Further to our previous post about miniature horses, we thought we'd go a little further and tell you a little bit about the 'World's Smallest Horse'. 'Thumbelina', born in St. Louis, Missouri in 2001 stands at a small but mighty 43 centimetres (17 in) tall and weighs 26 kilograms (57 lb). Thumbelina was born with Equine Dwarfism which, similar to its effects in human births, resulted in shortened limbs, accounting for Thumbelina's diminutive stature. There have been several attempts at Thumbelina's title in the Guinness Book of World Records, including Einstein, who was the World's smallest New Born Foal, born in Barnstead, New Hampshire in 2010, weighing only 9lbs and standing at a minute 14 inches tall. However, as Einstein is not a dwarf Horse, his growth naturally takes him beyond Thumbelina's tiny frame. Have you seen a horse that could challenge Thumbelina's title? Please get in touch and let us know!
What's the science that makes smaller things more adorable? Who knows, but whether it's puppies, kittens, foals, or even babies, even the most serious among us would surely melt at the sight of these tiny critters.
But it's not just infants that get all of the attention. There are in fact several breeds of naturally tiny miniature horses.
Miniature horses are found in many nations, particularly in Europe and the Americas. The designation of what qualifies as a miniature horse is determined by the height of the animal, which, depending on the particular breed involved, is usually less than 34–38 inches (86–97 cm). While miniature horses are the size of a very small pony, many retain horse characteristics and are considered "horses" by their respective registries. Like regular, full-sized horses, they have various colours and coat patterns.
Miniature horses are friendly and interact well with people. For this reason they are often kept as family pets, though they still retain natural horse behaviours, including a natural fight or flight instinct, and must be treated like an equine, even if they being kept as a companion animal or domestic pet. They are also trained as service animals, similar to assistance dogs for people with disabilities.
While miniature horses can be trained to work indoors, they are still real horses and are healthier when allowed to live outdoors (with proper shelter and room to run). They are generally quite hardy, often living longer on average than some full-sized horse breeds; the average life span of miniature horses is from 25 to 35 years.
In popular culture they are also adored, as shown by this great clip from popular US comedy show, Parks and Recreation, which shows the employees of the local government of a small city in Indiana getting a little too excited over their city's official mascot, 'Lil Sebastian'!
