Honey I Shrunk the Farm!

When Teri Schrock first decided to raise miniature horses, she had no idea where it would lead. Now, almost 20 years later, the land around her Michigan home has become a farm filled with unique and exotic miniature animals.

Schrocks' Mini Blessings farm began in 1998, when Schrock's daughter was leaving for college. In addition to the miniature horses, the farm now houses miniature donkeys and zebu, muntjac (miniature) deer, two alpacas, a lop-eared rabbit, a wallaby, fainting goats, a zeedonk (a cross between a zebra and a donkey), miniature babydoll sheep, turkeys, a highlander (a cow with long red hair), numerous barn cats, and two dogs.

Though it's difficult to pick a favorite, Schrock is partial to the miniature horse mare named R-Cee, the female munjac deer, and of course, her dogs. Visitors, however, have another favorite.




"People are always drawn to the miniature horse babies," she says. "The smallest one we ever had was 12 pounds, and that was a huge hit."

While the animals provide loads of entertainment -- R-Cee can pull an adult and three to four kids at a time in a special wagon around the farm -- it's not all fun and games. Some of the animals have very specific needs; notably, the wallaby and the miniature zebu. "They have to be kept warm all winter," says Schrock, "so we use heat lamps and things to keep them comfortable."

The other big challenge? Talking her husband, Lamar, into building more barns for even more animals.

For a number of years, Schrocks' Mini Blessings operated as a petting zoo and was open to schools, as well as Boys and Girls Scout troops for field trips. They even functioned as a summer camp. Kids got to play with the animals, but also learned how to care for them and were taught that animals are a huge responsibility. Unfortunately because the farm charged admission, they were required to pay zoo rates for insurance, which became incredibly pricey. "We still have lots of people stop by," says Schrock. "We just don't charge them."

For more information on Schrocks' Mini Blessings, email here.

Tags: fainting-goat, farm, highlander, minature-horse, miniature, miniature-animals, muntjac-deer, sheep, wallaby, zebu, zeedonk