Could a Mini Horse Be Bred Small Enough to Fit in Your Palm?

[n2doc]

By Alexis Madrigal May 3, 2010 | 3:36 pm | Categories: Genetics


The world’s smallest horse was born in late April on a farm in New Hampshire. Weighing in at 6 pounds at birth, Einstein appears to have beaten the previous record holder by three whole pounds.

But Einstein probably won’t hold his place in the Guinness Book of World Records forever, because there may be no limit to how tiny we can make our horses, said equine geneticist Samantha Brooks of Cornell University. But to get teacup horses will take many generations of breeding.

“In the last 50 years, breeders have made very good progress at making a very small horse, but they periodically hit these speed bumps,” said Brooks. “It takes a while to work them out so that you end up with a horse that not only fits in the palm of your hand but is happy and healthy.”

In recent years, the genetic underpinnings of height and size in mammals have generated increasing interest from scientists. In 2007, genetics researchers made the surprising finding that a single gene plays a very large role in regulating dog size, a fact that partially accounts for the tremendous variation in dog size that we see from tiny chihuahuas to enormous bull mastiffs.



Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/05/miniature-horses/

[Ian David]

1. I want a Grizzly Bear the size of a Pomeranian. n/t

[Lochloosa]

6. Just get a Pom. Mine thinks he's a 100lbs.

[TwilightGardener]

2. The question would be: why?

[brendan120678]

5. My thoughts exactly...

what would be the point of a palm-sized horse?

I suppose you could keep it as a type of tiny indoor pet, but aren't horses generally used for either work or recreation?
I certainly can't imagine what kind of work a miniature-sized horse could do, and certainly it would be un-rideable.
If you want a pet that small, get a hamster, gerbil or Guinea pig.

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. Think of the long-term applicantion.

90% of our problems stem from overpopulation - what if we were to genetically alter ourselves so that people were 6" tall instead of 6' tall. The entire population of the US cold fit into Rhode Island - but we'd still need to get around, have working animals and all, so we breed a lot of 9" tall horses.

Make sense?

[brendan120678]

8. 6" tall humans, eh?

Hmm....the thought of having to try to dodge all the feral cats in my neighborhood for fear of being their lunch doesn't exactly appeal to me. ;-)

[Phoonzang]

10. Because we can. Does there need to be any other reason?

Just kidding. Ok...I'm lying to myself...I'm not kidding. I suppose it's good that I wasn't a scientist. The horrors I'd unleash....

[donco6]

3. I think we should engineer humans to be Lilliputian.

Think of the cost savings! Less food! Smaller cities! Less resource use!

[Systematic Chaos]

4. Let's Get 'em out by Friday!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBZOcqYi1WU

[Codeine]

9. Amazing.

That's precisely what I thought of as I read the OP. Love Pete-era Genesis.:hi:

[laconicsax]

11. What's omitted in most articles on this...

...the horse is a newborn miniature horse. It's going to grow.

Calling it "the world's smallest horse" is a bit like calling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Elgin_Gill">James Gill "the world's smallest human."

[backwoodsbob]

12. lets go big

I want a pair of 500lb German Shepperds