Weigh to go, minis! SAVING MY LITTLE PONIES

These adorable equine rascals have had a tough time of it, not least because they both eat like, well... a horse! Now they’re being readied for new pastures

- Fleur Guthrie

Like anyone beginning a weight-loss journey, there’s usually one delicious treat that proves too difficult to give up. For miniature horses Rosie and Max, it’s peaches: the lure of the fragrant, juicy fruit often proves too strong to resist.

“The peach tree isn’t good for their waistlines. But Rosie, especially, is obsessed with peaches,” laughs Sarah Page, who lives with the two horses on her Helensville property, just north of Auckland.

In fact, the tiny brunette filly – who is 80 centimetres tall and her longtime companion Max, 91cm – has even been known to climb the stack of wood under the peach tree near her paddock to wrap her chops around her favourite treat.

Thanks to Sarah and her two friends Amber Quinnell and Emily Bush, Rosie and Max are currently getting a whole new lease on life – including new, more slender waistlines!

The three friends became aware of the tiny twosome last year, when they still lived with their previous owner.

The horse lovers could see that the miniature equines were “horribly overweight” and also learned that they had some major health problems.

Rosie was estimated to be carrying in excess of 30kg more than was healthy, which caused her hooves to twist and affected her breathing. She was unable to lie down or roll over.

Max, meanwhile, suffered from severe laminitis, a painful condition causing inflammation of the hoof.