Miniature horses are found the world over and come in a variety of colours and coat patterns. Miniature horses are friendly and interact well with people. For this reason, as well as their small size, they are often kept as family pets.

The two registries in Canada and the United States are the AMHA, or The American Miniature Horse Association and the AMHR or The American Miniature Horse Registry.

The AMHA was founded in 1978 and is dedicated to establishing the Miniature Horse as a distinct breed of horse. The AMHR is a division of the American Shetland pony Club and was established as a separate registry in 1972.

In the AMHA, Miniatures cannot exceed 34 inches at the withers (which the AMHA defines as located at the last hair of the mane). There are two divisions in AMHR - the "A" division for horses 34 inches (82 cm) and under, and the "B" division for horses 34 to 38 inches (82 - 91 cm).

The AMHA standard suggests that if a person were to see a photograph of a miniature horse, without any size reference, it would be identical in characteristics, conformation, and proportion to a full-sized horse.

The AMHR standard suggests, a "Miniature should be a small, sound, well-balanced horse and should give the impression of strength, agility and alertness. A Miniature should be eager and friendly but not skittish in disposition."

Early records show that as early as the 1700’s Miniature Horses were kept as pets by European nobility. Records from the court of the French King Louis XIV, circa 1650, note the presence of tiny horses among the exotic creatures in the king's zoo.

Miniature horses were also used to work in the English Midlands, Wales and Northern European coal mines as pit ponies, where their small stature allowed them to venture into places that a full sized horse could not go.