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Falabella (horse)
Encyclopedia
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
. 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
.
descended from horses brought to the western hemisphere
by the Spanish
of Andalusian
and other Iberian
bloodlines. In the southern part of the continent, significant numbers of these horses developed within geographically isolated conditions and by the mid-nineteenth century, there were any number of smaller, inbred animals in the herds of Mapuche Indians of southern Buenos Aires province in Argentina. The Falabella horse was originally developed in Argentina
from local horses of Criollo stock, beginning in 1868 with the breeding program of Patrick Newtall. When Newtall died, the herd and breeding methods were passed to Newtall's son-in-law, Juan Falabella. Juan added additional bloodlines, including the Welsh Pony
, Shetland pony
, and small Thoroughbreds. With considerable inbreeding
, he was able to gain consistently small size within the herd.
Beginning in the 1940s, a descendant, Julio C. Falabella, created a formal breed registry
, the Establecimientos Falabella, now the Asociación de Criadores de Caballos Falabella (Falabella Horse Breeders Association), and worked to standardize the breed to reach a consistent height, first achieving an average size of under 40 inches. Later breeders developed the modern standard, a horse breed that averaged approximately 30 inches in height.
The first Falabella horses were imported to the United States In 1962, when John Aleno of Argentina sold 12 Falabella stallions to the Regina Winery in Etiwanda, California. Aleno had purchased the stallions from Julio Falabella. The winery used them to drive a small stagecoach in parades to promote their wine. Most of the Falabella miniature horses in the United States
today descend from these 12 stallions.
s or Arab
s 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.
Bay (or a variant of bay, called "brown") and black
are the most common colors, but there are also pintos
, palomino
s and other spotting patterns found. Black or red leopard
-spotted Falabellas (resembling, but not the same as the Appaloosa
horse breed) also exist, but are not common.
Falabella foals are very small, standing around 12 to 22 inches tall at birth, and maturing to their adult height by the age of three. They generally stand between 30 and 34 inches tall when fully mature. They are considered very hardy and consistently pass on size, conformation and temperament.
at horse show
s. They can be taught to drive
, and cart driving is a common use for Falabellas. They also jump obstacles up to 3 foot (0.9144 m), though in-hand, without a rider.
As they are a show and companion breed, their "useful" lifespan is not limited. While young horses may fetch steep prices and are even sold as a long-term investment
, old horses are more readily available.
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
in the world, seldom taller than eight hands (78 cm/32 inches) in height at the withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
. The Falabella is a rare breed, with only a few thousand individuals existing worldwide. The Falabella, despite its size, is not considered a pony
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
, but rather is a miniature horse
Miniature horse
Miniature horses are found in many nations, particularly in Europe and the Americas. The designation of miniature horse is determined by the height of the animal, which, depending on the particular breed registry involved, is usually less than as measured at the last hairs of the mane, which are...
.
History of the Falabella
The ancestral stock of the horse of South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
descended from horses brought to the western hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
of Andalusian
Andalusian horse
The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE , is a horse breed developed in the Iberian Peninsula. Its ancestors have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual breed since the 15th century, and its conformation...
and other Iberian
Iberian horse
The Iberian horse is a title given to a number of horse breeds native to the Iberian peninsula. At present, 17 horse breeds are recognized by FAO as characteristic of the Iberian Peninsula....
bloodlines. In the southern part of the continent, significant numbers of these horses developed within geographically isolated conditions and by the mid-nineteenth century, there were any number of smaller, inbred animals in the herds of Mapuche Indians of southern Buenos Aires province in Argentina. The Falabella horse was originally developed in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
from local horses of Criollo stock, beginning in 1868 with the breeding program of Patrick Newtall. When Newtall died, the herd and breeding methods were passed to Newtall's son-in-law, Juan Falabella. Juan added additional bloodlines, including the Welsh Pony
Welsh Pony
The Welsh Pony and Cob are closely related horse breeds including both pony and cob types, which originated in Wales in the United Kingdom...
, Shetland pony
Shetland pony
The Shetland pony is a breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles. Shetlands range in size from a minimum height of approximately 28 inches to an official maximum height of 42 inches at the withers. Shetland ponies have heavy coats, short legs and are considered quite intelligent...
, and small Thoroughbreds. With considerable inbreeding
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
, he was able to gain consistently small size within the herd.
Beginning in the 1940s, a descendant, Julio C. Falabella, created a formal breed registry
Breed registry
A breed registry, also known as a stud book or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders when they are still young...
, the Establecimientos Falabella, now the Asociación de Criadores de Caballos Falabella (Falabella Horse Breeders Association), and worked to standardize the breed to reach a consistent height, first achieving an average size of under 40 inches. Later breeders developed the modern standard, a horse breed that averaged approximately 30 inches in height.
The first Falabella horses were imported to the United States In 1962, when John Aleno of Argentina sold 12 Falabella stallions to the Regina Winery in Etiwanda, California. Aleno had purchased the stallions from Julio Falabella. The winery used them to drive a small stagecoach in parades to promote their wine. Most of the Falabella miniature horses in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
today descend from these 12 stallions.
Characteristics
Average breed heights for a fully-grown Falabella today are between 28 and 34 inches. The breed is proportioned similarly to horses, other than in size. They are similar to ThoroughbredThoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
s or Arab
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
s 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
Cob (horse)
A cob is a small horse, usually of a stout build, with strong bones, large joints, and steady disposition; it is a body type of horse rather than a specific breed...
-like features from pony
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
bloodlines, including sturdy bone, and a thicker hair coat, particularly the mane
Mane (horse)
The mane is the hair that grows from the top of the neck of a horse or other equine, reaching from the poll to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. It is thicker and coarser than the rest of the horse's coat, and naturally grows to roughly cover the neck...
, 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.
Bay (or a variant of bay, called "brown") and black
Black (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
are the most common colors, but there are also pintos
Pinto horse
A pinto horse has a coat color that consists of large patches of white and any other color. The distinction between "pinto" and "solid" can be tenuous, as so-called "solid" horses frequently have areas of white hair. Various cultures throughout history appear to have selectively bred for pinto...
, palomino
Palomino
Palomino is a coat color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called the cream gene working on a "red" base coat...
s and other spotting patterns found. Black or red leopard
Leopard complex
The leopard complex is a group of genetically-related coat patterns in horses. These patterns range from progressive increases in interspersed white hair similar to graying or roan to distinctive, Dalmatian-like leopard spots on a white coat. Secondary characteristics associated with the leopard...
-spotted Falabellas (resembling, but not the same as the Appaloosa
Appaloosa
The Appaloosa is a horse breed best known for its colorful leopard-spotted coat pattern. There is a wide range of body types within the breed, stemming from the influence of multiple breeds of horses throughout its history. Each horse's color pattern is genetically the result of various spotting...
horse breed) also exist, but are not common.
Falabella foals are very small, standing around 12 to 22 inches tall at birth, and maturing to their adult height by the age of three. They generally stand between 30 and 34 inches tall when fully mature. They are considered very hardy and consistently pass on size, conformation and temperament.
Uses
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-handHalter (horse show)
"Halter" is a term used to describe a type of horse show class where horses are shown "in hand," meaning that they are led, not ridden, and are judged on their conformation and suitability as breeding stock...
at horse show
Horse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
s. They can be taught to drive
Driving (horse)
Driving, when applied to horses, ponies, mules, or donkeys, is a broad term for hitching equines to a wagon, carriage, cart, sleigh, or other horse-drawn vehicle by means of a harness and working them in this way...
, and cart driving is a common use for Falabellas. They also jump obstacles up to 3 foot (0.9144 m), though in-hand, without a rider.
As they are a show and companion breed, their "useful" lifespan is not limited. While young horses may fetch steep prices and are even sold as a long-term investment
Investment
Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
, old horses are more readily available.