerpt from a larger article that appeared in Sunday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article.

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