The miniature horse of Rhodes

Information

All horse species belong to the Equus Cavallus Cavallus sub-species. They first appeared fifty four million years ago, after the dinosaurs’ extinction. Approximately ten thousand years ago, mankind domesticated the existing four species of horses. Two of these original species are believed to be the ancestors of the Rhodian horse, the vestige of an enormous family, extensively spread throughout Greece, Asia Minor as far as the Caspian Sea and North Africa, due to the horse’s good character, great stamina and minimal nutritional needs.
The breed of miniature horses of Rhodes and the miniature horses of Skyros are among the smallest in the world. Their small size is the result of their natural evolution and not of human intervention. Their coat color is deep bay or reddish-brown and some horses have white marks on their forehead.
Two hundred years ago, every family on the island owned at least one miniature horse. In 1975, the horse population numbered approximately sixty; today, only eight remain, living in a controlled reproduction area in the Archangelos region, under the care of ‘Phaethon’, Association for the Protection of miniature horses.