Q&A

WHAT IS A FALABELLA? It has been thought for many years that a Falabella must be a direct descendant of the Shetland pony but this is very doubtful because a lot of Falabella contain very vivid appaloosa spots and this is not a pattern occurring in the Shetland. It is more likely that the Falabella is the end result of the Criollo and the short-legged Petizo, both Argentinean ponies, as well as other native stock although this is only an assumption. The sale of Falabellas to President Kennedy led to the instant fame of the breed not only in the USA but throughout the world. Lord and Lady Fisher of Kilverstone Wildlife Park were responsible for the first ever Falabella Stud in Europe and worked tirelessly to raise awareness of this fabulous breed for some twenty years until their retirement in the mid 1990s and they assisted in the creation of the International Falabella Miniature Horse Society. The Falabella have been kept pure by the Falabella Farms in Argentina and by small groups of dedicated Breeders all over the World who want to preserve their heritage. The pure Falabella can be very difficult to acquire due to the limited numbers available. A growing number of Miniature Breeders are adding Falabella bloodlines to their own breeding programmes and it’s worth noting that a lot of miniatures on the market at the moment find even the smallest percentage of Falabella in their miniatures bloodlines worth boasing about. Falabellas are known to be very intelligent and eager to please, they enjoy human contact and are usually extremely friendly.

You need to think about how you intend to keep your horse. The horse will always need a good supply of fresh grazing,a horse will not graze where they have been to the toilet. Good housekeeping includes the job we all hate (poo-picking)! Do this regularly if grazing is limited, not only does it ensure your horses have good clean grass but it also keeps the flies down. The amount of land depends on the quality of grass too so this one is difficult to answer without knowing more. Just ask if you want to discuss.

Everyone has different ideas on how to feed a horse and as long as your horse is fit and healthy we don't believe you can be going far wrong. We leave our horses out in the Spring/Summer and they are on grass only. Come the late Autumn when the rain persists we tend to very gradually introduce some hard feed at night (cool-mix, dehydrated grass, garlic granules and cod-liver oil all rehydrated). When the horses are stabled we also feed hay. Be warned, all horses are prone to putting on vast amounts of weight so keep an eye on them. I think we've all been guilty of over-feeding which just isn't good.

Every horse needs the Farrier and we find that with ours being kept on grass the average call-out is every 8 weeks for a trim. The cost of this per horse per callout where we live in Wales is £15 but this will vary from one area to another. Some people will try to trim their own horses hooves but this is definately not recommended unless you have the proper training, it could end up costing you a lot more if an incorrect trim leads to a lame horse.

Always get a horse checked annually especially the older horse. If you notice your horse losing condition or eating awkwardly, again get the Dentist to check it out.

ALWAYS make sure your horse is wormed regularly. Again, everyone finds out what suits them but we have settled into the routine of worming a couple of times a year (Spring and Autumn) followed by sending their 'poo samples' into WESTGATE LABORATORY for analysing in the Summer and Winter. If the reading comes back and shows worms are present we worm accordingly but if a low or no worm count is given we do not worm to avoid the use of unnecessary chemicals. Further advice can be obtained through Westgate Laboratory which we have supplied a link for on our Links page.

We have tried keeping our horses out in the Winter and they've been fine but it very much depends on the horse, they are all individual and I can't emphasise this enough. If a horse is kept out please make sure you provide a field shelter or natural shelter, this is now law and it is a basic entitlement of the horse. Long periods of persistant rain can cause rain scald therefore some coverage of the horse is certainly a necessity in this instance. Also, a horse standing in very wet conditions for long periods can get mud fever. We keep horses stabled at night when the weather is wet and/or very cold. A combination of the wet and being cold causes shivering and loss of condition too.

Not only are rugs used in the Winter months but, depending on the horse it may be necessary to use them in the very hot weather too. We find Falabellas very tough little horses with very thick coats and as we stable ours we no longer use rugs on them. Rugs, if not checked regularly or washed properly can play host to lice therefore it is essential to use them properly, check with your supplier or manufacturer to get the best from your product. We have used, for the first time this year (2008) a fly sheet on one of our mares who was showing signs of burning and skin irritation. The fly sheet has been excellent, causing no distress to the mare whatsoever and the quality has been fantastic. If you go to our Links page you'll find details of the supplier who we highly recommend.

Who can tell what these will be? If only we knew! We all dread an animal getting sick but if they do they need treating IMMEDIATELY. No time to worry about the bank balance now I'm afraid. A problem won't always go away, it can build up. Think of a horse (in this respect only please) like a car - you carry out the general maintenance and it should run smoothly. We also think along the lines of 'you only get out what you put in' so we ensure they receive a good and controlled diet. We never hesitate in calling out the Vet and there is no way of saving on that I'm afraid but (fingers crossed) nothing major to date.

I hate to say it because it's probably going to put a lot of you off but I wouldn't want a horse of mine going anywhere where it's going to be on it's own. Horses are, by nature, herd animals. They are such sociable animals we feel they need company but they also mutually groom one another and they feel safe in numbers. Exception to this can be when you have a stallion who, if only covering his mares in hand (only fleetingly meeting with his mare to do his job) will only have company on very rare occasions. In this instance we make sure that the horses are in close proximity anyway and we make sure we are there as company for him. This is necessary anyway as a stallion who is not handled frequently can become unruly.

Every horse owner has asked this question. We purchased our foundation stock and found that not only did we meet the person selling the horses that day but we met a new friend. We passported horses and met another friend. Not once have I asked a question and not had someone willing to give their wealth of experience and expertise in return. We have been so impressed with this that we intend to be there for our Customers. We want you to be happy with your purchase and will always be at the end of the phone or ready to respond to your emails in order to help you along. It's a journey but we want it to be an exciting one. All Falabella owners and breeders out there are always happy to meet someone with an interest in these wonderful horses. Buy a Falabella and you're opening up a whole new group of friends.

Sorry, I've thought about how I should word this so as not to offend but I'm sure that you'd be happier knowing about this prior to making the mistake of gelding a horse unnecessarily. When we purchased our stallion we purchased him as a colt. In order for him to be used as a stallion his testicles need to 'drop', descend into the scrotum. Basically, you need to be able to feel two testicles. For some time Fernando was only showing signs of having one descended testicle. In a full-size horse (not miniature) both testicles descend soon after birth and certainly within the first year otherwise they are frequently gelded. I had raised my concerns that Fernando was now fast approaching his third birthday and still no sign of the second testicle but was assured that this is quite normal in miniatures. I was warned that studies have been carried out on this in the USA and it's now quite accepted there that delays can occur but unfortunately in this country people become so alarmed that they make the very rash decision and get their horse gelded to prevent infection. Well, Fernando now has both testicles and he covered both of the mares put to him last year and this year he's Dad to Marnie and Blythe and standing at Stud at Draenen Ddu.