Falabella

For other uses, see Falabella (disambiguation).

The Falabella is an Argentine breed of small horse. It is among the smallest of horse breeds, with a height at the withers in the range 63–86 cm (25–34 in).^[3]: 465.

Falabella

A stallion
Conservation status	FAO (2007): endangered[1]: 149  DAD-IS (2020): at risk[2]
Other names	Falabella Miniature Horse Falabella Pony Argentine Dwarf Miniature Horse Toy Horse
Country of origin	Argentina
Distribution	Americas, Europe
Standard	Asociaciòn de Criadores de Caballos Falabella Falabella Europe Falabella Miniature Horse Association (USA)
Traits
Weight	Male: 80 kg[2] Female: 70 kg[2]
Height	63–86 cm[3]: 465  Male: 85 cm[2] Female: 70 cm[2]
Equus ferus caballus

History

The horses of South America descend from Andalusian and other Iberian stock brought to the Western Hemisphere by the Spanish. 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 some small, inbred animals in the herds of Mapuche of southern Buenos Aires province in Olavarría, Argentina.^[4] The Falabella 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 his son-in-law, Juan Falabella. He 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.^{[citation needed]}

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 100 cm (40 in) Later breeders developed the modern standard, a horse breed that averaged approximately 76 cm (30 in) in height.^[4]

Characteristics

The height of a fully-grown Falabella varies between 71 and 86 cm (28 and 34 in).^[5] Falabella foals are very small, standing around 30 to 56 cm (12 to 22 in) tall at birth, and maturing to their adult height by the age of three.^[6]

The Falabella has the proportions of a horse, with conformation similar to that of a Thoroughbred or Arab. The body is small and compact, with a sleek coat and a slim frame.^{[citation needed]}

Bay, brown and black are the most common colors; pinto, palomino and spotted coats are less common.^[4]

Use

The Falabella is kept as a pet or for show.^[7]: 508 It can be ridden by children no more than about eight years old, or trained to perform tricks or pull a small cart.^[8]: 96