History
Falabella horses are a unique and special breed. Selective breeding through the years makes them one of the smallest horse breeds in the entire world. They have often been referred to as “the original miniature horse.” Falabellas are not considered ponies because they have characteristics and nature of horses.
Falabella history shows that they descended from horses brought to the western hemisphere by the Spanish. Large numbers of Falabella horses grew in the southern part. As time went on, large numbers were found with the Mapuche Indians Of Seunos Aries, Argentina.
The Falabella horses came to be in existence here in Argentina. In 1868, Patrick Newtall began the breeding programme. Juan Falabella, Newtall’s son-in-law, later took over after his death. Juan added different bloodlines like the Shetland ponies and eventually consistently was able to breed small heads. They then began working to get a consistent height.
In 1940, the Establecimientes Falabella was created. This is a formal breed registry. It is now known as the Associacion de Criadores de Cabellos Falabella (Falabella Horse Breeders Association).
After the death of Senor Julio César Falabella, his wife and daughter took over his work with Falabellas. His wife worked in Argentina and his daughter in the United States. Both places are producers and exporters of the Falabella breed.
Conclusion
After many generations of trial and error, getting just the right head size and height proportions, you have today the fabulous Falabella horses. They have a long life span, usually living until age 40 to 45. A true Falabella’s bloodline must be established by registry or DNA. They are a very special and grand horse to be sure, and any owner is proud to have them in their existence.