When talking about horses, most people immediately imagine stately, tall, strong horses that proudly carry a rider. But not all representatives of this species of animals meet the specified parameters. Among the horses there are completely different specimens. Some of them are striking in their diminutiveness and may well compete for the title of the smallest horse in the world.
mini horses
Genetic features of mini horses
In terms of size, the standard type of horses is significantly inferior to ponies. As a rule, such horses are two or even three times smaller than their larger counterparts. But there are such instances, in comparison with which even ponies look like real heavy trucks. These are mini horses.
For the first time, mini-horses appeared as an unsuccessful experiment back in the 10th century. A foal was born in quite ordinary-sized animals, the weight of which barely reached XNUMX kg. At the same time, the body proportions of the animal fully corresponded to the standard.
The reason for this phenomenon is considered to be a unique set of genes. Of course, there was no need to talk about any practical benefits of such a baby. But for breeders, such a joke of nature turned out to be quite interesting, and they continued to work in this direction. As a result, several breeds of dwarf horses are already represented in the world today, each of which is striking in its miniature size. Their representatives are often given as pets, along with a dog or cat.
Advantages and disadvantages of dwarfism
Dwarf sizes in horses are a rather interesting phenomenon of nature, which has both positive and negative sides. The benefits of this feature include:
- charming appearance that draws attention to the animal at exhibitions and just on the street;
- no need for a large stable;
- the minimum amount of feed that such an animal eats;
- the possibility of keeping a horse at home as a beloved pet.
Among the shortcomings, the following points stand out:
- the same gene that is responsible for dwarfism sometimes causes serious problems with the development of the skeleton and muscles of animals, which requires their constant examination by a veterinarian;
- in addition to the usual grass and concentrates, vitamins and mineral supplements must be included in the diet of such horses;
- miniature horses cannot be kept together with ordinary ones, as this is fraught with injuries for them;
- the cost of each such animal is higher than that of many large thoroughbred horses.
Reference. Among the minuses of the diminutiveness of such animals is the fact that they cannot be used for any work, only for decorative purposes.
The smallest breeds of horses
In the course of painstaking work, breeders managed to fix the dwarfism gene in individual representatives of horses. Subsequently, it was passed on to the next generations, during which several breeds were formed, for which the miniature size is the main feature.
Falabella
Falabella is considered to be the smallest horse breed in the world. The history of the appearance of such mini-horses is rather blurry and has several theories. In accordance with one of them, the breed was originally large in size.
Falabella horse breed
Once a herd of such horses was blocked by a landslide in a separate canyon, where the animals were forced to live for a long time. Since there was little food there, the minimum amount of vitamins and minerals entered the animal’s body. As a result, each generation became smaller in size.
In the future, these horses were found by the Falabella family. But even when they were provided with a proper diet, the sizes did not return to the representatives of the pedigree line. And yet the breeder did not leave the breed, continuing its improvement and consolidation of qualities.
Today, representatives of the variety have the following parameters:
- growth within 40β70 cm;
- weight 20β60 kg;
- graceful physique with a large head and slender legs;
- body color has a variety of variations.
These animals are similar in nature to pets. They are playful and kind. Quickly find a common language with other animals and children.
Today, in addition to their role as a pet, Falabellas are also used as service animals. In addition, large individuals are often harnessed to special carts for children.
mini appaloosa
Mini-Appaloosa horses are derived from the full-sized Appaloosa breed, the main role in this work belongs to the North American Indian tribes.
As in the case of large relatives, the mini-Appaloosa breed has a rather rigid standard of appearance. It includes the following options:
- growth within 70β100 cm;
- obligatory chubarost suit;
- a physique characteristic of the proportions of riding horses.
Such animals are distinguished by a small head, a muscular body, slender strong limbs, and a graceful neck. At the same time, the color of living creatures varies slightly, but, as a rule, it necessarily involves black spots on a white background.
Most often, these horses can be found at exhibitions. But they are often found in various shows and performances.
american miniature horse
The roots of this breed are extremely difficult to trace. Animals suitable for the standard were found in the days of Ancient Egypt. Appreciated mini-horses in ancient China and other Asian countries. Such animals were very popular among the nobility in Europe in the Middle Ages. Be that as it may, over time, the main part of this category of animals was preserved precisely in the United States, where it was actively improved.
Horse breed American Miniature
In fact, the American miniature horse is not considered a separate breed. An association dedicated to such horses registers all animals whose height at the withers does not exceed 86 cm.
Midget horses from the Guinness Book of Records
Increased attention to such small and spectacular horses aroused great interest among the staff of the Guinness Book. Several representatives of the category have already made it to its pages, and there is fierce competition among the midget horses living today.
The Book of Records has already noted:
- Recco de Rocco. The representative of the Falabella breed in 1975 was officially declared as the smallest. The growth of this baby was 38 cm with a weight of 11,9 kg.
- Little Pumpkin. The weight of this foal was only 9,1 kg, and the height was 35,5 cm.
- Tumbelina. The filly is a native of the USA. At birth, she weighed only 4 kg, due to which she got into the Book in 2006. Today, her weight has reached 26 kg, and her height is 43 cm.
The smallest horse in the world today
But the midget horses listed above today have a serious competitor. They are the foal Einstein from the Pinto breed. At the time of birth, his weight was a record 2,5 kg. As they grew older, this value increased to 28 kg, but the growth did not cross the mark of 36 cm.
Accordingly, the smallest horse in the world today is Einstein. Although he is closely followed by another competitor – the filly Bella. But according to experts, she will bypass the winner of the category when she grows up.
Small horses of various breeds cannot leave any spectator indifferent. Miniature copies of large horses are the result of many years of selection work and have repeatedly entered the Guinness Book of Records. Of course, there is no need to talk about the practical benefits of dwarf horses. However, they are still very popular as pets.
