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The Falabella is the world's tiniest horse breed. It measures about 65-75 cm. It is known for its gentle, friendly and brave temperament, and it is used both as for driving and as a pet. At first glance, one thinks it must be a pony. But despite its small size, it is actually a perfectly scaled mini version of a fullsize horse. Among other things, it can be seen in its DNA, which in no way can be compared to DNA from pony breeds.
"The Falabella is a rare breed, and there are only a few thousand purebreds of them worldwide"
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The breed originally originated in Argentina, but no one really knows how it happened about 100 years ago. It is known to be named after the Falabella family who raised them on their ranch outside Buenos Aires. One will probably never find out exactly how the Falabella originated, but there are a few myths about it.
One of the myths is that the breed originated from a small thoroughbred horse that the Falabella family had on their ranch Recreo de Roca. For it, Senõr Falabella bought a very small stallion that had something which the local natives called "dwarf disease". Julio Falabella wanted to breed small horses for his daughter.
Through years of careful selective breeding, the breed has become pure. Today it is represented by its own association, the Falabella Miniature Horse Association, which was founded in 1973. This happened when Stuart Ericson and Anthony Garrullo bought a group of Falabellaers directly from the Falabella family.
The Falabella is slender in build and most of all resembles a miniature Arabian horse. It has a small fine head and an elegant body. The mane is smooth and must not be too long, and all colors are allowed in this breed. The coat is shiny and soft, and the legs are slender. Through the breeding goal of shrinking them, and making them as miniature as possible, it has happened that the Falabella has only 17 vertebrae. Whereas all other horses have 18. Thus, it also lacks a set of ribs, which should have been placed on the 18th vertebra.
"The Falabella often gets very old. Somewhere between 30 and 40 years is not abnormal for the little fine horse"
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Finding a purebred is a challenge because of its rarity. Potential horse owners can often find bred horses that are a combination of Falabella and more traditional forms of miniature horses. The buyer should ask for an identity number before purchase. If the identity number cannot be disclosed, it is certainly not a genuine Falabella for sale. The breed is rare, and the pedigree is closed. Only 100% pure Falabella can be registered, and DNA testing is performed on all animals upon registration. The Falabella must therefore not be confused with other miniature horses.
The little fine horse is sometimes used for driving but is mostly seen as a pet. Especially in the United States, it is popular as a pet. It is not considered a riding horse because of its size and because its physical strength has been weakened through breeding.
1. Type: Miniature.
2. Origin: Argentina.
3. Prevalence: The breed is rare, and most horses are still found in Argentina. There are stud farms in both Europe and North America.
4. Characteristics: Used for some driving and as a pet.
5. Temperament: Friendly and intelligent.
6. Color: All colors are allowed.
7. Measurements: The European Falabella Studbook approves Falabella up to 92 cm in rod, measured by grading as a 3-year-old.
