The Falabella is a miniture horse and not really thought of as a miniture pony.
It was created in the early 20th century and named after its creators the Falabella family near Buenos Aires, Argentina.
They crossed a tiny Shetland with a small Thoroughbred, and continued breeding from the smallest stock, downsizing producing a horse in miniature standing at 76cm (30ins) at the withers being the preferred height.
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.
Due to the breed being inbred they are not strong enough to be ridden and need to be looked after carefully.
Inbreeding often results in poor conformation, which can be seen in some miniature horses having weak quarters, heavy or large heads (not in proportion for the size of the horse).
These horses make good pets and are sometimes shown in harness.
Falabella horses
All solid colours and part colours are acceptable.
The Appaloosa-type coat pattern is highly sought after.
They are similar to Thoroughbreds or Arabs in their conformation, with a sleek coat and a lean 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.
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