Top 5 Miniature Horse Breeds

5 Top Miniature Horse Breeds

Modern horse breeds are, for the most part, the creation of man. Over thousands of years, man has selectively bred horses from all over the world to introduce their best traits into future generations, eventually creating the perfect horse for the occasion, be it racing, farming, or riding.

It has been a monumental success, and we now have a huge selection of different breeds available that excel at a number of activities.

Not all breeds were designed for work or entertainment, however, and some were made simply to be as pets, which is the biggest appeal of miniature horses. These tiny creatures are many times smaller than some of the bigger horse breeds, with some being as small as a large dog. They make wonderful pets, and are generally quite friendly animals that live comfortably in a small piece of land.

But miniature horses aren’t just a breed of their own, and there are a few miniature horse breeds that can be found around the world, each as different as the last. It should be noted that miniature horses almost never race, which is why many turn to the bigger breeds for their sports betting NZ needs, but nonetheless, these are the world’s most popular miniature horse breeds.

• American Miniature Horse

A combination of English and Dutch breeds that were brought to the country in the 1800s, the American Miniature is the most popular mini horse in the United States. Their use was in the coal mines as their small stature made it easier for them to get through the tunnels while carting loads of coal behind them. This breed never grows more than 38 inches in height.

• Caspian

While a little bigger than the other breeds mentioned here, the Caspian is among the world’s most ancient breeds, and has is one of the few links modern horses have to their ancestors. Originating from the middle east, it wouldn’t be until the 1960s that they were discovered wild once again, bringing them back to life after many thought the breed had died out.

• Falabella

This breed is not natural in any way, and came to being entirely through selective breeding. Named after the Falabella family, an Irish family that first started breeding them, the Falabella was the offspring of a combination of an English Thoroughbred, a Shetland, and a Criollo. This mixed breeding created a horse that, although small in size, is quite strong, and bred to be unique in their own way.

• Nederlands Appaloosa Pony

This American breed is unique among others for two main reasons. Firstly, it’s beautiful, painted coat, similar in many ways to other Appaloosa breeds. Secondly is the fact that it’s quite small, and while it’s not as miniature as the others, it’s still ranked as a miniature breed due to the size difference between it and its bigger brethren.

• Dutch Mini Horse

Lastly, we have the Dutch Mini Horse that originates from the Netherlands and is one of the world’s newest small horse breeds. They became an official breed in 1993, and generally come in two different sizes, oversized and mini. The Dutch Mini Horse grows no larger than 9 hands, but the oversize variation can grow up to 11.

These are just some of the more popular miniature horse breeds, and as more are being selectively bred with every passing day, we will no doubt see more in the future.