The Cazenovia area has many hidden treasures; one of them is the Hannay Miniature Horse Farm in Cazenovia. Established in 2005 by Gene and Mary Smith, the farm cares for, trains, breeds, shows and sells miniature horses — but what the Smiths really enjoy is showing the horses off.

“They’re a lot of fun,” Smith said. “They’re sweet animals, most of them are pretty good. They’re friendly and they keep me going. I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t raising them. … We encourage people to visit.”

For 16 years, the Smiths raised highland cattle at various locations around Central New York, but as the couple aged, they decided to sell their herd and invest in miniature horses as a supplement, Gene Smith said.

The first miniature the Smiths bought was a mare from a farm in Pompey, and the next four were bought four months later from Kateland Farms in Holley, N.Y. After that, the Smiths kept buying new ones, Smith said.

“We like them so much and we kept finding new ones we liked and adding to them,” Smith said. “We found some that would fit a particular color or that we could train to drive and so we bought them. It’s like peanuts: you can never just have one.”

Today, Hannay farm — named after Smith’s paternal grandmother — has 24 miniatures horses and one miniature mule, some of which have been brought in to ensure that they would be safe, Smith said.

Some of the saved miniatures have been a challenge for the Smiths due to the after-effects of traumatic experiences they went through prior to arriving at Hannay, Smith said. Some of the horses did not trust Smith, but eventually, they realized Hannay was a safe place and began to obey and trust him, he said.

“There were three minis [at a livestock auction]; why would they put them at a livestock auction? I don’t know,” Smith said. “I was concerned about the person who was bidding on the mare and her daughter. So, against my better judgment, I bought them and brought them home. I realized when I brought them home that I had bought a project.”

A typical day at the Hannay Miniature Horse Farm starts at 7 or 8 a.m., when the horses are fed a dry hay breakfast. Then, if the weather is nice enough, the horses will go to the pastures or paddocks. There are four pastures, each are two to five acres in size, while the paddocks are 80-by-80 feet. The grass of each is cut short in order to assure the horses do not get sick from grazing too much, as 80 percent of a horses’ diet has to be dry hay. The horses are then brought in around 5 or 6 p.m. for bed.

For help with the farm, Smith said he appreciates the equine program at Cazenovia College because it provides an opportunity for students who are interested in horses to both intern and/or work for the farm.

“There are a couple young women that are graduates in the program at Caz College,” Smith said. “They come in part time and help me train. It’s great having the program here because students come out who understand horses and like horses.”

Hannay farm sells horses to interested customers, Smith said. However, he and his wife do as much background checking on the buyers as possible to make sure they go to safe environments.

“We’ve sold 10 since last fall,” Smith said. “We mostly see them through the website and Facebook page. They go to good homes or they don’t go. Generally, vets and carriers cover a pretty wide area so they know of people [to sell to].”

Smith said he and his wife enjoy the miniature horses and enjoy people stopping by to visit because the horses are sweet animals that behave well and are entertaining to be around.

Visitors can do various activities at the farm. If the horses are inside the barn, visitors may pet and see them all. If the Smiths and their workers are training the horses, visitors may watch the miniatures drive carts.

If the horses are outside, people also can walk into the pastures, where the animals will walk up to thems because they are curious and hope the guests have treats, Smith said.

“The most fun part is when children come,” Smith said. “They get such a kick out of the horses and the horses really like the children.”

The Smiths enjoy having visitors to the farm, but ask that people call first and make an appointment.

For more information or to schedule a visit, contact the Smiths at [email protected] or 655-9748, or visit their Facebook page at Facebook.com/pages/Hannay-Miniature-Horse-Farm/219109968109159?ref=br_tf.

Ashley Wolf is a Cazenovia Republican intern. She can be reached at [email protected].