The Falabella Horse

The Falabella Miniature Horse is of the smallest horse breeds in the world. They are often mistaken for ponies, but are even smaller than the likes of the Shetland pony!

The Falabella is the original miniature horse and is linked to some of the earliest modern horses of the New World. There are actually two types - the Falabella Miniature Horse is fairly rare and must conform to strict standards to be declared an actual miniature. Any Falabella over 34 inches high at four years old is considered a standard Falabella Horse.

They are hardy and live long, and make popular horses for people who want to keep a horse but don't ride. Many keep them with a donkey or pony.

Learn more about the Falabella horse on this page, along with useful links, pictures, facts and more!

Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons, copyright of Bill Strong

• The Falabella has been bred on the Falabella ranch in Argentina for over 150 years
• One story of the Falabella origin goes thus: In1845 an Irishman discovered that the tribes of pampas Indians had some unusually small horses, and after obtaining some he created a herd of small horses, around 102cms in height, by by 1853. His son-in-law continued the experiment by using the smallest English thoroughbreds he could find - Shetland ponies and Criollo - to breed with the horses.
• Another tale of the origins of this breed tells of a miniature stallion from the royal courts of Europe being taken to Argentina as a grand and influential gift to some high ranking official, but during transport overland Indians attacked the transporter and the horse escaped.
• One final theory on the horse's origins is that of a European settler who came across a Falabella Miniature stallion drinking at his ford. The Falabella breed is then said to have begun from this single stallion. who was crossed with various different breeds of horse which had, over time, been imported into Argentina. Much smaller horses evolved from these normal sized equine mares. Selective breeding and culling of poor stock produced the rare phenomena of a horse in miniature - the Falabella Miniature Horse
• The Falabella has plenty of spark in a herd but is a friendly and docile horse to keep.
• The Falabella is intelligent and enjoys human attention.
• The Falabella is a hardy horse that can cope with the cold but appreciates shelter from rain.
• Falabella Miniatures are actually quite rare, and must conform to strict standards to officially be approved as a Falabella MIniature Horse.
• A Falabella Miniature Horse must stand at 34 inches at four years old. Anything over this is a standard Falabella horse.
• Falabella horses cost around £1250 (less for a colt or stallion), but a Falabella Miniature Horse costs between £3000 and £5000.

When I was young I was horse and pony mad, and always remember this cute little limerick from one of my pony magazines!

"A wee Falabella from Gloucester,

Frightened her folks when they lost her,

From the fridge came a sound,

And the poor lass was found,

But it took a long time to defrost her!"

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