Stupid BoingBoing always has the best stuff. Reminds me of my puppy when he escapes out of the door.
Once again, thanks to that Asian guy we know.
Zooillogix
Don't Stick Your Fingers in the Cage
Video of the Week
Hairless Racoon
Bleiman Brothers Profile
In the wild, Andrew feeds on fish, sponges, small crustaceans, nematode worms and protozoans.
Benny's diet is very specialized, consisting mainly of the interior of Ramy nuts, nectar from the Traveller's Palm tree, some fungi and insect grubs. He is also known to raid coconut plantations, and has been seen eating lychees and mangoes, which are also plantation crops.
Search
Recent Posts
- Leopard Seals = Radical
- Giant Smalleye Stingray
- Psychedelic Weddell Seals
- So you think you're diverse enough to start a taxonomy debate?
- Agility Gerbil Is Go
- FYI
- Happy Belated Mole Day!
- Fruit Bats Join Short List of Creatures Who Dig Fellatio!
- Sir, a Bloodbelly Comb has decloaked and is firing on the Zooillogix!
- Most Extreme Animal Shirts
Recent Comments
- toefl kursu ankara on Miniature Pigs: Pets of the Future
- Katie Thompson on Psychedelic Weddell Seals
- bilgisayar teknik servis on Heron Eats Rabbit
- chelsea on Miniature Pigs: Pets of the Future
- poliüretan merdane kaplama on Miniature Pigs: Pets of the Future
- GrupMezar on How to Kill Fire Ants: Step 1, Zombifiy. Step 2, Explode Heads.
- cam filmi on Miniature Pigs: Pets of the Future
- Ann Littlewood on Leopard Seals = Radical
- Rhi on Monstrous Chinook Salmon Found in California
- travesti on Sir, a Bloodbelly Comb has decloaked and is firing on the Zooillogix!
Archives
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
Blogroll
Look How Important We Are
View blog authority
Read the super-informative Interview with the Bleiman Brothers
World's Largest Zoo and Shot Glass Collection
Now accepting donations in exchange for recognition and fame on Zooillogix!
Currently Featured: Seattle Aquarium from Jason Brunet of JeffTheFish.com - the official website of baby rats!
The List:
Adventure Aquarium
Aquarium of the Bay
Baton Rouge Zoo
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Bronx Zoo
Brookfield Zoo
Cincinnati Zoo
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Florida Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium
Honolulu Zoo
Knoxville Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
Maritime Center in Norwalk, CT
Milwaukee Zoo
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Mystic Aquarium
New England Aquarium
New York Aquarium
Newport Aquarium
North Carolina Aquarium
North Carolina Zoological Society
Oakland Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo
Pittsburgh Zoo
Rio Grande Zoo
Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
San Antonio Zoo
San Diego Zoo
San Francisco Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo
Sea World San Diego
Seattle Aquarium
Shedd Aquarium
Smithsonian National Zoo
South Carolina Aquarium
Tennessee Aquarium
Vancouver Aquarium
Feed me Seymour!
« One man's squirrel is another man's brush possum... | Main | Carnival of the Blue #18 at Deep Sea News »
Tiny Horse Goes Bonkers
Category: horse
Posted on: November 5, 2008 2:50 PM, by ableiman
Find more posts in: 
Brain & Behavior
Share this: Facebook Twitter Stumbleupon Reddit Email + More
TrackBacks
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/85139
Comments
He looks like just stretching his legs; he might have a meal with too much sugar.
Posted by: iz | November 5, 2008 3:32 PM
I demand to know how I might create something like this, but with more of a 'giraffe' flavor. Shrink ray? Asteroid powder? Boring old generations of breeding?
But seriously--this looks like the breed of tiny horses they're using to train as Guide Horses for the Blind. It's an alternative to people who are afraid of or allergic to dogs. But the way that little 'un's running around, I'm thinking the only person he'll be leading around would be Daredevil on LOTS of meth.
Posted by: Jenbug | November 5, 2008 4:34 PM
Yes, those are miniature horses. They top out at 32 or 36 inches at the shoulder (depends on which registry you ask). The one running around in the video is a foal - tiny AND loaded with energy.
Some have been trained as guide horses. The best-known one is actually a dwarf, so she's even shorter than most.
Posted by: MM | November 5, 2008 5:39 PM
@ MM:
I got VERY excited when I saw pictures of guide horses wearing TINY SNEAKERS as they guided their humans around. Seriously--it's to prevent them slipping on all the slick surfaces they encounter during their work. The whole concept delights and intrigues me, especially when they have names like 'Sugarcube' and 'Princess.'
Man, beneath the scars from accidents, the liver damage from booze, the tattoos and the useless pop culture references, I am apparently still a 6-year-old girl!
Posted by: Jenbug | November 5, 2008 10:49 PM
Ha ha, Jenbug! You'll never completely lose that little girl!
MM- You seem knowledgeable about this. Has anyone reported any differences in traits or disease susceptibility in these little guys?
Posted by: julia goolia | November 6, 2008 11:42 AM
Well Julia, other than things that may arise from really bad breeders they are relatively healthy as long as people looking after them realize they have distinct needs.
They have to have their teeth looked after very well. Problems can arise from just as many teeth as a normal horse being in a bit smaller skull and they can starve to death while eating constantly. Reg horses can have this problem too but the little guys are a bit more prone is all. They are stocky so they can be more emaciated than they look at first glance.
Nothing wrong wtih the little guy in this picture. He's all, "See Ya!." ;)
Posted by: arachnophile | November 6, 2008 4:19 PM
Julia, as far as I know, minis are neither more nor less susceptible to illness than are other horse or pony breeds.
They present some management challenges, though, and their small size makes them more susceptible to injury or illness due to mismanagement. For example: Minis, like other horse and pony breeds, will overeat if given the opportunity and can become obese; as in other breeds, obesity increases the likelihood of Cushing's disease, laminitis, joint problems, etc. It simply takes less overfeeding to put excess weight on a 150-pound mini than it does to put excess weight on a 1200-pound horse. Mini mares seem more likely to have trouble giving birth, perhaps because the foals aren't as small relative to the adults as they are in the larger breeds.
arachnophile has a good point about the impact of breeding practice. Because the breed standard puts so much emphasis on stature (or lack thereof), too many breeders have selected their breeding stock based on the animals' height and haven't paid enough attention to overall conformation. This has led to the production of a large number of minis with lousy conformation and the healthcare responsibilities that come with that. arachnophile mentioned dental issues, and foot and leg issues are also common. Again, this isn't unique to minis - whenever the breed standard emphasizes something other than overall conformation (there are a LOT of badly built Paint horses out there, for example).
Dwarfism (achondroplasia) is much more common among minis than other breeds. Because the breed standard emphasizes small stature, animals with dwarfism are much more likely to be bred.
Posted by: MM | November 6, 2008 6:22 PM
Cool! Thanks to you both for the insight!
Posted by: julia goolia | November 7, 2008 10:50 AM
Who fed him the puppy uppers?
Posted by: Alan Kellogg | November 8, 2008 1:32 AM
They are stocky so they can be more emaciated than they look at first glance.
Nothing wrong wtih the little guy in this picture. He's all, "See Ya!." ;)
Posted by: wesele | November 13, 2008 4:29 AM
thanks..
Posted by: muhabbet | March 26, 2009 7:03 AM
I'm sorry, but this is pretty funny! The way that man is just going on to the loudspeaker about the facts and figures - and the horse is just going mad!
But seriously, that horse is insane. They shouldn't breed them to be that small. It's toying with nature, and so is therefore wrong. Nature isn't something humans should have control over.
Posted by: Freia | June 11, 2009 2:45 PM
@ Freia:
You say they shouldn't breed them to be something they weren't originally, but do you have an issue with domestic dogs?
Every single dog, from the Bernese Mountain dog to the Chihuahua to the Norfolk terrier to the Irish Setter is descended from wolves. Man specifically bred them to hunt rodents or herd livestock or be tiny and adorable (like these horses).
I don't think it's unnatural. It's just man testing his boundaries and the boundaries of science. As long as the animals aren't mistreated, there shouldn't be a problem.
Posted by: Katie | October 7, 2009 12:47 AM