Some animal care organizations are noting the huge disparity between miniature horse breeders.  Evidently, some miniature horse breeders have a very small rate of mare and foal loss, while others may lose one-fourth to one-half of their breeding stock every year, a horrible rate of misery and suffering for the mini horse victims. 

Sub-standard miniature horse foaling facilities

It appears that investment is a contributing factors in the death rates and breeders who utilize equine hospitals for pre-natal care and foaling have a much lower death rate. Some Vets say that an investment of pedigree research and Veterinary hospital foaling facilities can reduce the death rates for foaling miniature horses.

 

"Many vets agree that the death rate of miniature horse foaling can be greatly reduced (from over 36% to less than 10%) by providing the miniature horse with an opportunity to have life-saving medical attention in an equine hospital."

While the exact reasons for the high rates of breeding-related deaths for miniature horses is debatable, it is clear that extra precautions can help.  Responsible miniature horse breeders minimize the potential for death and suffering by investing in foreign bloodlines, careful pedigree analysis and investment in veterinary-approved prenatal and foaling  facilities.

In my personal experience, I rescued three starving miniature horses from a horrible breeder, and despite their immediate hospitalization one of the foals died from the miniature horse breeder's neglect.  My vet (Dr. O'Malley) wrote a letter documenting the miniature horse abuse and the miniature horse breeder was then charged with cruelty to animals.