Miniature horse

Miniature Horses are found all over the world and come in various colors and coat patterns. The miniature horse is a "height" breed. There are two classes recognized by registries: A for horses 34 inches (82 cm) and under and B for horses between 34 and 38 inches (82 - 91 cm) in height.

Due to their size and stature, miniatures are completely separated from the hunter-jumper world. They compete in their own horse shows which include categories: conformation, in hand hunter, jumper and obstacle; and cart pulling, endurance, and obstacle. Miniature horses also make wonderful domestic pets, sometimes being referred to jokingly as "yard ornaments" in North America.

The average life span of miniature horses is 30 years. The oldest living horse on record was a dwarf named Angel who lived with the Horse Protection Society of North Carolina, who lived to be over 50. She was just under 2 feet (60 cm) tall.

History

In the 1600s, miniature horses were bred as pets for Europe's nobility. Paintings and articles featured the miniature horse by 1765. Lady Estella Hope and her sisters carried on the original English lines into the mid-nineteen hundreds. Not all early miniatures were pampered pets of kings and queens. Some were used to work in the English Midlands and Northern European coal mines as pit ponies.

The Falabella miniature horse was originally started in Argentina in 1868 by Patrick Newell. When Newell died, the herd and Falabella breeding methods were passed to Newell's son-in-law, Juan Falabella. Juan added European breeds including: Welsh ponies, Shetlands, and small thoroughbreds. With considerable inbreeding he was able to gain consistently small size within the herd.