Miniature horse

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
a very small pale chestnut horse
At the Agriflanders agricultural show in Ghent in 2009
At Agriflanders in Ghent in 2007

A miniature horse is a

Shetland.[1]
: 486  They have various colors and coat patterns.

Miniature horses are present in several countries, including Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Namibia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States.[2] In some countries they have the status of a breed; these include the Falabella of Argentina, the Dutch Miniature or Nederlands Mini Paard, the South African Miniature Horse and the American Miniature Horse.

They are commonly kept as

blind people
.

History

At a show in Avaré, São Paulo, Brazil

Miniature horses originated in Europe, where there is written and

iconographic documentation of them from the late eighteenth century.[3]: 168 [4] In the first half of the twentieth century small horses were bred in England by Lady Estella Mary Hope and her sister Lady Dorothea.[3]
: 168 

The

Thoroughbreds. With considerable inbreeding he was able to gain consistently small size within the herd.[5]
: 183 

The South African Miniature Horse was bred in South Africa from about 1945, when Wynand de Wet of

breed association was established in 1984, and in 1989 the South African Miniature was recognized by the national South African Stud Book and Livestock Improvement Association.[6]

Characteristics

American Miniature Horse stallion

Miniature horses are generally quite hardy. They often live for longer than is typical for full-sized horses of some breeds; the usual life span is from 25 to 35 years.[7]

Their pre-disposition to disease is markedly different from that of full-sized horses. They are only rarely affected by ailments such as

faecoliths, or sand.[9]
: 5 

Use

A miniature guide horse

Miniature horses are commonly kept as companion animals. They are often too small for any but the smallest riders to ride, but are well suited to

Muslim cultures.[3]: 170 [4][10]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 9781780647944
    .
  2. ^ Browse by species and country. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2022.
  3. ^
    ISBN 9781580176132
    .
  4. ^ a b American Miniature Horse. Lexington, Kentucky: International Museum of the Horse. Archived March 23, 2015.
  5. ISBN 9780806138848
    .
  6. ^ History. Bloemfontein: The South African Stud Book and Livestock Improvement Association. Archived August 14, 2011.
  7. ^ Miniature Horse Facts. Guide Horse Foundation. Accessed April 28, 2014.
  8. ^
    ISBN 9781570763984
    .
  9. ^ a b [s.n.] (December 2012). The Miniature Horse: More Than Just a Smaller Horse!. CEH Horse Report. Davis, California: UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Archived December 6, 2013.
  10. ^ Seeing-eye horse guides blind Muslim woman. NBC News. Archived August 1, 2021.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Miniature horse.
  • R.L. Blakely (March 1985). Miniature Horses. National Geographic 167 (3): 384–393.
    ISSN 0027-9358
    .


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