As a child, Isabel Lange spent her days playing with Breyer model horses, a staple toy in nearly every little girl’s room. In 2009, Lange upgraded from collecting figurine horses to living ones, starting with her first miniature horse Eli.
Now Eli is one of the five horses at Mini Whinnies at Quarter Acre Woods, a miniature horse farm in Port Matilda offering riding lessons, paint-a-pony classes and private events. Lange started the farm in 2021, with its name drawing inspiration from the Breyer line of horse figures and the Quarter Acre name inspired by A. A. Milne’s 100-acre woods from the Winnie the Pooh series.
The four miniature horses — Eli, Sweetie, Titan and June — live on the farm along with quarter horse Cinnamon. There’s even a quiz on the barn’s website to show you which miniature horse is most like you.
Part of the barn’s activities are aimed at helping others experience horses in a safe, joyful environment, Lange said. Horses have been shown to help with both the physical and mental well-being of their riders and caretakers.
“For myself, I always kind of struggled with anxiety around people, and being around horses really changed that,” Lange said.
The farm offers a variety of lessons, from private one on ones to group sessions and one-time rides for those coming from out of town. The miniature horses are also available for parties at the barn or two can travel to off-site events. This year, Lange added a mini library of horse-themed books and a summer camp program.
“The dream is to eventually have several rideable horses,” Lange said. “At this point we only have four miniature horses and one full sized horse. But eventually, I’d love to still have the miniature horses and also have several additional horses.”
Lessons are targeted toward children and beginner riders, with the miniature ponies having a weight limit of around 60 pounds. Children as young as three can start lessons at the farm, provided they can sit up and balance well. Lesson prices range from $20 to $30 depending on the length of the lesson and the setting. Paint a pony parties are $15 per child and utilize foam stamps, washable paint and kids’ hands to use the miniature horses as a canvas. Pet and paint parties are $30 a person, where the horses are instead used as inspiration.
The farm also hosts open barn events several times a year where families are invited to tour the barn and participate in free activities.
Lange said she hopes to expand the number of activities offered at the barn but is so grateful to her friends and family that have helped her childhood dreams come true.
“God has helped provide this and there’s a lot of hard work that went into it and saving money, support from parents and family and siblings,” Lange said. “But to see it all come to life? It’s just really cool. Dreams come true, you know?”
Contact Lange through the Mini Whinnie’s website to schedule events, lessons, private parties and more.
