Skip to main content

Miniature Horse

Miniature Horse
The term "Miniature Horse" is often thought of as more of a designation than a breed, though in the last few decades a few organizations have popped up to make Miniature Horses an actual, standardized breed that is separate from other small equines like Falabellas and Ponies.

Miniature Horses were developed from all sorts of different horse and pony breeds, both large and small. Shetlands and Dartmoors are among those ponies that can be found in their history. There is some argument over whether Miniatures are Ponies or small Horses. The definition of a Pony is a horse under 14 hands (56in). As Miniatures are under 34-38in (depending on registry), they fall within this category. However,  if you look at the basic body shape of many Miniatures, the proportions are more horse-like. Different organizations prefer different looks, as there is no universal standard.

Guide Horse
Miniature Horses serve many different purposes. They are companion animals, they can be ridden by children, and they can compete in shows relating to things like jumping and obstacle maneuvering. They can even be trained to pull carts!

Did you know that some Miniature Horses are being used as guide animals? They can be trained to assist visually impaired individuals due to their focus, excellent vision, calm attitudes, and great memory. One additional plus is that they are able to live 25-35 years, much longer than a dog, which makes their training more cost effective. The practice has only been around since 1999, but it has been growing over the years. (My favorite feature is that the horses wear tiny tennis shoes, so that they don't slip while walking on tiled surfaces)

And just for good measure, watch some foals!



Status : Domesticated
Location : Worldwide
Size : Height up to 38in (97cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Perissodactyla
Family : Equidae -- Genus : Equus -- Species : E. ferus -- Subspecies : E. f. caballus

Comments

  1. AWWWWHHH!!!!! THEY ARE SO CUTE!!!! I WANT ONE BUT MY MOM WONT EVEN LET ME GET A GOLD FISH!!!! laame

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a...

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed ...

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!