The Falabella Miniature Horse
People had been already engaged in breeding
pint-sized horses in the middle ages. Later in the XVII-XVIIIth century
the most beautiful specimens were given to kings and princes. These little
beings were real spectacles with their special size and color for medieval men.
They became the ornament of the court of noble families. In Europe people have
been keeping a record of miniature horses for more than 300 years.
The size of horses
became larger with the evolution. The long legs, with which they could run
faster, helped them to escape from predators and stay alive. On the other hand
within natural circumstances it could have also happened that e.g. cold weather
or the lack of food effected the decline of size in certain regions.
Miniature
horses of our age are results of conscious breeding. Their size cannot exceed 96,5
cm. There is a group ³A² (maximum size: 86,4 cm) and a group “B² (size:
86,4-96,5 cm). Miniature horses are ranged into five main sections:
The average size of
falabella is between 70 and 75 cm. They press about 20-30 kg. The size of foals
is 41-52 cm at birth. They are real tiny tots among miniatures. Earlier there
was a theory which said that falabella is nearer related to Eohippus (the
ancestor of horses) than other horse breeds. But later researchers disproved
this supposition. It is also a false view that falabella belongs to ponies. Its
calm character, its build and the proportion of its body makes falabella the
nearest approach to normal sized horses. They are like a small full-blood. Among
the legendary origin-stories the story of the Falabella family seems to be the
authentic.
The first
representatives of falabella were noted down in 1845. An Irish jockey whose
name was Patrick Newton (some resources mention his name as Newtoll or Newtail)
discovered a prominently small-sized stallion in the south of Buenos Aires,
Argentina. The redskins of this area had known the very small horses but they
could not tell the origin of the animals. Newton thought that maybe because of
the special climatic and natural conditions the maverick and feral horses of
the Spanish conquistadors evolved partly spontaneously. On the pampas of
Argentina they freely drifted, and had to face with the strong sunshine, the
cold southwestern winds (El Pampero), heavy storms, essentially dry weather and
the danger of predatory pumas. They had to come huge distances to get food and
water. We can call this period of the evolution of falabella the ³natural
selection². In this time maybe because of isolation and inbred there had been a
genetic mutation which caused the further diminution of the size.
Using his knowledge, which
he had gotten from Ireland, Newton started to breed the accidentally found
small stallion. In 1879 he had already had a small stud of miniatures, which he
handed to his daughter¹s husband: Juan Falabella. The Falabella family has been
breeding the falabella breed since that time. In the firs part of the XXth
century the stable was interbred with smaller arabesque full-bloods, Shetland
ponies, and criollos. Julio Cesar Falabella handled the breeding form 1927 for
more than 40 years. He started to keep the first natal and birth record about
his horses from the 1940¹s. This early register was restructured in the 1960¹s.
After his death, in 1980, his wife continued to manage the Falabella Family
Enterprise (Establecimientos Falabella). She made important changes in the
register and laid down principles which are valid to this day: Only those
horses can get into the register which¹s ancestors come form the Falabella
family farm, from Argentina.
In the 1950¹s the
breed started to spread all over the World. Earlier the Falabella family
carefully paid attention to put off breeding outside their ranch. In 1971 the
first specimen were imported to the United States of America. These horses were
officially registered in 1973, this is how the first Breeding Association was born
outside of Argentina. (American Falabella Miniature Horse Association). Later
in February 1977 the first falabellas arrived to Europe, England by favor of
the Fishers. They visited Julio Falabella in Argentina and bought four
stallions and a few mares, which they took to the Kilverstone Wildlife Park in
England. In 1985 Sebastian F. Fitzmaurice and the Fishers established the International
Falabella Miniature Horse Society in order to reserve the breed. This Society recognize
as a falabella miniature horse only those specimen which are under 86 cm and have
a demonstrable Argentinian origin both on mother¹s and father¹s side. In 1991
the Fishers closed the Kilverstone Wildlife Park. All their falabellas
including the World-famous Menelek (imported to England in 1978) and his
panther laced son, Pegasus were taken to the Greenwoods Farm in Holland.
As falabella is one
of the most offen falsified breeds, it is very important to be able to filter
out imitations in order to keep up full-bloods. To find out genuineness it has
been being developed a DNA test, which helps to diagnose if our horse is
original or not. This method has been used by the Van Haeringen Laboratory
(Wageningen, Netherlands) since 1996. The test has been worked out in such a
way that scientists compared the DNA of falabella, Shetland pony and other
miniature-sized horses. (The details of this research have been published at
the Animal Genetics learned journal).
The ³Asociación de Criadores de Caballos
Falabella² came into existence in 1990 in Argentina. This association registers
every falabella. They hold the authentic registry of the breed. A horse must
fulfill the following requirements to get into this registry:
Falabella is one of
the most expensive horse breeds in the World. According to unkind opinions the
breeders are strongly motivated by the financial benefit, which comes with
these small animals. Heads of state and famous persons like Frank Sinatra, the Kennedy
family and Nelson Rockefeller bought the first US specimens of this rare horse
breed. Falabella miniature horse is a very rare breed, partly because of its
cost. There are about 500 registered specimens in Argentina, 200 in Europe, 900
in the USA. But there are more and more falabella horses in Japan and Canada as
well. In Europe the Greenwoods Farm (Holland) and some Belgian farms are the
most important. In these two countries there are about 70 registered falabella
miniature horses, but there are some falabellas in Italy (Piancalcaio), France
and Spain too. The list of the registered breeders and other breeding
information is provided for a registration fee by the International Falabella
Miniature Horse Association (E-mail: ifmhs@falabella.co.uk). The association
suggests that all future falabella owners should make sure that the horse¹s
falabella origin is proved, because it often happens that people try to sell
their miniatures as a falabella in order to get more money.
One of the most
common crabs is that falabella has weak bones and that these miniatures often
suffer from faults of limb. Obviously there are specimens with bad
leg-structure, but the faults still remain exceptions. Normally falabella
horses have a fine and normal leg structure.
In the 1970¹s when
this breed became familiar in the USA and Europe, some scientists thought that
falabella may have 17 thoracic vertebra instead of 18. Later Italian and
Australian scientists confirmed this assumption with their inspections.
Falabella miniature
horses are very sociable, friendly and smart. They get bored on their own.
There is no such as typical color of falabella. The most common color is black
and bay, but, it occurs in stained, chestnut and beige too. What makes this
breed so special is that they are like a regular-sized horse in miniature. Their
build and extremely good nature differ from Shetland ponies. Because of its
size falabella is not suited for horseback-riding. At best the smallest kids
can sit on them. But it is possible to use them in setouts. They certainly pull
light coaches. They also love to jump. It is surprising how greatly they can do
it.
One box is enough for
three falabellas. Owners must make sure that the run and meadow are well penned
up, because of the mentioned good jumping abilities and because these animals
can be stolen if we are not careful. Falabella miniature horse run to fat
easily, if we give him too much feed. For the horses the best is to keep them
in a stud. But again because of their size we have to be careful not to put
them together with big horses, because a strong kick can kill them.
In Hungary the
Association of Pony and Small Horse Breeders do not deal with falabella
miniature horses at present. In Germany and Austria there are some falabellas.
The nearest specimens as I got to know from the secretary of the Austrian
Pony and Small Horse Breeder¹s Association can be found near the
Austrian-Hungarian border at a private owner, a two-hour distance by car. On
the Breeder¹ Association¹s home page you can find falabella horses (with
photos, birth and breeding items) for sale. The prices begin at 3000 US dollar (which
is about. 750000 HU forint) and it is not a rare thing to find falabellas for many
10000 US dollars. For the price of the prize-winner falabella horses the sky is
the limit.
Opinions about these
miniature beings split. How much does it worth? For those who want to own a
saddle-horse: not much. We can read on one of the equestrian web forums that
³falabella worth as much as many sausages we can fill with it². Those who are
more tolerant with miniature horses compare these horses to the dogs: you
cannot sit on them, but you can make free-jumping competitions and you can pet
them and love them. You can use them as a lawnmower (as people do it in
Holland) and they can be the ornament of the garden.
Do not despise this
very special breed. Similarly to other horse breeds falabella miniature horse
was created by man because he finds pleasure in it.
Ms. Virag Blazsek
