Falabellas: Do I need to go there?

[Happy Valley]

I have a small herd of seven. All are family pets. We don't show except locally for fun. I've seen some LOVELY horses marketed with the Falabella name and am thinking of getting a filly. The ones I've looked at online are lovely on their own terms, and the Falabella name just adds to the appeal to me. What are your thoughts on this? Is Falabella just a desirable name, or is there really "something" to them? My horses are not out there on the show circuit, but the ones I have come from very respectable breeding in the AMHA and AMHR registries, and all of them have very nice conformation with few flaws. None are perfect, but I think if I did show they'd hold their own with some of the ones that are considered the best. I didn't get into this half-cocked, and would like the opinion of the forum as far as whether I should or should not incorporate the Falabella bloodlines into my breeding program.

Stacye

 

[kaykay]

When i first got into miniatures i did a lot of researching on Falabellas Since then i have seen many Falabellas. They just arent my thing and I hope I dont get flamed but you did ask for opinions. The biggest thing I have noticed is that bad bites seem to really run in these bloodlines along with serious leg faults. So really watch for that. Also a lot *NOT ALL* are very heavy boned. I have seen some very nice Falabella horses so not saying this about every single horse. Falabella is a marketing tool so also be aware of that.

 

[kenna]

I agree with Kay. If you like the look, go for it. Not my type

 

[Happy Valley]

I'm striving for the leggy horsey type. I have one filly that I adore (Kissime) who is a Buckaroo great grand and she is more "Quarter Horse" Type, and a couple of my mares are sort of "Drafty," but again, what I'd like to see come off my farm if I ever actually have foals is what the market is seeking. The farms I've contacted seem to want pretty hefty prices for the Falabella fillies, and I thought that maybe I was just behind on the times or something, but I did wonder if that was a marketing tool.

So far my horses have been simply for my enjoyment. I would like to try to sell, though, to make my little operation break even, perhaps.

Thank everyone in advance for honest opinions. I really don't want to start a huge arguement, although I'm aware that if anyone is immature and disrespectul in the least that that is what this can turn into, and Mary Lou or mods please close the thread if it does. I'd really like some insightful opinions into this particular bloodline.

Thanks for not turning this into a mudslinging,

Stacye

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

Just like all Miniature Horses, there are good ones and bad ones. Some do tend toward heavier boned, more coarse type and some are more refined.

My personal preference are the Falabella Blends, I love them! I feel that the Falabella Blends are a hardier horse, but of course that is my slightly biased opinion. :bgrin

I realized my dream of owning a spotted horse when I bought my pure Falabella "Chips" and so my love of the Falabellas began with him. He is a more refined type of Falabella and he has a lovely refined head (more so than a lot of appy Miniatures) and he passes that on to his foals too. He is my favorite and the one I would keep if I had to have only one.

:

So I say look around, there is no harm in looking. :lol:

 

[RockRiverTiff]

I know very little about the Falabellas, so I won't deign to generalize them. But if you want to know more about them, and want to see pictures of modern examples, Toyland--who purchased Angelica Falabella's herd last year--seems like a great place to start. Here's their site:

http://www.toylandminihorses.com/

 

[Happy Valley]

Thanks, looking now...

 

[Ashley]

I dont know much about them, but arent most of them appy??? If so, breeding them to Crusier might not go over to well some some folks. Not to many are into to pintalossas.

 

[Happy Valley]

I've considered that, too, Ashley, and thank you for bringing that up!

Stacye

 

[kenna]

Nothing wrong with pintaloosas according to show rules, though, and I (and others I know) LOVE them.

Meant to add in my last post, just because they're not my thing doesn't mean I wouldn't get one if I liked it! Just in general they're not my type.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

Falabellas come in a wide variety of colors, just like the American Miniature Horses. You can find both appy, and pinto Falabellas, as well as solid colored and a few pintaloosas. Falabellas are known for bringing the appaloosa color to the American Miniature Horse.

I don't find pintaloosas unpopular, a lot of people like them, and a lot of people don't like them. It's a personal preference.

 

[Happy Valley]

I've seen some pintaloosas that I thought were quite striking, and some that I didn't particularly care for. Personal tastes have everything to do with whether someone buys a horse.

I've read some on Falabellas and their history. What is it that makes them different from any other miniature horse?

Stacye

 

[Minimor]

On another board that I am on (mainly big horse people) the british members insist that the only "real" miniature horse is the falabella. If it's not a falabella, then it is simply a "pony". I didn't get that at first, but their reasoning is that the falabella is the only small equine which is documented to have been bred down from actual horses--and to be a miniature horse it must have come from a horse.

Falabellas are not my thing at all; I've seen a few that I liked okay, but so many of them are so heavy boned/heavy bodied and just not what I find attractive. In spite of there being full size horses in their background it's my understanding that there is also pony breeding in their ancestry?

Even though it's not so well documented, I believe there are some American Mini lines that also have full size horses in their ancestry. I've long heard about Joe Jandt's line of grey, bred-down Arabians (he took over the breeding program of a lady whose name escapes me--she'd been breeding with the bred-down Arabian lines for 40 or 50 years, something like that?) and I also believe there is full size Appaloosa behind some of the non-falabella appaloosa Minis. I've seen some very small POAs (and of course the POA ancestry is full size AppaloosaxShetland) that qualified as miniatures and I'm quite sure some of them made it into the minis registries.

For myself I see no difference between the falabellas and the "ordinary" Mini (other than overall I like the American Miniatures better than the falabellas) but for those that want the breeding documented, then the Falabellas are true horses while American Miniature horse is just a name given to small ponies.

 

[Buckskin gal]

From what I have learned I think the Falabella horses have earned the reputation of being the true "miniature horses" ....I too would think small ponies may have been used to get the size. Just remember that Falabella is a farm name, just as Arenosa is a farm name and the name is now used for marketing. I have wondered why Little King and other well known farm names have not been used as a marketing tool, by others, but have used instead the names of the horses from those farms. I would much rather know the names of the bloodlines than the name of the breeder. When planning on purchasing for a breeding program, I think it is of more benefit to look at pedigrees and know what the particular lines are and what they have produced than to just look at a farm name. Know the "look" you want and then go after it as long as there are no serious faults in the ones you become interested in. Just my 2 cents, Mary

 

[FairytailGlennMinis]

I have been researching the Fellabella lines quite a bit recently since I have a horse that is all fellabella breeding on his AMHA papers. From what I can see, they are more solid in structure--which I happen to like as well as the refined look. My boy has a beautiful, beautiful head and a well balanced body, but he is a bit cowhocked...not bad, but there it is. He is much more of a QH build. I do like a lot of the fellabellas heads from what I have seen--generally speaking they have a large eye and a real jaw--something I think is lacking in a lot of the more "exotic" mini heads. I tend to like the foundation quarter horses and I like to see a good butt and a pretty (not having to be araby) head with a real hip and a real jaw. My boy, as much as I love him, does not move well in front either. This is only one horse...I have seen fellabella bred horses that can move nicely indeed. There are quite a few breeders of this line of horses out there--it might be worth it to go and take a look! As with all lines or types, you have to judge the horse as an individual and not by it's lineage.

 

[drk]

I have three Pure Falabella minis and one Falabella Blend that I purchased. My small Leopard stallion is not heavy boned at all. He is not super refined but nice bone structure for his size.

I recently purchased a pure Falabella snowcap filly and she is super! super! refined and has perfect conformation. She has a very tiny muzzle, gorgeous head/neck and great conformation. She is so refined that I call her pencil legs...lol

Crossing her with my small stallion is very exciting to think about since she is super refined and my stallion is quite small.

My Falabella Blend mare is medium boned but when I bred her to a refined appy Stallion I have gotten gorgeous refined foals. One of her foals did very well in the show ring in 2006.

I need to get some professional photos done of them since I'm not the greatest photographer...lol

My Falabella's and Blends have perfect bites and I have not heard of Falabellas having any different issues on bites then American Miniatures.

There are Falabellas that tend to have the heavier bones but many are now being bred for refinement.

If you like them and want refined, they are out there. You just need to look around.

Being a breeder of American and Falabella Miniatures, I'd just like to let everyone know that there are heavier boned minis in both Falabella and American, and it's all in what you want and like. If you like the Falabella but want refined then look around.. They are out there. The same with the American. People who like the refined specifically look for that and ones that don't mind the heavier bones purchase them...

I love American Miniatures and Falabella and I breed both. It is all in what you like and I purchased mine because of their color and conformation/pedigree and I'm breeding for refinement in all my future foals, Falabella and American.

Here are a few pics of my Pure Falabellas

A pic of some of my girls.. All American except the Falabella on the left in front

Hope this helps some

 

[drk]

Falabellas come in a wide variety of colors, just like the American Miniature Horses. You can find both appy, and pinto Falabellas, as well as solid colored and a few pintaloosas. Falabellas are known for bringing the appaloosa color to the American Miniature Horse.

I don't find pintaloosas unpopular, a lot of people like them, and a lot of people don't like them. It's a personal preference.

I agree with you Kim, I do not find Pintaloosa's unpopular either. There have been some beautiful Pintaloosa's produced. I've had two that are from the same parents but look totally different. One has more Tobiano and the other looks like a leopard but is actually a Pintaloosa if you look closely at her face and ears. See pics below..

DRK Sheez Gona Wow Ya (Falabella/American Blend)

DRK What's The Buzz (foal) (Falabella/American Blend)

DRK What's The Buzz (2006)

Both now owned by KpM Honeypony Miniature Horses in Norco, California

 

[Joyce]

I have a full Falabella mare, her son who is a 50/50 blend and two of her granddaughters who are 25% Falabella. They are my favorites in my barn of 13 presently. I really like the full Falabella and the blends as well. JMO.

Joyce

 

[Pandora]

I have a gorgeous falabella stallion who will probably be gelded this spring. He even has a perfect bite!

His name is S Starr Seven SignofZodiacFalabella.

His great grandfather was Toyland Zodiac.

I just love him to pieces

: And yes he does look better. These were taken when I first got him. He has put on more weight in his backend since then.

He is also genetically a pintaloosa as he has a blue eye that is gorgeous. And other pinto features along with his appy features. I never was into pintaloosas, but I sure love this little guy!

 

[Tammie-C_Spots]

Falabellas are considered a "breed" in argentina as is the Quarterhorse or Thoroughbred here. Parents must be pure. No outside blood has been used in 60 years or so. In argentina (thier homeland) they tend to be good boned, well muscled and small. Here in the USA the leggier type has become more popular so that is what you can find here in the US is both types.

Falabellas are the oldest traceable line of miniature horses going back to 1800's - just about the time of the Shetland studbook started. A few Sheltands directly from the shetlands islands or dutch shetlands were used early on as well as small Thoroughbred at one time and native Criollo horses/ponies. The original bunch were found wild on the Pampas along with the larger horses the native indians had. The smallest ones were collected up and started from there. The Falabella was an important part in forming todays American mini as well as becoming integral in the UK.

Tammie (Falabella Historian for many years)