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Judy & Danielle are a mother and daughter team that have always had horses in their life. Danielle showed in halter, western pleasure and hunter/jumpers with her Welsh Ponies, Connemaras, Paints, QH's, TB's and Warmbloods for a total of 22+ years and then got involved with raising the magnificent Gypsy Vanners horses for 15 years in which they showcased their mare, The Gypsy Queen, one of the top mares in the country at events and shows. Danielle won many championship awards during her show career while Judy was happy sitting in the stands just being a horse show mom. The duo also did trick training and traveled all around performing in demonstrations and giving educational clinics with their trick horses at equine events such as the Equine Affaire. Their horses were very well known around the world and were consistently asked to perform in commercials and be on TV. In 1997, the duo met the cutest breed of horse they had ever seen....a miniature horse. It was love at first sight and the two began their search for their first miniature horse. After many years of doing hunter/jumpers and trick training full size horses, they were excited to add their first miniature horse. A little 30"  black miniature stallion they called “Blackie”. It didn’t take long for this lovely duo to fall in love with these adorable little horses (as everyone does) and they soon had to have another......Just as is in any fairytale, the rest is history!

 

Danielle retired from the hunter/jumper world, sold all their big horses and the team focused on showing and raising miniature horses. They spent the first few years showing their miniature horses at A and R shows in halter, showmanship, liberty, pleasure driving and in hand jumping classes in which they took multiple wins at every show they went too. In 2000, the duo decided to expand their program with a few mares and started breeding show quality miniature horses. Shortly after, Judy's mother had to be put in a nursing home and with permission of the nursing home she was in, they took in one of their miniatures to visit her and all the residents. It was a huge hit! Judy & Danielle saw how rewarding it was to see the residents connect with these little horses and an idea was made! To do therapy work with horses! The mother/daughter team now devote most of their time traveling around to nursing homes, hospitals, daycares, schools and fundraisers sharing their love of these little horses and bringing smiles, hope and joy to all those that meet them! The team now breeds strictly for 28" and under show quality miniatures and training them for therapy work and helping others start their own therapy program! For more information on their therapy training program go to: www.youmakethedifferenceprogram.com

 

No farm is ever complete without its mascot. So the team has adopted a few special little dwarf horses that are mascots at the farm who are also certified therapy horses. Their star mascot is "Butterball", a 22" tall palomino pinto dwarf mare. Butterball even has her own coloring book, facebook page called "Butterball, little horse, big heart" and her own website! www.butterballpony.com