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