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A diminutive pony named Pumuckel was poised to nab the Guinness World Record for the world ’s lowly horse — but he came up short , due to a slight trifle . But while this year ’s celebrations have had to be reined in , the flyspeck creature is likely to take the official title next year .
Pumuckel , a manly Shetland crib , stands 20 inches ( 50.8 centimeters ) improbable at the withers , the surface area where a horse ’s shoulders fit its mane , which is commonly used to measure equine pinnacle . The endearing brownness and whitehorselives with its owner Carola Weidemann at a farm near Breckerfeld in Germany and is named after " Pumuckl , " a tiny imp - like creature created by the German author Ellis Kaut in the 1960s .
The 20-inch Shetland pony Pumuckel next to his owner Carola Weidemann and a full-sized horse at a farm near Breckerfeld, western Germany on 6 January 2025.
Despite his sizing , Pumuckel the pony lives a very active animation and often joins a group of slightly big mini - horses that visit kindergartners and elderly people in homes , according toReuters . The biggest difference between him and other horses is that he rides in the passenger buns of a car instead of being towed around in a trailer .
Weidemann recently wrote to Guinness World Records to inform them about Pumuckel after she acknowledge that the puny pony come out to have stopped arise . official told her that , in orderliness to arrogate the official title of reality ’s small horse , the animal must be at least 4 years honest-to-god . Pumuckel recently turned 3 , so he is not yet eligible for consideration , according toUSA Today .
" We will have to wait a little , " Weidemann told Reuters . " Hopefully , this little deary wo n’t acquire anymore . "
Weidemann carries Pumuckel out of her car to visit a nursing home in Kierspe on 2 May 2025.
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For now , at least , the title of man ’s smallest horse belong to Bombel , an 8 - year - previous Appaloosa who stands 22 inch ( 55.9 curium ) tall at the withers and lives on a ranch in Łódź , Poland , according toGuinness World Records .
Pumuckel and Bombel are miniature horses , which are fully grown horses measuring under 34 inches ( 86.4 curium ) tall at the withers , according to theAmerican Miniature Horse Association ( AMHA ) .
miniskirt - buck represent around 400 years of contrived pick , in which lowly cavalry were pair with other small horse to bring on potentially even smaller progeny , according to AMHA . Mini - horses were in the first place bred to work in tight quad , such as coal mine , but are now spawn alone as pets .
A side effect of breeding mini - horses is that offspring can occasionally be born with dwarfism , according toAMHA . Despite their diminutive stature , most miniskirt - horses do not have nanism , but most do carry some recessive gnome genes . Therefore , breeding them together can lead in offspring with dwarfism , which can also make some serious wellness problems .
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It is unclear if Pumuckel has dwarfism . Pumuckel does display some signs of nanism as described by AMHA , such as remarkably short legs , a header larger than its neck opening and protruding eyes . However , he lacks other hallmarks of the experimental condition , such as misshaped knees , a significant underbite , difficulty walking and scoliosis , or curvature of the spine . Initial reports do not posit whether Pumuckel has nanism , and as there is no usable information on his parents or derivation , so it will likely remain a mystery unless transmissible examination are carry out .
Regardless of his lineage and size , Pumuckel is adore by his owner and everyone else who meet him . He is an " unbelievable champion , " Weidemann said . " You constantly want to nuzzle him , caress him and sleep together him . "
