“Tony Smalls has never had a bad day in his life,” according to owner and trainer Annie Parsons. The feisty Miniature Horse was foaled in 2009 on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., where Parsons lives. When his breeder was downsizing in 2017, she offered Tony Smalls to Parsons for free.
Originally named Smoky, Parsons renamed him after her father’s friend who had recently passed away.
“He was a second father to me,” she shares. “My friend Mo Kelly added the ‘Smalls’ to it.”
Her friend also owns Tony’s daughter, Sugar Smalls. She was the product of an accidental breeding before Tony was gelded by the breeder, and has dwarfism.
A Knack for Tricks
Parsons, who also rides a Dales Pony named Bucky, decided to try clicker training when she got Tony.
“My husband is a dog trainer, so he does a lot of clicker training,” she says. “So I said, ‘Let’s give it a go with Tony and see how he does with it.’ And he just was amazing. He will do anything you ask if you’ve got a treat.” He gets mostly timothy pellets for treats, though she says his favorite rewards are Jolly Ranchers.
Parsons used George Bruce’s Click with Horses program and learned with Tony as they went. It was clear from the beginning that the 30-inch-tall gelding had a real knack for tricks.
They started with the basic tricks: target, fetch, spin around, stop and wait (which she says is the hardest for Tony because it’s so boring), and then moved on to more advanced tricks, including rear, lay down, Spanish walk, slow down and speed up, standing on a pedestal, and jumping.
But these are regular horse tricks that many horses are trained to do. What makes Tony Smalls so special are his more advanced tricks.
“He takes money off people,” says Parsons. “He takes laundry off the line and puts in a basket. We take him ‘shopping,’ where he pulls bags of Swedish Fish off [the shelf] and puts them in a kid’s shopping cart.” When inside the house, Tony often offers to bring you a cushion. “It was something he just did on this own,” she laughs.
Artistic Talent
Tony Smalls also plays the keyboard, but his real specialty is painting. In December 2019, Annie’s friend Danielle saw a video of another horse painting and told Parsons, “Tony Smalls needs to do this!”
While there are other horses that paint, Tony’s version of the trick is very complicated.
“Most horses that paint, the owner just hands them a brush and they move it around the canvas,” explains Parsons. “With Tony, we wanted him to do as much as possible. So, we give him several colors of paint in cups and each cup has a brush. He picks up the brush he wants, paints with it, spits it out and grabs another one in another color. My only job is to make sure there is no paint on the handle, because he doesn’t like the taste, and to pick up the brushes and put them back in the cups.”
Raising Money for a Cause
This incredible talent has helped Tony Smalls raise money for Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center on Martha’s Vineyard. The nonprofit is a PATH Intl. Accredited therapeutic riding center. Their mission is to offer an environment where horses and humans work together to transform lives. Misty Meadows offers many programs, including youth and adult horsemanship programs and therapeutic horsemanship for veterans and those with disabilities.
“They are brilliant—they do so much for the community,” says Parsons, who teaches mounted archery at the center.
During the worst of the Covid pandemic, Tony had a lot of time to paint, so Parsons decided to start selling his artwork to benefit Misty Meadows, as well as other charitable organizations.
“I have people contact me asking for paintings for auctions, and we always send one or two,” she says.
Tony is probably the only horse that has ever had his work in a real art gallery. There happens to be a gallery by Misty Meadows. The owner allowed Parsons to do a proper art show, filling the gallery with Tony’s pieces, which raised $5,000 for Misty Meadows.
“Tony Smalls has had paintings hung in the same gallery as Thomas Hart Benton, one of my favorite artists,” says Parsons. “It blows me away.”
Therapy Visits
When Tony Smalls isn’t learning tricks or raising money for charity, he is visiting hospitals and senior centers as a certified therapy horse.
“We had a donkey that we did therapy visits with, but we stopped because he just didn’t like it,” says Parsons. “When Tony came along, we decided to try again. Up until the pandemic we used to go every other week.”
Parsons is certified through Pet Partners, but their tests and program is geared toward dogs, so she looked for something that was for horses. She found the Miniature Equine Therapy Standards Association. Through them, Tony did a series of assessments, including video calls during visits, so they could watch him work. They required a long checklist of everything he can do, which he passed.
Parsons says that Tony Smalls seems to understand and enjoy his job.
“He’s a funny one because when we’re out and about doing stuff, me and him, he’s very feisty and has got a lot of energy,” she says. “He can out-run all my horses, and he’s got a lot of character. But when I take him to the hospital, he’s perfect. He’ll stand quietly next to a wheelchair—he knows his job.”
They spent a lot of time clicker training Tony to stand quietly with a relaxed head. Parsons says even if someone accidentally pats him a bit too hard, he won’t react. Of course, she intervenes if someone is getting too rough, but Tony is patient with those he visits.
“I can personally attest to the healing power and joy that this compassionate duo brings to others,” writes one woman in a letter. “I have a rare autoimmune neurological disease and was diagnosed with an aggressive form of uterine cancer. When Annie learned that I would be on Cape Cod for a respite from chemotherapy, she contacted my daughter and arranged a surprise visit. The joy I received from their visit still brings tears to my eyes.”
That visit was a special one for Parsons, too, as they had to sneak Tony Smalls into a hotel room!
Having Patience
Tony also is involved in Parsons’ archery demonstrations, and is now learning ground driving to do skijoring, if he enjoys it.
If you’re ready to try your hand at tricks, Parsons has one piece of advice.
“Patience. Go slow. If you go too fast, your horse will get frustrated. So many times, horses are labeled as bad or naughty, but it’s because they are confused, usually because of lack of clear communication from the human, which can be frustrating for them and us. So be patient.”
You can follow Tony Smalls on Facebook or purchase his artwork through Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center website.
This article about Tony Smalls appeared in the July 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!
