Buckfield is a long way from the Shetland Islands of England, yet Phil Trundy of Roundabout Farm can vouch that his miniature horses are the descendants of the fabled Shetland ponies once used to work in coal mines.

The breed was developed in the 1940s and 1950s with an eye to the horse’s conformation, the head, neck and body being properly proportioned, Trundy said. “Pound for pound (these little miniatures) are 10 times stronger than the strongest work horse,” he said.

Trundy is a member of the American Miniature Horse Association and most of his 12 horses are registered with the association.

“I trained five to drive this year, to take to the harness and bridle,” he said. “I sold two and kept three for myself. “It’s extremely fun. The horses have a very good disposition and they have a comfortable gait to walk and trot. They can trot for a couple of miles.”

“It’s gratifying to get a horse that will respond to verbal commands. (This spring) I double hitched one to Fiona, my 13-year-old, to follow her lead,” Trundy said. “Then, after only four times, I hitched her by herself and as soon as we got out of the dooryard, she started to walk and trot and start and stop on her own!”

Trundy sold his cows several years ago and was looking for other livestock to own.

“I looked at red deer, elk, fallow deer, ostriches and even llamas. One day in 2007 I was looking at hay ads in Uncle Henry’s and I saw a picture of this curious little red horse. I said to my wife (Sandy), ‘Don’t you think we ought to own one of those?”

She said, “‘Are you crazy?’ That made me know it was meant to be!”

And so began his adventure with miniature horses.

The real reward for Trundy is in the delight he sees in the eyes of those who visit with his little horses, he said.\. When his cousin’s husband was in a hospice house, he took the horses to visit.

“It was very sad to see people facing the end of their lives. There was a lady cowering in a corner. I wanted to see if I could make her smile. She went out in the cart with me for a ride, and I got a smile out of her. It was probably the last smile of her life,” he said, adding, “We even took the horses to bedroom windows so people could reach through and pat them. It was a real blessing.”

“I cannot picture life without them, not at all. They will be with me till my demise, that’s for sure,” Trundy said.

That time almost came for Trundy two years ago in a tragic accident near his home when his horse-drawn cart hauling children was rear-ended by a vehicle coming over the rise in the road at sunset. A young girl, Grace Legere of Auburn, was killed in the accident. Trundy lost two of his horses.

Grace’s sister was seriously injured and Trundy’s foot was almost severed. It was during his recuperation that Trundy began to search his soul as to whether or not he should continue with his horses and the ministry he feels he has with them.

After he had begun to heal from the accident, he decided to continue with the purchase of a new horse from Arizona. He decided one night to take his truck, his dog and a GPS and travel the four-day journey alone to pick up his new colt. He returned with three, all in the back of his pickup truck.

“I get intimidated driving around Lewiston and Auburn, but there I was driving just outside of St. Louis, Mo., with seven lanes of traffic all going the same way. The GPS lady told me when to get ready to turn. (The trip) was the highlight of my life. In Chicago, I stopped at a tollbooth and the (toll collector) wanted to take a look at the horses. I pretended I was counting change so she could look.”

It seems to be that way wherever he and his horses go.

According to Trundy, the most rewarding aspect is two-fold. “It’s the smiles and laughter of kids, adults and everybody. They reach out and want to touch, and wave. The other thing is taking a horse of about two or three years old and getting them so they move to my commands; they act like they know what you want.”

Trundy said he loves sharing his little horses with anyone who’ll come for a visit. He also shows them off in parades. He has been to three so far this year.

Trundy smiled broadly and said, “I try to go in as many as I can. The Memorial Day (parade) was very cross-cultural. We went by this building and there were about 10 or 12 little Somali kids outside a door, all waving American flags. I hollered out ‘God bless America,’ and all the way down Lisbon Street I could hear them yelling back, ‘God bless America,’ waving those little flags back at me. It will stick in my mind forever!”