"And ponies are horses too ..." is a well-known song from childhood. Not all little horses are ponies. There are miniature friendly horses that are able to turn all established stereotypes about horses upside down. Submissive, cheerful, miniature horse Falabella is a true miracle of selection.
- Origin
- Characteristics and description of the breed
- Height and weight
- Exterior
- Suit
- Character
- Distinctive features
- Breed use
- Breeding characteristics
Origin
Argentina is considered the birthplace of the smallest horse. He began work on breeding miniature horses Irishman Patrick Newtall, who lived in Argentina.
He shined himself to this idea, as a result of many years of hard work, he formed a herd of horses whose height did not exceed 75 cm. The breeding of a horse breed Phalabella continued his son-in-law - Juan Falabello.
Initially, he crossed a pony with Newall bred horses. In order to keep the size of the pony, but to leave the horse's grace unchanged, only the tiniest horses participated in the selection.
Characteristics and description of the breed
In no case should they be confused with ponies, since the representatives of this breed have maintained the proportionality and perfection of their larger brethren. Ponies are distinguished by their endurance and working ability, and tiny horses are barely able to bear the weight of a child.
Height and weight
Small horses have retained the grace of large representatives, but at the same time their height is 37-70 cm, and weight is 20-60 kg.
Exterior
The animal looks very proportionate, but its head is big enough. A distinctive feature of the breed is a smaller number of ribs, the absence of one or two. Legs are thin, miniature hooves. The mane and tail is incredibly thick and beautiful, the skin is thin and shiny.
Suit
The color of miniature horses is very diverse. It all depends on the suit of horses that participated in the selection.
Character
Unusually good creatures who can literally from the first meeting become your best friend. Animals have great contact with the children. With the help of these miniature horses, little riders are taught to ride a horse.
It is a well-known fact that horses reassure and even contribute to the cure of various diseases, this breed is no exception. The little horse will be the most loyal and best friend in the role of a pet.
Gentle and affectionate animal, which loves games and communication, will definitely add a positive to your life. Incredibly sensitive to human emotions, finely feel the mood. 
Distinctive features
In addition to all the above characteristics, a dwarf horse is incredibly intelligent, very easy to train. Teach her to overcome obstacles, jump and run fast enough even a new horse breeder can.
Supplement and desire is rejected to fulfill all the whims of the owner - its distinctive feature.
Breed use
Babies are more decorative, they are not used for riding. A mini horse can pull a cart with two children or one adult. Most often act as a pet.
They are so fragile and graceful that it is unlikely that anyone would think of using these crumbs for business purposes. And in spite of the very high cost of falabella, they are rather an element of luxury and wealth, which brings the maximum satisfaction from communication. 
They can also be seen in the circus arena, they are easy to train and readily adorn the public.
Very often, mini-horses become helpers for people with disabilities, this is due to their accommodating nature and long life expectancy (up to 45 years).
Breeding characteristics
A mare of the Falabella breed lasts for 13 months, this is their peculiarity, since it takes 11 months to make an ordinary foal.
They are artificially inseminated, the dominant gene is characteristic of the breed, and when an ordinary mare crosses a stallion of a given breed, a miniature foal is born that recognizes the mother only by smell.
If at the time of birth there is a person next to the newborn, a very strong emotional attachment may occur, the baby will consider him as a relative. 
Mares are actively paying attention to their babies in the first 4 months, then custody is limited to breastfeeding up to 10 months. The growth of a mini-horse at birth is approximately 40 cm, after the first year of life the animal becomes independent, and by the age of three years it is considered an adult.
Falabella since childhood very curious horses, from the first days show interest to more adult residents of the stable, their acquaintance takes place in the form of a game.
Horses are very sensitive to temperature extremes, so they must spend the night in the stable. It is important that there were no drafts, as babies can catch a cold.
For the rest, caring for a falabella will not be difficult, it differs little from caring for ordinary stallions.We welcome long walks in the fresh air and fun active games that miniature horses like so much. 
These incredibly intelligent and beautiful animals are able to give a lot of joy, positive to their owners and leave no one indifferent.
