Huggable Equines

One of the things I love about New England is the change of the seasons. Following a very busy Spring, Summer and Fall, its nice to have some time-off. It also gives me a chance to catch-up on chores that have been put aside during what I would like to refer to as "Playing With the Horses" months. I have a chance to catch-up on reading, writing, cleaning, decluttering, ect. It is also a somewhat dangerous time, as all this free time lets me be on the computer looking at dangerous websites like Equine.com, Camelot Feedlot Horses, AC4H Broker Owned Horses, and the most dangerous site of all---Craigslist. I am without a loveable horse of my own, following the euthanasia of Fancy. There was the short length of time when I owned Rosa the Rearing Mare. Since my ERA (Equine Related Accident) I have become very fearful of horses and riding. Char-Lee has definately been a joy but for obvious reasons (he's 34" tall) I won't be riding him anytime soon !! In addition to my fear, my injured ankle does not bend, and is often very painfull. This makes it hard to mount and dismount a horse even with my 3 step mounting block. After careful soul searching, and talking to several people that have experience with driving horses/ponies, I have decided to give-up riding and learn to drive. I feel that a miniature horse that drives and is huggable would be perfect for my 57 year old body, mind and soul. What kind of description of a horse/pony is "huggable", and why? I need an equine companion that I can just spend time with brushing, grooming, and loving. Is this crazy? I think any of my readers that truely love horses; not just the riding, will understand what I am trying to say. So the search is on for the perfect mini or pony. Age is not important, and I can deal with some health issues, but he/she MUST BE HUGGABLE.