Posted

Mar 12th 2009

I am totally in love with these little miniature horses. They are a breed out of Argentina called the Falabella. I just adore them because they really do look like miniature horses, with almost the same conformation and proportions as larger horses but in a teeny tiny package. Plus the name! Falabella!?!?! Are you kidding me! Oh my gosh, adorable! I’m totally letting myself indulge in a little fantasy about owning one someday.

From Wikipedia:

“The Falabella miniature horse is one of the smallest breeds of horse in the world, seldom taller than eight hands (78 cm/32 inches) in height at the withers.[1]. The Falabella is a rare breed, with only a few thousand individuals existing worldwide. The Falabella, despite its size, is not considered a pony, but rather is a miniature horse.”

“Average breed heights for a fully-grown Falabella today are between 28 and 34 inches.[3] The breed is proportioned similarly to horses, other than in size. They are similar to Thoroughbreds or Arabs in their conformation, with a sleek coat and a slim frame. The Falabella’s body is small and compact. The breed also inherited some cob-like features from pony bloodlines, including sturdy bone, and a thicker hair coat, particularly the mane, tail and around the fetlocks. The head may be slightly larger and the neck is often stouter by comparison with a normal-sized horse, but overall, the animal is not unusually or abnormally proportioned.”

“Most Falabellas are considered intelligent, easily trainable. Due to their size, Falabella horses can only be ridden by very small children, and thus are generally shown in-hand at horse shows. They can be taught to drive, and cart driving is a favorite pastime of Falabella owners. They also are able to jump obstacles up to three feet, though only in-hand, without a rider.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falabella_(horse)

More photos:
http://www.tapestryhounds.com/photos/Photos2009/Falabella/1.jpg
http://www.tapestryhounds.com/photos/Photos2009/Falabella/2.jpg
http://www.tapestryhounds.com/photos/Photos2009/Falabella/3.jpg
http://www.tapestryhounds.com/photos/Photos2009/Falabella/4.jpg
http://www.tapestryhounds.com/photos/Photos2009/Falabella/5.jpg
http://www.tapestryhounds.com/photos/Photos2009/Falabella/6.jpg
http://www.tapestryhounds.com/photos/Photos2009/Falabella/7.jpg
http://www.tapestryhounds.com/photos/Photos2009/Falabella/8.jpg