Meet Thumbelina

[LMS]

A friend emailed me this a few weeks ago:

This is Thumbelina the world's smallest horse. Isn't she precious?
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f256/LMS68/Thumbelina5.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f256/LMS68/Thumbelina4.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f256/LMS68/Thumbelina3.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f256/LMS68/Thumbelina2.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f256/LMS68/Thumbelina1.jpg

[stormy's mum]

awwww cute alert cute alert

[ShariN]

She is a Dwarf, with Dwarf problems.
Just hope the owners are educating people about Dwarves, that they should never ever be bred and their health problems.
What I would hate to see is people thinking this is a normal miniature horse in any way. They are cute in their way...yes. People just don't understand how much money it costs to keep a Dwarf alive. Had a couple of friends that ended up with Dwaves. They loved them to pieces but the amount of money spent on them...was staggering. It was all health related.
They also only live around 2 to 3 years at most.

[LMS]

Oh I know... I know a couple of local mini breeders & one of them did get a dwarf. Poor thing. But her owners were very knowlegable, professional & caring. People would offer to buy her because they thought she was cool looking but the owners would stand firm & educate the people (well if they even bothered to listen).

But we're all educated people here, & one has to admit she is cute:)

[Trace The Ace]

I love the fact that it can sit down on its backside :D

[vivi]

I have never heard of these. Are they specially bred to be dwarf? If so, why and what health problems do they have. Any idea what the plates are on the back hooves?

[LMS]

No they are not bred to be dwarfs.

[ambatt]

Dwarfism is a genetic abnormality and comes with associated physical problems, dwarfism is also present in Dexter cows.

Sorry, I think this poor little soul is an abomination, and sitting down like that is so unnatural for a horse, I wonder what spinal damage that can cause? Her spine is malformed as it is.

http://www.mini-horse.org/dwarf_horse_types.html

Poor, poor little mite.

[Cool Rider]

She looks really cute in the first 3 pictures but in the last one she looks really deformed.

[lor]

Not only is she deformed but very vunerable, poor little mite X

[CrisO]

I didn't realise that dwarfism even existed in horses. I've just been reading about it on the internet. Apparently it's a recessive gene so if a dwarf miniature is born, both parents carry the gene. But alot of breeders still continue to breed from them knowing they carry the gene. There are also a couple of studs that were used extensively that were know to carry the dwarf gene. It's really sad.
Looked at the site Ambatt posted the link to and http://www.angelfire.com/ms3/dmh

[JOJOBA]

She doesnt look as bad as Peanut, who was the smallest horse up until her.
They're really weird looking... :confused:, cant say as I like them...

xxx

[ambatt]

What really saddens me is that some breeders appear to selectively breed for dwarfism. I cannot say what I really think about such people but I find it absolutely sickening.

[flintybaby]

Aww I think she looks really cute. I have a soft spot for ickle ponies hence why I still own my very first Shetland!

[Pink's lady]

It's very sad, those little ponies. It's not life for them:( they can't move properly and are in constant pain. They can't graze since they're so small more than 10mins of stuffing their face gives them laminitis and they can't live with other horses. It must be a sad and lonely life:(

Most are mistakes but, like ambatt said, those who deliberatly breed for them are sickening:mad:

[kirstie]

I agree it is really sad, the poor thing :( but i cant help but say shes cute. :o

ETA - The third picture whats the little oval things stuck on her hooves?

[ShariN]

I agree it is really sad, the poor thing :( but i cant help but say shes cute. :o

ETA - The third picture whats the little oval things stuck on her hooves?

It is a plastic custom shoe that is needed on many Dwarves to be able to walk properly.
Many are made out of Pro patch or the like.
Without it they would not be able to stand nor walk at all on their own.

Any time you try to make a breed smaller you will get dwarves...be it horses, cattle or dogs.
Not a good thing IMHO.

[Wally]

It is a problem with Shetlands now, as some folk have lost the plot and are breeding smaller and smaller, as mentioned some misguided individuals are introducing the dwarfism gene to make them smaller.

It is far, far kinder to humanely destroy such poor ponies as they are in constant low grade pain, they have hydrocephalus, scoliosis of the spine, leg and joint problems, the list goes on and on.

I have seen some of these poor ponies in the flesh, it is not a "cute" sight, it is a sad one.

[LMS]

The dwarf that I had seen was not as nicely put together as this little one. It looked like a gross carricature brought to life.

I guess as in any animal breeding (dogs come to mind), there are some people that will breed at any cost as long as it brings in exposure & $$.

Since it is a gene carried by the parents, that explains why the breeder stopped breeding his mare once he got a dwarf. (Probably the stallion too, can't remember now) Wish all breeders were sensible like him.