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Back in May, a tiny horse was born with several birth defects. His owners were told that he was deaf and blind, and his jaw was so out of alignment that he couldn’t eat or even walk properly.
They pondered putting the animal down but ultimately offered him up for adoption instead. Somehow his photo wound up in the hands of Faith Smith, a miniature horse trainer in San Diego, California. As soon as she saw his tiny little face, she knew she had to save him!
Faith rented a van and drove across the country to bring Peabody home. Once he got acclimated, many of his issues resolved. It turns out he’s not blind at all, and his jaw has lined up so he can eat properly, too.
Because he’s still so small, he can’t hobnob with other horses, even mini ones. That means he has to live inside Faith’s house with her family and her French bulldogs!
“Horses are never indoor animals, but Peabody is so small that he could never live outside unless he gets bigger, and we’re not sure if he will,” Faith said. “At present, he lives inside the house with the dogs.”
Peabody is now 6 months old and stands at only 16.5 inches tall, making him the current smallest horse in the world!
At just 19 pounds, even Faith’s Frenchies outweigh Peabody! Bringing him inside the house took some adjustments for everyone, but once they figured out mealtimes and other concerns, they started to get along just fine.
“In the beginning, Peabody was really in survival mode,” Faith said. “He was just too scared for love. But he gets along with the dogs now.”
“Now that he knows where his next meal is coming from, he’s starting to play with the dogs more and has let his guard down,” she continued. “He’s thinking now maybe he’ll be cared for in a way that he’ll survive.”
The family keeps puppy training pads in one corner of their home, and they are trying to train Peabody to use them when nature calls. Faith hopes he will get bigger so he can act more like other horses and live outside, but she’s willing to keep him indoors for as long as it takes – even forever.
Oh, our hearts! How sweet is this little fellow? To think someone almost threw him away because he wasn’t “perfect.” He sure seems perfect to us!
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